Shipping one car, without the runaround.
Most of our work is for dealers, auctions and fleets. But an individual moving one car needs the same truck, and deserves a straighter conversation than the auto-transport industry normally offers. Here is how it actually works, including the parts that are 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 Charleston |
| 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 Minneapolis, 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 on or near a lane we run, we quote it. If it is not, we say so instead of taking a deposit and going shopping. That is the whole difference between a carrier and a lead site.
- 03
You get a written price
One number, all in. Not a low estimate that rises once a driver has to be found.
- 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.
- Within the Carolinas — daily, and cheap.
- Carolinas to Georgia and Atlanta — weekly or more.
- Carolinas to Dallas and Houston — three to four times a week.
- Carolinas to Minneapolis — twice a week.
- Carolinas to Nashville, Birmingham and Memphis — on the long lanes.
- Carolinas to Jacksonville and north Florida — regularly, seasonally heavy.
Honest scope: if your move is Seattle to Boston, we are the wrong company and we will say so in the first minute. We are a Spartanburg carrier with real trucks on specific lanes, not a nationwide booking site that will sell your phone number to nine brokers.
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.
Can I put belongings in the car?
Legally, a car hauler's cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not household goods, and the FMCSA rules on what a motor carrier may haul are not written around your suitcases. 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. Ask any carrier for the certificate of insurance and check the per-vehicle sub-limit, not just the headline number. Your own policy usually still applies as well; check with your agent.
Where to go next
Auto transport
Open car hauling across the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee with photo-documented eBOLs, winch capability and same-day dispatch.
Read onEnclosed auto transport
Enclosed car transport for collector, exotic, classic and high-value vehicles moving to or from the Carolinas, arranged and managed by a licensed carrier rather than a lead-selling website.
Read onInoperable vehicles
Winch-equipped transport for non-running, wrecked, seized and salvage vehicles across the Carolinas and Georgia, with the three questions that decide the equipment asked before the truck is dispatched.
Read onGuides
Straight explanations of what things cost, which trailer you need, how to vet a carrier and how a damage claim actually works — useful whether or not you ever hire us.
Read onA unit on the lot costs you every day it sits there.
Tell us the origin, destination, units per week and first pickup date. A written quote comes back the same business day.