Maine Auto Transport: Rates by Vehicle and Route

Looking for auto transport in Maine? What car shipping in Maine costs depends on the route, the vehicle and whether it runs. We ran real quotes from our platform for thirty-two Maine lanes, from a 113-mile hop between Portland and Boston to a 3,099-mile haul between Los Angeles and Portland, and an open-trailer sedan ranged from $251 to $1,709. Here is what Maine auto transport costs by vehicle type and route, including auto transport in Portland and car shipping out of Bangor, how the price changes with direction, how long seven recent real jobs took, what inoperable and enclosed shipping add, and what to do about Maine excise tax, registration, inspection and insurance after your car arrives.

What it costs to ship a car to or from Maine

Whether you need an auto transport service in Maine for a move, a purchase or a dealer transfer, every figure below is a real quote from our platform for one vehicle on an open trailer, running, priced separately for each vehicle type on October 19, 2026. Portland stands in for southern Maine, where most of the state’s people and cars are, with Bangor covering central and northern Maine, and each lane is labeled by its actual cities. Most moves are quoted in both directions, so you can see what changes when the car is arriving in Maine or leaving it.

Distances are the road miles in each quote, and prices are in dollars. The price per mile falls fast as the trip gets longer, from $2.45 a mile on Bangor → Portland to $0.54 on Portland → Los Angeles. Pickups cost a median of 47% more than a sedan on these lanes and vans a median of 35% more, while an SUV was priced below the sedan on 6 of 32 lanes. Treat these as a guide, and get a live quote for your exact pickup and delivery points.

How the price per mile changes with distance

Distance is the biggest driver, but the price per mile falls as the trip gets longer. For a sedan it ran $1.18–$2.45 per mile under 450 miles and $0.54–$0.92 per mile at 1,000 miles or more. A short run costs more per mile because the driver still has to load, unload and reposition the truck whether the trip is 113 miles or 1,000. Portland to Boston is 113 miles and cost $251, or $2.22 a mile, while Los Angeles to Portland is about 27 times as far but only 7 times the price.

Pickups and vans cost more than sedans

A pickup cost a median of 47% more than a sedan on the same lane, from 22% less to 126% more, and a van a median of 35% more. An SUV was priced within a median of 5% of the sedan and was cheaper on 6 of 32. If you are shipping a pickup, check the pickup column for your route, and dually trucks, lifted vehicles and anything oversized need a quote of their own.

Popular Maine car shipping routes

Portland to Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore

The Northeast corridor along I-95 is the shortest and busiest group of trips out of Maine. Boston: a sedan was $251 leaving Portland (113 mi) and $266 into Portland; New York: a sedan was $535 leaving Portland (318 mi) and $604 into Portland; Philadelphia: a sedan was $526 leaving Portland (411 mi) and $479 into Portland; Baltimore: a sedan was $634 leaving Portland (508 mi) and $629 into Portland.

Portland to Charlotte and Atlanta

The Southeast is the next group of routes, down the coast and the Appalachians. Charlotte: a sedan was $970 leaving Portland (988 mi) and $982 into Portland; Atlanta: a sedan was $1,078 leaving Portland (1,225 mi) and $934 into Portland.

Portland to Orlando, Tampa and Miami

Florida is the long-haul destination people ask about most for Maine, and many of these trips are snowbirds sending a car south for the winter. Orlando: a sedan was $1,094 leaving Portland (1,398 mi) and $888 into Portland; Tampa: a sedan was $1,249 leaving Portland (1,456 mi) and $1,019 into Portland; Miami: a sedan was $1,009 leaving Portland (1,604 mi) and $891 into Portland.

Portland to Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles

The Midwest, Texas and California are the long end of Maine auto transport, with a lower price per mile. Chicago: a sedan was $1,000 leaving Portland (1,087 mi) and $856 into Portland; Dallas: a sedan was $1,433 leaving Portland (1,892 mi) and $1,036 into Portland; Los Angeles: a sedan was $1,668 leaving Portland (3,090 mi) and $1,709 into Portland.

