Car shipping
What it costs to move a car between two states by truck, open or enclosed. The estimate shows the distance, the rate per mile and every premium, as ranges from published rates checked Nov. 10, 2026.
How it works
Pick two states, the carrier and the car. The estimate starts from the distance, applies a published rate per mile for open transport, then adds each premium as its own line. A quote between two addresses will be narrower.
Roads are longer than a straight line. 1.2 is the circuity factor widely used for the U.S. road network, after Ballou and others (2002). Long interstate trips run close to it, short trips can run higher.
Rates per mile
Open carrier, one running sedan, door to door. The rate per mile falls as the trip gets longer. Low end from Enterprise Auto Transport's 2026 index, high end from MovingRated's mid-2026 benchmarks. A longer trip is never priced below a shorter one. Minimum charge $425 to $700.
| Trip length, road miles | Open carrier, per mile |
|---|---|
| 0 to 300 | $1.28 to $2.40 |
| 300 to 600 | $0.96 to $2.00 |
| 600 to 1,000 | $0.74 to $1.50 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 | $0.63 to $1.00 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 | $0.55 to $1.00 |
| Over 2,000 | $0.40 to $0.70 |
Enclosed adds 30% to 60%. A car that does not run adds $150 to $300.
Sources
- Centers of population by state, 2020 Census. U.S. Census Bureau. Checked Nov. 10, 2026.
- Selected country circuity factors for road travel distance estimation (Ballou, Rahardja and Sakai, Transportation Research Part A 36, 2002). Elsevier. Checked Nov. 10, 2026.
- 2026 auto transport cost index. Enterprise Auto Transport. Checked Nov. 10, 2026.
- Car shipping costs in 2026: per-mile rate chart (reviewed June 11, 2026). MovingRated. Checked Nov. 10, 2026.
- Car shipping costs (2026): your complete price guide (updated Nov. 6, 2026). TransportVibe. Checked Nov. 10, 2026.
This is an estimate from published rates, not a quote. Prices move with fuel, season and how many trucks run your route.