Dallas Auto Transport: Car Shipping Rates and Quotes

Looking for auto transport in Dallas? What car shipping in Dallas costs depends on the route, the vehicle and whether it runs. We ran real quotes from our platform for thirty-six Dallas lanes, both leaving and arriving, from a 32-mile hop between Fort Worth and Dallas to a 1,548-mile haul between New York and Dallas, and an open-trailer sedan ranged from $81 to $1,459. Here is what Dallas car transport costs by vehicle type and route, including car shipping from Dallas to Houston, Atlanta, Chicago and New York, how the price changes by direction, how hail season and the summer heat change the picture, and the registration, emissions and insurance rules if you are moving here. Every price is door to door, and you can read how that works in our door-to-door auto transport guide.

What it costs to ship a car to or from Dallas

Whether you need an auto transport service in Dallas 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. All lanes were priced on November 6, 2026, and prices move from week to week, so treat them as a snapshot. The same prices apply to Plano, Frisco, Irving, Arlington, Garland and the rest of the Dallas–Fort Worth metro, 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 Dallas or leaving it. Dallas–Fort Worth is one of the largest metros in the country and a major freight hub, so a lot of car carriers pass through, but the price still depends on how many are heading the same way.

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 $3.06 a mile on Fort Worth → Dallas (32 mi) to $0.45 on Dallas → Miami (1,310 mi). Pickups cost a median of 58% more than a sedan on these lanes and vans a median of 55% more, while an SUV was priced below the sedan on 3 of 36 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 $0.95–$3.06 per mile under 450 miles and $0.45–$0.94 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 32 miles or 1,000. Fort Worth to Dallas is 32 miles and cost $98, or $3.06 a mile, while New York to Dallas is about 48 times as far but only 15 times the price.

Pickups and vans cost more than sedans

A pickup cost a median of 58% more than a sedan on the same lane, ranging from 7% less to 168% more, and a van a median of 55% more. An SUV was priced within a median of 7% of the sedan and was cheaper on 3 of 36. Texas is a big truck market, so 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. Our pickup truck shipping guide has the details.

Popular Dallas car shipping routes

Dallas to Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston

The in-state runs follow I-30 to Fort Worth, I-35 to Austin and San Antonio and I-45 to Houston, and they are the shortest lanes in and out of the metro. Fort Worth: a sedan was $81 leaving Dallas (33 mi) and $98 into Dallas; Austin: a sedan was $271 leaving Dallas (197 mi) and $263 into Dallas; San Antonio: a sedan was $278 leaving Dallas (292 mi) and $300 into Dallas; Houston: a sedan was $279 leaving Dallas (239 mi) and $304 into Dallas.

Dallas to Oklahoma City, Kansas City and Little Rock

North on I-35 and US-75 to Oklahoma and Kansas, or northeast on I-30 to Arkansas, the neighboring-state lanes. Oklahoma City: a sedan was $279 leaving Dallas (206 mi) and $300 into Dallas; Kansas City: a sedan was $524 leaving Dallas (497 mi) and $500 into Dallas; Little Rock: a sedan was $409 leaving Dallas (319 mi) and $416 into Dallas.

Dallas to New Orleans, Atlanta and Nashville

East along I-20 and I-10 and into the Southeast, the mid-range runs. New Orleans: a sedan was $442 leaving Dallas (505 mi) and $545 into Dallas; Atlanta: a sedan was $574 leaving Dallas (782 mi) and $874 into Dallas; Nashville: a sedan was $629 leaving Dallas (664 mi) and $706 into Dallas.

Dallas to Orlando and Miami

Florida is one of the biggest destinations for cars leaving Texas, and it is a long haul east. Orlando: a sedan was $520 leaving Dallas (1,087 mi) and $800 into Dallas; Miami: a sedan was $593 leaving Dallas (1,310 mi) and $899 into Dallas.

Dallas to Chicago and New York

The long Midwest and Northeast runs are the most expensive in dollars and among the cheapest per mile. Chicago: a sedan was $700 leaving Dallas (969 mi) and $905 into Dallas; New York: a sedan was $779 leaving Dallas (1,548 mi) and $1,459 into Dallas.

Dallas to Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles

West along I-20 and I-40 to the Southwest, or northwest toward Denver, the western lanes are among the longest. Denver: a sedan was $574 leaving Dallas (880 mi) and $630 into Dallas; Phoenix: a sedan was $600 leaving Dallas (1,066 mi) and $839 into Dallas; Las Vegas: a sedan was $800 leaving Dallas (1,220 mi) and $961 into Dallas; Los Angeles: a sedan was $789 leaving Dallas (1,433 mi) and $1,000 into Dallas.

