Shipping one car, without the runaround.
Most of our work is for dealers, auctions and fleets; if that is you, start with the dealer page or auction transport. But an individual moving one car rides the same truck and deserves a straight conversation. Here is how it actually works, including the parts usually left out.
Illustrative photography — not Prime Trans equipment.How much does it cost to ship a car?
Car shipping typically costs about $1.40 to $2.20 per mile on runs under five hundred miles, and about $0.60 to $0.95 per mile on runs over fifteen hundred miles, because the per-mile rate falls as distance grows. Open transport is the baseline; enclosed costs thirty to sixty percent more.
Distance, then everything else.
The single biggest driver of price is distance, and the per-mile rate falls sharply as the trip gets longer, because loading, paperwork and the driver's fixed time get spread over more miles. These are industry ranges for open transport, not our quote — ask us for that.
| Distance | Typical open-transport rate | What that looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | about $1.40–$2.20 per mile | Spartanburg to Atlanta, Charlotte or Columbia |
| 500 to 1,500 miles | about $0.65–$1.20 per mile | Spartanburg to Dallas, Houston or Miami |
| Over 1,500 miles | about $0.60–$0.95 per mile | Carolinas to Denver or the West |
After distance, the things that actually move the price are whether the car runs, whether you want enclosed, how far the pickup and delivery are off a main corridor, the season, and the size of the vehicle. There is a full breakdown in how much does it cost to ship a car.
Five steps, no surprises.
- 01
Tell us the two ends and the vehicle
Year, make, model, whether it runs, and both addresses. Ninety seconds.
- 02
We tell you yes or no
If your route is in the Southeast or on one of our scheduled lanes, we quote it. Anywhere else in the lower 48 we quote on request, and we will say plainly if a carrier at your end will do it for less.
- 03
You get a written price
One number, all in. Pay on delivery by check, ACH or Zelle, or prepay by card, ACH or wire.
- 04
Pickup with photographs
The driver photographs the vehicle from every angle on the electronic bill of lading before it is loaded, and you get a copy.
- 05
Delivery with the same photographs
Compared side by side at delivery. Damage disputes are settled by the pictures, which is how it should be.
Ask about these first.
- Across the Southeast — daily.
- Carolinas to Dallas — three to four times a week.
- Carolinas to Houston — three to four times a week.
- Carolinas to Minneapolis — twice a week.
- The return legs — Texas and Minnesota back toward the Carolinas. Ask.
- Anywhere else in the lower 48 — on request, quoted honestly.
Honest scope: we are a Spartanburg carrier with our own trucks on specific lanes, not a nationwide booking site that sells your phone number to nine brokers. A move far from the Southeast is quoted on request, and if a carrier at your end will serve you better we will say so in the first minute. Why booking the carrier itself matters: Direct, no broker.
Straight answers
How long does it take to ship a car?
Inside the Carolinas, usually same day or next day. To Texas, two to three days from pickup. To Minneapolis, about three days. The variable is not the driving time but where your pickup falls in the departure schedule, and we will tell you that when we quote.
How do I pay?
On delivery by check, ACH or Zelle, or in advance by card, ACH or wire. Dealers and fleets with an approved account are invoiced on Net 15.
Can I put belongings in the car?
A car hauler's cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not household goods. Most carriers tolerate a small amount below the window line at your own risk. Ask us rather than assume — and never put anything valuable or irreplaceable in the car.
Do I need to be there for pickup and delivery?
Someone over eighteen does, at both ends, to hand over keys and sign the condition report. It can be a friend, a neighbour or a colleague. The condition report is the document that decides any damage claim, so whoever signs it should actually look at the car.
Is my car insured while it is on the truck?
Yes, under the carrier's cargo policy — ours is $1,000,000 per load and $350,000 per vehicle. Ask any carrier for the certificate of insurance and check the per-vehicle limit, not just the headline number. Your own policy may still apply as well; check with your agent.
Where to go next
Direct, no broker
Why dealers, auction buyers and exporters book Prime Trans directly: an asset-based car hauler, MC 1575910, with its own trucks, one dispatcher and no broker markup.
Read onDealerships
A standing dealer-vendor agreement: trades, auction-to-frontline, customer deliveries and recon shuttles, one call, photos at both ends, Net 15 for approved accounts.
Read onAuction transport
Auction pickups from Manheim, America's Auto Auction, Copart, IAA and ADESA on our own car haulers. Release handled, photos at the gate, delivered to your lot or your exporter's warehouse.
Read onInoperable vehicles
Non-running, wrecked and salvage vehicle transport from Spartanburg SC on winch-equipped car haulers, and the three questions to answer before booking.
Read onA unit on the lot costs you every day it sits there.
Tell us where the units are, where they are going, how many and when. A written quote comes back the same business day, from the carrier that will haul them.