Inside Maine: Bangor and central Maine

Maine is a big, thinly settled state, and most cars are in the south around Portland, so central and northern Maine is a different market. Bangor, Orono and the rest of the Penobscot valley sit a couple of hours north of Portland, and carriers serving them price against Boston and the Northeast lanes. A sedan: Bangor to Portland was $319 (130 mi); Portland to Bangor was $302 (129 mi); Bangor to Boston was $365 (241 mi); Boston to Bangor was $427 (240 mi); Bangor to New York was $579 (446 mi); New York to Bangor was $628 (443 mi); Bangor to Orlando was $1,092 (1,526 mi); Orlando to Bangor was $888 (1,521 mi).

Does direction change the price?

We quoted sixteen corridors both ways, most of them from Portland:

A sedan leaving Portland cost more than the same trip arriving on 8 of the 13 Portland corridors: Portland to Dallas 38% higher ($1,433 vs. $1,036), Portland to Orlando 23% higher ($1,094 vs. $888), Portland to Tampa 23% higher ($1,249 vs. $1,019), Portland to Chicago 17% higher ($1,000 vs. $856). Arriving in Portland cost more on 5: New York to Portland 13% higher ($604 vs. $535), Boston to Portland 6% higher ($266 vs. $251), Bangor to Portland 6% higher ($319 vs. $302). The price follows how many cars are moving each way on that lane, so if you can ship in either direction, or can drive one way and ship the other, check both.

Did you know?From 32 real Maine lanes and 7 delivered jobs

1. +13% more into Portland

   New York to Portland cost 13% more than Portland to New York

   A sedan was $604 into Portland against $535 going the other way on about 318 miles.

2. +38% more out of Portland

   Portland to Dallas cost 38% more than Dallas to Portland

   A sedan was $1,433 leaving Portland against $1,036 coming in on about 1,892 miles.

3. $2.45 a mile, on a short lane

   A short lane cost the most per mile: $2.45 vs. $0.54

   A sedan from Bangor to Portland (130 miles) was $319. Portland to Los Angeles (3,090 miles) was $1,668.

4. 6 of 32 lanes where the SUV beat the sedan

   On 6 of 32 lanes the SUV was priced below the sedan

   Size does not always cost more. Pickups, on the other hand, were a median of 47% above the sedan.

5. 32 real lanes, 4 vehicle types

   32 real Maine lanes, priced for four vehicle types

   From a 113-mile hop inside the region to a 3,099-mile haul, quoted on October 19, 2026.

6. 2 of 7 recent jobs delivered within a day

   Two of seven recent Maine jobs arrived within a day

   A RAV4 Prime went about 220 miles from York to Connecticut in 1 day, while a Mercedes GLE from Colorado, about 2,000 miles, took 5.

Get a Maine auto quote →

Real Maine jobs: how long they took

These are seven recent jobs that started or ended in Maine, taken from the signed bills of lading and the pickup and delivery photos the drivers filed. Five were delivered into Maine and two started there, and three of the five came from Colorado. They range from a 2003 Honda Element and a 2016 Infiniti QX50 to a 1959 Chevrolet Apache and a 2007 Lotus Exige. Customer names, street addresses, VINs, plates and carrier details are left out, and the photos are blurred where needed. We show pickup and delivery cities, dates as signed on the bill of lading and approximate miles, which are our own estimates.

Delivered

Two of the seven arrived within a day

• 1 day: the RAV4 Prime from York to Connecticut (about 220 miles) and the Infiniti from New York to Westbrook (about 250).
• 2 days: the Honda Element from Virginia (about 700 miles).
• 4 days: the Silverado to Florida (about 1,600 miles), and the Apache and the Lotus from Colorado (about 2,050 each).
• 5 days: the Mercedes GLE from Boulder, Colorado (about 2,000 miles).

Examples, not promises: your timing depends on the lane, the carrier and your dates.

See the photos below ↓

Photos are from the drivers’ inspections at pickup and delivery. License plates, signs, lot numbers and bystanders are blurred or out of frame. The long hauls from Colorado, about 2,000 miles in 4 to 5 days, show how far Maine is from the rest of the country, and the times are examples rather than a promise. Classics and sports cars like the 1959 Apache and the Lotus are often shipped enclosed, so ask for an enclosed quote, and a car that does not run, such as one bought at a salvage auction, is priced as inoperable.