Each lane shows what we were quoted in November 2026 for a sedan on an open trailer. Prices are the same for Plano, Frisco, Irving, Arlington, Garland, Richardson and the rest of the Dallas–Fort Worth metro, because carriers treat Dallas as one pickup area. If you are further out, in Denton, Rockwall, Waxahachie or Cleburne, expect a little more for the extra distance. For the whole state, see our Texas auto transport guide.

Does direction change the price?

We quoted eighteen corridors both ways from Dallas:

A sedan arriving in Dallas cost more than the same trip leaving on 15 of the 18 corridors: New York to Dallas 87% higher ($1,459 vs. $779), Orlando to Dallas 54% higher ($800 vs. $520), Atlanta to Dallas 52% higher ($874 vs. $574), Miami to Dallas 52% higher ($899 vs. $593). Leaving Dallas cost more on 2: Dallas to Kansas City 5% higher ($524 vs. $500), Dallas to Austin 3% higher ($271 vs. $263). About the same both ways: Dallas and Little Rock. 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. The table above is a snapshot taken in November, so a quote in another season can look different. We measured direction across our whole dataset in our study of 287 lanes priced both ways.

Did you know?From 36 real Dallas lanes and 8 recent jobs

1. +87% more into Dallas

   New York to Dallas cost 87% more than Dallas to New York

   A sedan was $1,459 into Dallas against $779 going the other way on about 1,548 miles.

2. $3.06 a mile, on a short lane

   A short lane cost the most per mile: $3.06 vs. $0.45

   A sedan from Fort Worth to Dallas (32 miles) was $98. Dallas to Miami (1,310 miles) was $593.

3. 3 of 36 lanes where the SUV beat the sedan

   On 3 of 36 lanes the SUV was priced below the sedan

   Size does not always cost more. Pickups, on the other hand, were a median of 58% above the sedan.

4. 36 real lanes, 4 vehicle types

   36 real Dallas lanes, priced for four vehicle types

   From a 32-mile hop inside the state to a 1,548-mile haul.

Get a Dallas auto quote →

Recent jobs to and from Dallas

These are recent shipments that started or ended in the Dallas area, taken from our delivered orders. Customer and dealer names, street addresses, VINs and plates are left out, and the photos are blurred where needed. Dates are the pickup and delivery dates on the order and miles are the route distance on the order. Dates include the year, and one is from 2025. Treat these as examples, not promises. Prices are not shown, because every job was priced for its own vehicle, date and route.

Eight jobs from the Dallas–Fort Worth area, six leaving and two arriving, and they show how the metro moves: pickups, SUVs and sports cars on runs of 271 to 1,453 miles, with enclosed trailers carrying 2 of the 8 (both Corvettes). 7 of the 8 were delivered within three days, and the longest, a 2026 Ford F-350 Super Duty from Richardson, TX to Salisbury, MD (about 1,453 miles), took 3 days. Many other delivered orders that started in Plano were motorcycles and scooters, usually shipped enclosed, and they are left out because this page is about cars and trucks. Four jobs have photos; the others are in the table only, because their orders have photos of several vehicles, unclear photos or no photos on file.

Inoperable and enclosed vehicles: what they add

On our platform an inoperable vehicle adds about 25% to the open-trailer price (a median of about $190 for a sedan in our tests), 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 $574 open from Dallas to Atlanta works out to about $1,004 enclosed, or about $1,256 if it also does not run. Collector cars, classics and high-value vehicles are usually shipped enclosed, and two of the jobs above were, both of them Corvettes. See our inoperable vehicle guide and our classic car transport guide for details.

Hail season, summer heat, big events and when to ship

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

• Spring storms and hail. North Texas has frequent spring thunderstorms and hail, so owners of newer, collector or high-value cars often choose enclosed transport, keep the car in a garage before pickup and ask the carrier about weather delays.
• Summer heat. Triple-digit heat in July and August is hard on batteries and tires, so many owners ask for early-morning or evening handoffs.
• Relocations. The Dallas–Fort Worth area draws a steady flow of job-related moves, and Texas has no state income tax, so many movers ship a second car instead of driving two.
• Big events. The State Fair of Texas, big games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and race weekends at Texas Motor Speedway fill nearby roads, so book early and plan to meet the driver on a side street if your address is near an event.
• Students. Move-in in August and move-out in May matter around SMU, UT Dallas, UT Arlington, TCU and the University of North Texas in Denton.
• Dealers and auctions. The metro has large dealer groups and auction yards, which is why many of the jobs above started in suburbs such as Plano and Irving.

A flexible pickup window of a few days usually gets a faster carrier match, and booking a few weeks ahead matters more over holidays, in August and around big events.

