Car Shipping Cost Calculator

Need to ship your car to another state? Use our online calculator to get free quotes from top-rated auto transport companies.

Author: Steve Palmer

Updated: 07/30/2022

Ideas or suggestions: steve@transportli.com

Car Shipping Cost Calculator Basics

If you have bought a car from some other state or you are moving to some other state then you will have to find a car shipping company to transport your car to your next destination safely at a very reasonable cost before you start moving.

In response to your search, you can find various auto transport companies that can help you in shipping your car from one spot to another one. These companies use a car shipping calculator to calculate the cost of shipping your car. It is beneficial to use a car shipping estimate calculator while planning to move a vehicle to some other destination at the lowest cost. You can find a number of free shipping car costs calculators online to get a rough idea about the cost you will have to bear while transporting your car.

Basically, a car shipping calculator is a car shipping rates calculator that is available in the form of a form available on the website of the car shipping company which you have to fill and submit online to get the estimated cost of transporting your car from one point to the other. Though the output of the car shipping quote calculator can vary with each transportation facility but all of them ask for the same information from their prospective customers. However, a shipping a car cost calculator works on the route to be traveled, type of vehicle and dates of pick-up and delivery, etc.

Yet the estimated cost provided by the car shipping calculator is not considered final or binding on any of the parties. Most of the results provided by these calculators are based on the preset values and past data available with them. You can treat this information as a rough idea in this regard.

Some information provided in this write-up can help you to know more about the cost of shipping your car.

Open trailers

Open-car moving is the cheapest shipment option to ship your car to another state

Enclosed trailer cost 50% more

You may end up paying 50 percent more than the cost for open-air shipping

Car Shipping Cost Basics

Car shipping rates are the figures that can help you to calculate the estimated cost of transporting your car from one destination to the other. The breakdown of the cost of transporting a vehicle can vary from transporter to transporter as well as customer to customer. So for a person, who wants to ship his car from point A to point B, it is necessary to compare the quotes of two or more transporters to find the most reasonable one for him as well as the safety of their vehicle.

How rates are calculated?

To calculate car shipping rates car sipping companies use a car shipping costs calculator to give results on the basis of shipping details and preset data. The rates provided by the calculator are a rough estimate which will be sent to the customers within a few hours or a day at the maximum by using logistic software.

You will be contacted by a number of professional brokers in the field of auto shipping to provide you the exact quote for shipping your car as the estimated rates provided by the calculator cannot be used to calculate the final cost. The broker will discuss various details of your car including the distance to be traveled and the weight of your car to calculate the exact rates of shipping it.

On the other hand, the shipping company that has provided you the roughly estimated rates will also try to provide you the exact rates for shipping your car through a phone call or email. It will help you in comparing the quotes of the shipping company and the brokers in this field to choose the most suitable one for you. At this stage, you are advised to opt for the most experienced service provider for this purpose instead of the lowest rates only.

Route

Open Trailer

Enclosed Trailer

Inoperable car

FL-CA

$1000

$1450

$1150

FL-NY

$650

$1100

$750

FL-TX

$675

$1150

$750

FL-IL

$550

$950

$650

TX-CA

$750

$1250

$850

TX-IL

$650

$1100

$750

TX-NY

$750

$1200

$850

NY-CA

$1300

$1900

$1400

NY-IL

$600

$950

$675

CA-IL

$800

$1250

$900

CA-WA

$700

$1100

$800

How To Get Car Shipping Quotes?

Getting quotes from an auto transportation company can be considered as an initial step to ship a vehicle from one spot to some other spot. But the process of choosing the best one can be very confusing as you can find a number of auto transporters online. Most of the transporters use different types of car shipping quote calculator to give a quote to transport your car. Still, you can easily get the estimated quotation for moving your car from one place to the other by calling or sending an email to a reputed online service provider.

In order to get the most reasonably costing and convenient shipping company, you must compare the quotes of more than two service providers.

Their service starts with picking up your car from your business or home in their truck and ends with delivering your vehicle safely at the next destination. Their rates can vary depending upon various factors including when, how, and where you want to transport your car.

You can get the quotes for transporting your car by submitting information about the city of origin, dates of pickup and delivery, make, type, and model of the vehicle, as well as the condition of your car.

Car Shipping Carriers, Brokers and Lead Generators

Whether you are searching for the best car transport company to move your car from one destination to the other for the first time or it is your third or fourth time to search online, there are chances that you can be victimized by the robotic lead generators active in the auto transport industry.

Many people complain online almost every day that they are overwhelmed with emails and phone calls through several shipping companies since they have asked for quotes to ship their cars from one to the other location. They were often forced and persuaded to choose one of them even if their prices are not as per tier needs. So to avoid such non-stop calls you must contact legitimate auto shipping carriers or brokers.

