Cheap Interstate Car Shipping Services

Get free interstate car shipping quotes from top-rated auto transport companies and save up to 37% now!

Author: Steve Palmer

Updated: 08/10/2022

Ideas or suggestions: steve@transportli.com

Interstate car shipping services

Irony how cars were made for transportation but they themselves have to be transported to different areas for various reasons. Newly developed cars must be transported through trucks or railroads otherwise they are considered used.

Some other reasons for auto transportation may include travelling. Suppose you want to travel to some other city within the state, and driving the car doesn’t feel right. You want it to be transported by some means. In such a situation, you need to contact an auto transporting company. They will charge you according to the size of the car and deliver your car to the desired place within a given span of time.

In this article, we will have a glance at how these car transporting services work, their prices, best companies you can transport your car with, and some frequently asked questions to help you with vehicle transport.

How interstate car shipping work?

How your car will be moved to a certain place depends upon the route. It depends on whether you want to move your car to a city that connects the city where you are living in, by road or by sea. There are two commercial methods for this.

 

Auto transportation by road

Open-air-trailer

You can transport your car to another city via an open-air-trailer. This method is generally used to transfer brand new cars. You can book your car for transportation by contacting an auto transporting company. They will give you all the details and once confirmed, they will provide you a delivery time which usually varies from seven to twenty-one days.

 

Enclosed truck

If you are concerned more about the safety of your vehicle from any damage, you can choose an enclosed truck. The charges are definitely higher which goes up to 60% in some cases. You can rest assured with the safety of your car in this case. An enclosed truck will prevent your car from any kind of damage especially caused by weather.

You need to do enough talking to the company about the whole process of the car transportation and get adequate insurance before transporting the car. You can also choose whether you want a door-to-door service or terminal-to-terminal service.

 

Auto transportation by sea

If you are heading to a place where a car cannot be transported by road such as an island, like to Hawaii from the mainland in the US, you cannot transport the car via trailers or trucks.

 

Cargo shipping

Cargo containers in this case is the only option. Containers are of various sizes. Auto transport companies choose the container and charge you according to the size of your car. Although, there are standard car sizes and their charges, but it will increase or decrease if you have a car of different size. After the necessary paperwork, you are good to move your car.

Best interstate car transport companies

If you are planning to transport your car soon in the near future, you must be worried about which auto transport company should I choose.

Checking customer reviews is the best you can do. Do not ignore those consistently complaining about the services. Afterall, you do not want any damage to your car. We have gathered five most famous and well reviewed auto moving companies in the US for you.

 

Ultimate Transport 123

The company started in 2010 and today it is one of the top rated auto moving companies in the US. They are providing services of open and closed transport, boat transport and bike transport and many other services.

To book a service, you need to contact the company and provide them with all the basic details about yourself and the vehicle. The price will be calculated and your order will be placed. Your car will be delivered to the desired location within the time span they give.

With their new auto tracking system, you can find out where your vehicle is while on the route and make yourself feel at ease.

The company will deliver not only single but as many vehicles as you want with some discounting prices and exact estimate of where your vehicle will be in the given time.

The customers show immense happiness with how they work. Finding on transport reviews, they got 4.9 rating with 1961 reviews. Among their top moves were from New York to Florida with an average price of $954.

The only thing which a very small number of customers complained about was timing. This thing is tolerable up to some extent which might have occurred due to natural reasons.

 

AmeriFreight Car shipping

They are one of the best brokers out there with excellent customer reviews. Their popular routes are from California to Georgia and from California to Texas. They claim to transfer your car from one place to another very safely using the latest auto transport technology. Your car transportation is just one call away.

Their cost ranges from $495 to $1300 for regular car transportation in an open trailer.

They have an excellent rating, but the major issue the customers face is bad follow-through or communication.

They provide insurance like other companies to provide you 100% cover in case of any damage.

Their popular services include, short route, long route, and corporate vehicle transport.

You can choose your route and calculate the estimate on how much it will cost to transport your car.

 

Mercury auto transport

Their rates are determined based on season and national rates. You need to pay $175 as a deposit which will be placed on your credit card. You do not have to pay the complete payment unless you inspect the car and are satisfied with the service.

Shipping options include open, closed, and flatbed auto transport.

The carrier they are providing is fully licensed and insured. The insurance policy is bound to cover the damage from $100,000 to $1,000,000.

The company will provide you with a checklist so that you can prepare your car for the shipping with complete peace of mind.

They have good follow-through, and customers have reported a positive experience with Mercury.

The price remains firm once you approve the carrier. The time-frames are although guaranteed, natural factors like the weather might delay the transport.

 

Montway auto transport

It is a very reliable auto moving company registered with USDOT. They move your car with complete care. Inoperable cars usually cost more because they require some extra efforts to be moved. Other than that, they have the usual open trailer option, which is cheap and convenient.

Montway is an insured company which is liable for covering the damage of $250,000 in case of any mishap.

The carrier will remain in contact with you throughout the transport. However, apart from an excellent overall rating, many customers have reported lousy follow-through.

They are giving you a free hand of placing up to 100 lbs of stuff in the trunk of your car, which most companies do not allow.