Pickup and delivery around the Dallas metro

• Downtown, Deep Ellum, Uptown and Oak Lawn. One-way streets, event traffic and tight garages make a full-size truck hard to park, so drivers often meet customers at a nearby lot.
• Highland Park, University Park and Preston Hollow. Older neighborhoods with narrow streets and mature trees, so plan a meeting point on a wider road.
• Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Allen. Planned suburbs in Collin County with many HOAs and cul-de-sacs, along the Dallas North Tollway and US-75.
• Irving, Las Colinas, Grand Prairie and Arlington. The middle of the metro, near DFW Airport and AT&T Stadium, with a lot of commercial addresses that suit a full-size trailer.
• Garland, Mesquite, Rowlett and Richardson. East and northeast along I-30, I-635 and US-75, mostly wide suburban streets.
• Lewisville, Flower Mound and Denton. North along I-35E, with a busy student market around the University of North Texas.
• Fort Worth. About 30 miles west and priced as its own lane above, with the Stockyards and Cultural District tight on parking.
• Rockwall, Waxahachie, Midlothian and Cleburne. Outlying cities priced a little higher for the extra distance.

A full-size car hauler is about 75 feet long. If your street is narrow, has low trees, a gate or a cul-de-sac, the driver will usually ask to meet you at a nearby lot, and that is normal in the metro.

Distance, transit time and the main corridors

Dallas traffic runs on a few roads:

• I-35E and I-35W split around Dallas and Fort Worth and rejoin to the north, carrying most of the traffic to Oklahoma, and I-45 runs south to Houston.
• I-30 runs west to Fort Worth and east toward Arkansas, I-20 runs east toward Shreveport and Atlanta and west toward West Texas, and US-75 runs north toward the Oklahoma line.
• I-635 (LBJ Freeway), Loop 12 and the Dallas North Tollway connect the suburbs, and the President George Bush Turnpike is a toll road, which matters if a driver needs to bypass downtown.

Typical open-trailer transit is about 1 to 2 days for trips under 450 miles, 2 to 4 days for 500 to 900 miles, 3 to 6 days for 1,000 to 1,500 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.

Moving to Dallas: registration, emissions and insurance

These are the rules we found on Texas state pages, as search excerpts, so confirm each item with the state before you go. The full list is on our Texas page:

• Registration. New residents have about 30 days to get a Texas driver license and register their vehicle, per Texas.gov, and there is a one-time new-resident tax of about $90 or a sales-tax difference, per TxDMV. Confirm the current figures with your county tax office.
• Safety inspection. As we read the law, Texas ended the safety inspection for noncommercial vehicles on January 1, 2025, replaced by a $7.50 fee, but an older TxDMV checklist still mentions inspections, so confirm with the county.
• Emissions test. Emissions testing applies in 17 Texas counties, and in the Dallas–Fort Worth area that includes Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, so ask the county tax office whether your car needs one.
• Insurance. The Texas minimum liability limits are commonly given as 30/60/25, meaning $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for injury and $25,000 for property damage. Confirm with the Texas Department of Insurance or your insurer.

Our moving-to-Dallas tip: ship the car to arrive when you can get the county tax office appointment and a Texas insurance policy lined up, so the 30-day clock does not run out while the car is on a truck.

Dealerships and auctions in the Dallas area

Dealers and auction yards are some of the most common pickup and delivery points for car carriers in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, and they are commercial addresses where a full-size trailer can usually reach. There is no single official ranking of Dallas dealerships, so these are examples rather than a top-ten list. For the full picture of auction pickups, see our auction and dealer car shipping guide.

Auction yards

• Manheim, ADESA, Copart and IAA — the main dealer and salvage auctions all run yards in the DFW area, according to their own location pages.
• Salvage cars — Copart and IAA sell salvage and damaged vehicles that often do not run, so price those as inoperable.
• Verify first — yard names and addresses change, so confirm each on the company’s own location page before the driver arrives.
• Dealers — the metro has many large dealer groups, and several of the jobs above started at dealer addresses in Plano and Irving.

Each yard has its own release and gate-pass rules, so confirm them before the driver arrives. If you are moving several vehicles, we also have dealer and volume pricing on our Texas page.

How to choose a car shipping company in Dallas

Searches for auto transport companies in Dallas 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 marketplace like Transportli sends your request to vetted carriers on your lane and shows you the quotes side by side.
• 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.
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 any toll transponder, such as a TollTag, should come off before pickup so it does not bill you on the truck.
4. Protect the car from hail and heat. Keep it in a garage in spring storm season and, in summer, check the battery and tire pressure and ask for an early-morning or evening handoff. Tell the carrier if storms may delay the pickup.
5. Fold or secure mirrors, antennas and racks and tell the carrier about anything unusual: a lowered car, a lift kit, a roof rack or a car that does not run.
6. Plan the handoff. A large truck cannot always reach a narrow street or a gated community, 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.

Dallas auto transport: frequently asked questions

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