The companies that contact you show themselves as service providers but actually they are just middlemen without any name. Instead of being an experienced auto shipping carrier or broker they are just lead generators who sell your information to other companies from the bedroom of their home instead of any shipping company. Actually, they are not linked with any auto transport company. When they are not providing any kind of service to your then they are least interested in your experiences with them. They sell your information to a number of service providers at the same time, who in turn will try to make up your mind by calling and emailing you to get business from you.

At this point, it becomes necessary to know how to differentiate between a reliable auto transport carrier or broker and a lead generator. You can make the right decision by following the tips provided here under.

Check the website you are asking for a quote: If the site you have opened to ask for a car shipping quote does not allow you to get the contact details and other information about it as well as does not allow you to navigate through its other pages apart from its landing page then it can be the website of a lead generator instead of a real service provider. This website will not be updated regularly and will not provide your physical location of its office. Such a website cannot be reliable service providers.

Search their address on Google: You can easily locate the address of a genuine company through Google. All the auto transport companies accredited by BBB are reliable carriers or brokers. Moreover, you can find their reviews on various reviewing sites including Google to know them more closely.

Check the reliability of their prices: If some service provider quotes guaranteed lowest price then you must use Google to check its genuineness. It is always advisable to get quotes from at least three service providers to compare not only their rates but also the facilities provided by them to find the best and most reasonable one for you.

Give a phone call: If you are not satisfied y the information provided by the auto transport company hen to be sure in this regard you should make a phone call n their given contact number. You can ask about their car shipping procedures and the things included in your quote. If you have made up your mind to change the shipping company then you should ensure that you can do it without any financial loss. You cannot rely on a company if they do not answer your queries or provide you any contact number to talk to them.

In this way, you can easily know whether you are talking to a lead generator or a real auto transport company, or a broker.

Car Shipping Options

Rates for Open and Enclosed transport

When you are planning to move across the country or to some other state then for the shipment of your car you will have to find a genuine and reliable auto transport company. There are two options for shipping a car – enclosed shipment and open shipment. Both of these options have their own pros and cons. The information provided here under can help you to choose the best one for shipping your care safely within your budget.

Difference between enclosed and open shipment of car

Your car will be moved to the next destination in a truck in both types of car shipping, open and enclosed.

Your car will be shipped on a long trailer with two levels while it is shipped in an open shipping system. It can be the best option for shipping a standard used regardless of these types and models. Such open trucks loaded with various types of vehicles can easily be seen on highways. It is a faster and cost-effective way of transporting a vehicle but your vehicle will be at risk of damages caused by natural as well as human-linked reasons.

Your car will be shipped n an enclosed trailer when shipping it through an enclosed transportation system. This system will provide a higher level of protection and security to your car. This type of auto shipping method is normally opted for shipping an antique, a new, and expensive, or a vintage car or any other vehicle. It will keep your car more protected and damage-free than open transportation system but it is a bit costly option as a limited number of vehicles can be loaded in an enclosed trailer.

Thus you can choose the most suitable car transportation system for shipping your car to the next destination.

Best Car Shipping Companies and How to Choose Them

Company name

Transportli Score

BBB

Google

Ship a Car Direct

9.8 out of 10

A+

4.6

AmeriFreight Car Shipping

9.7 out of 10

A+

4.7

Montway Auto Transport

9.6 out of 10

A+

4.6

AutoStar Transport Express

9.5 out of 10

A+

4.2

Easy Auto Ship

9.5 out of 10

A+

4.6

Auto Shipping Group

8.9 out of 10

A+

4.8

Ultimate Transport 123

8.9 out of 10

B-

3.7

Car Shipping Calculator FAQ

How can I get a quote for shipping my car?

You can use an online car shipping calculator or contact a reliable auto transport company to get a quote for shipping your car safely to the other destination.

How to calculate the cost of shipping my car?

You will have to consider a few factors to determine the exact cost of shipping your car. These factors may include:

  • Distance to be traveled between two locations
  • Type of your vehicle
  • Condition of your vehicle
  • Date of picking up your car
  • Date of delivery of your car at the next location
  • Type of transportation system you choose –open or enclosed

All these factors can help in determining the exact cost of shipping your car as they can increase or decrease this cost.

How can I pay the shipping cost of my car?

Most of the legible and experienced auto shipping companies normally accept their payments for shipping your car as per your requirements through electronic transfers, credit cards of all the major service providers, checks of certified banks as well as postal money orders.

Can I use my credit card to pay the cost of transporting my car in full?

Yes, you can use your credit card to pay the full cost of transporting your car. Some of the auto shipping companies or their agents can also allow you to make payments online through your phone at the time of booking them for this purpose. In this way, you can use your debit or credit card to make payment one-time only. You can also use your debit card to deposit some money in advance and the rest of the cost of transporting your vehicle on its delivery at the next destination.

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