 

Ship a car direct

One of the top rated America’s companies, which is insured and bonded. They claim to provide you a 100% safe delivery of car, in a rare case, if the car got damaged the insurance of the carrier will cover it.

They are providing one stop door to door service without any deposit.

Customers have reported a good service experience with them with nothing bad was mentioned.

Placing any extra thing inside the car is strictly prohibited. The company is not liable to do it.

The company claims to deliver the vehicle in a reasonable time with 100% insurance guaranteed in case of damage to the vehicle.

Company

Transportli Score

BBB

Google

Montway

9.6 out of 10

A+

4.6 stars

Ultimate Transport 123

8.9 our of 10

B-

3.7 stars

Ship A Car Direct

9.8 out of 10

A+

4.6 stars

Auto Shipping Group

8.9 our of 10

A+

4.8 stars

Amerifreight

9.7 our of 10

A+

4.7 stars

Mercury Auto Transport

8.5 out of 10

B

4.6 stars

Can I ship inoperable cars?

Sure, you simply need to indicate that your car is in inoperable condition. In this case shipping company will hire a trailer with winch to load your car.

Inoperable cars shipping cost is higher!

It will take some time and effort from the driver to load/unload your car into the trailer. You should expect extra 75-100 dollars charge for inoperable car shipping.

How to get interstate car transport quote?

Different auto transport companies have their websites from where you can find a form to fill. In other cases, they have a phone number where you can contact them directly. Many of these companies offer free quotes. You can simply fill the form and request a quote.

 

  • You are required to fill some very basic things in the form. Some of them are:
  • Your name, surname, Email and phone number
  • Departure and destination
  • Model and brand of your vehicle
  • Any additional detail you want to add

 

You will receive a call or an email afterwards. The rest is up to the company you contacted.

Interstate car shipping cost

The average cost of transporting a car in the US is $950. However, the rates may increase or decrease depending upon the size and weight of your vehicle.

The larger the vehicle, the more space it will take. The highest average price of transporting a car in the US is $1200. Whereas the lowest cost is $700.

Another factor is the time of the year. You can expect 200 to 300 dollars less in winters than in summers. The only reason is quick and a lot of car bookings in summers.

For a destination too far from the state of origin, you have to expect a price more than average. Longer distance will definitely cost more.

There is a per mile price for a distance of a thousand miles or more. The per mile average price of car transportation is $0.60 which goes as high as $1 per mile.

Route

Open Trailer

Enclosed Trailer

Inoperable car

FL-CA

$1200

$2200

$1300

FL-NY

$1000

$1800

$1100

FL-TX

$750

$1500

$850

NY-TX

$1000

$1550

$1100

NY-CA

$1600

$2400

$1700

TX-CA

$750

$1300

$850

CA-WA

$850

$1400

$950

How to prepare your car for interstate shipping?

Your car is your most important asset. You definitely do not want any damage to it. You can follow some simple tips to get your car transported safely.

 

Wash the car

The company you are transporting your car with, wants to get a condition report of your car. Untidy surface will make it difficult to assess the result. It is better to wash the car so that any existing damage will be seen clearly.

 

Clean the car from inside

Remove any spare object from the interior of the car. A lot of bouncing may cause damage to the car due to those spare objects.

 

Take photos of the car

Do not rely on the driver completely. You need to take photos of every side of the car yourself. This way you will be able to assess easily if the auto transport service causes any damage to your car.

 

Check the leaks

Have your car checked by an auto mechanic before transporting it. Fix it if you can. If you cannot, do let the driver know. He will find out a solution by placing your car at the suitable place.

 

Have a photo of the odometer

The best you can do is to have a picture of your odometer. This way you will remain aware if the driver has used your car or not. You definitely do not want anyone to ride your car in your absence.

 

Disable car alarms

Disable the alarms yourself. It would otherwise cause difficulty for the driver. He might not be able to turn them off as some are out of reach.

These were some basic tips for you before handing the car over to the company. You should make an effort to keep yourself in contact with the company. This will give an ease to the driver if he faces any difficulty. Also, he will be more cautious to protect your car from any kind of damage.

Interstate Car shipping FAQ

How far in advance should I book my order?

You should book your order at least two weeks before the transport. More of that, you should not go beyond two days before the transport. This will give the company some time to schedule your transport.

 

Should I transport my car open or closed?

Open transport is completely safe as far as there is no natural hazard. In almost 97% of the cases, the car remains completely safe. If your car is rare or a really expensive one, it is recommended to prefer a closed transport to ensure complete protection.

 

How long will it take to deliver my car?

This greatly depends upon the distance. Companies usually take seven to twenty-one days to deliver the car.

 

Can I keep things inside my car while transporting?

This is a strict no. Many companies come with a condition of no extra objects inside the car. This can cause damage to the interior of the car.

 

What is the cost of shipping a car to 1000 miles?

The average cost for 1000 miles is 60 cents which makes $600 per vehicle.

 

What is the cheapest way to transport a car?

Open transport is reliable and cheapest. You can go for closed transport but it costs on average 50% more.

 


 

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