Inoperable and enclosed vehicles: what they add

On our platform an inoperable vehicle adds about $100 to the open-trailer price, because the driver needs a winch and extra loading time, and enclosed transport adds about 75%, because enclosed trailers carry fewer cars. For example, a sedan quoted at $1,433 open from Portland to Dallas works out to about $2,508 enclosed, or $2,608 if it also does not run. Collector cars, motorcycles and high-value vehicles are usually shipped enclosed, which many owners choose for road salt, snow and winter storms. Our classic car transport guide covers enclosed shipping in detail.

Snowbirds, students, summer visitors, winter weather and when to ship

A few patterns recur in Maine car shipping. These are general industry experience and Maine’s own calendar, not our October quote data, so compare a live quote for your date:

• Snowbirds. Many Mainers spend the winter in Florida and send a car south in the fall and back north in the spring. One carrier guide says fall demand for Florida peaks from October through mid-November and suggests booking four to six weeks ahead, so book early if you leave in that window.
• Students. Late August move-in and May move-out matter at the University of Maine in Orono and the other campuses, and many students ship a car to or from out of state. The University of Maine reported about 10,600 students at Orono for fall 2025, and the University of Maine System about 25,900 across its campuses.
• Shipyards and relocations. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery, the Bath Iron Works shipyard and the hospitals, colleges and remote workers moving to Portland and the coast bring moves in and out through the year. We do not have Maine-specific timing data for any of it.
• Summer visitors and second homes. Coastal Maine fills up from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and owners of summer homes sometimes ship a car in for the season and out again in the fall.
• Winter weather. Snow, ice and nor’easters can close roads, slow plows and delay pickups for days from December through March, and spring mud season can soften dirt roads. Keep your pickup window flexible, and ask the carrier how it handles a storm warning before you book.

A flexible pickup window of a few days usually gets a faster carrier match, and booking a few weeks ahead matters more in October and early November, when snowbirds leave at once.

Distance, transit time and the main corridors

Maine’s traffic runs on a few roads:

• I-95 is the main route, from the New Hampshire line at Kittery through Portland and Augusta to Bangor and on to Houlton, with the Maine Turnpike carrying the stretch from Kittery to Augusta, and I-295 bypassing Portland and linking it with Brunswick and Gardiner.
• US-1 follows the coast from Kittery through Brunswick, Rockland and Ellsworth to Calais, and it is slower than the interstate. US-2 and US-202 cross the interior toward Farmington, Skowhegan and Bangor.
• Maine is far from most markets. The route to Boston is a short run along I-95, but almost everywhere else is a long haul south or west.
• Narrow streets, islands and dirt roads. Coastal village streets, rural dirt roads and anywhere you reach by ferry can be too narrow or soft for a full-size car carrier, so the driver may ask you to meet at a wider road or a parking lot, and carriers generally do not take a car onto an island.

Typical open-trailer transit is about 1 to 2 days for trips under 400 miles, 2 to 4 days for 500 to 800 miles, 3 to 6 days for 1,000 to 1,300 miles and 6 to 9 days coast to coast. Those are industry-typical ranges rather than guarantees, and the clock starts when a driver picks the car up, not when you book. A flexible pickup window of a few days usually gets a faster carrier match.

Moving to Maine: excise tax, registration, inspection and insurance

If you are moving to Maine, the car arrives before the paperwork starts. These are the rules we found on Maine.gov pages, a Maine town’s site and third-party guides, as search excerpts, so confirm each item with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and your town office before you go:

• Register within 30 days. New residents are generally given 30 days from establishing residency to register a vehicle in Maine, and some guides say before you drive it on public roads.
• Start at the town office. Maine charges an annual municipal excise tax on registered vehicles, based on the vehicle’s value and age, and the BMV’s guidance says you pay it at your town or city office. Some towns also issue the registration, and if yours does not you then go to a BMV branch. One guide puts the rate at roughly $4 to $24 per $1,000 of value, so ask your town.
• Bring the title. Expect to bring your out-of-state registration and proof of Maine insurance, plus the out-of-state title for newer vehicles and the lienholder’s details if there is a loan. One guide lists a title fee of $33 for newer vehicles, so confirm the current fee.
• Use tax. If you already owned and registered the car in another state you can show that registration and complete a Maine use tax form, and a vehicle bought without that proof can be charged Maine’s 5.5% sales tax, so keep your paperwork.
• Inspection. Maine requires periodic safety inspections at licensed stations, and a 2023 Maine DEP letter says enhanced inspections apply in Cumberland County, where Portland is, with a catalytic converter check statewide and a gas cap pressure test in Cumberland County. Ask the BMV what applies to your car and how soon after registration it is due.
• Insurance. The Maine Bureau of Insurance lists minimum liability limits of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injury and $25,000 for property damage, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at $50,000 and $100,000 and at least $2,000 per person in medical payments coverage.

Rules and fees change, so confirm each item with the BMV and your town office before you go.

Portland, Lewiston, Augusta, Bangor and the coast

• Portland and southern Maine. Portland is the state’s largest city and the hub for the quotes above, and Kittery and York County sit close to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and the Boston lanes.
• Lewiston–Auburn, Augusta and Waterville. The central cities and the state capital are an easy detour off I-95 and I-295, so a driver heading north or south often passes them.
• Bangor and Orono. The Penobscot valley is home to the University of Maine and looks toward Boston and the Northeast lanes, so check the quote for your exact town.
• The coast and Down East. Brunswick, Bath, Rockland, Camden, Ellsworth and Bar Harbor are busy in summer and quiet in winter, and some are reached only by narrow roads.
• Aroostook and the north woods. Houlton, Presque Isle and the north are a long way from the interstate network, so a quote there can run higher and a pickup can take longer to schedule.
• Relocations and second cars. Maine moves people to and from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Florida, and many movers ship a second car instead of driving two.

Dealerships and auctions in Maine

Dealers and auction yards are some of the most common pickup and delivery points for car carriers, and they are commercial addresses where a full-size trailer can usually reach. There is no single official ranking of Maine dealerships, so these are examples drawn from company listings rather than a top-ten list.

Auction yards

• Southern Maine — Copart’s own listings show a yard on Kennebunk Pond Road in Lyman, about 25 miles south of Portland near I-95, and another on Bedrock Terrace in Windham, northwest of Portland.
• Elsewhere — we did not confirm current yard addresses for IAA or for central and northern Maine, so check the companies’ location finders.

Copart sells salvage and damaged vehicles that often do not run, so price those as inoperable. Each yard has its own release and gate-pass rules, so confirm them before the driver arrives. Auction locations change and some directory entries are years old, so check each company’s own location finder. Dealers shipping cars to out-of-state buyers, and buyers having a car delivered to their Maine home, are both common, and the same open, enclosed and inoperable pricing above applies.

How to choose a car shipping company in Maine

Searches for auto transport Maine and the best car shipping companies in Maine find long lists of names, but there is no official ranking, and the right company is the one that is licensed, insured and clear about price. Check these before you book with anyone:

• Look up the company’s federal registration. Every interstate auto transporter or broker needs a USDOT number and operating authority. You can check them on the FMCSA company snapshot and the FMCSA licensing and insurance search.
• Know whether you are dealing with a broker or a carrier. A carrier owns the trucks. A broker or marketplace like Transportli matches your car with a vetted carrier on your lane and shows you the price up front.
• Ask what the quote includes. Our quotes are for one vehicle on an open trailer, and inoperable and enclosed are priced as adjustments, as shown above. Be wary of a price far below the others, because it may not find a driver.
• Understand the pickup window. Carriers give a window, not an exact time, and a flexible window of a few days usually gets a faster match.
• Document the car. The bill of lading is the condition report, so take dated photos at pickup and delivery and note any damage before you sign.

Preparing your car for pickup

1. Wash the car and photograph it from every side, inside and out, with the date on, which is harder with road salt and snow, so clear it off first.
2. Leave about a quarter tank of fuel and check for leaks, since carriers may refuse a car that leaks fluid.
3. Remove personal items and toll tags. Carriers generally do not insure belongings left in the car, and the E-ZPass tag should come off before the Turnpike.
4. Fold or secure mirrors, antennas and racks and tell the carrier about anything unusual: a lowered car, a lift kit, a roof rack, snow tires on the roof or a car that does not run.
5. Plan the handoff. A large truck cannot always reach a dirt road, a narrow coastal street or an unplowed driveway, so be ready to meet the driver at a nearby lot, and make sure someone can inspect and sign the bill of lading at both ends.

Our auto transport guide has the full checklist.

Maine auto transport: frequently asked questions

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