Vehicle transport and freight in Charleston, SC.
Charleston is the South Carolina port and, increasingly, its second automotive centre. Everything the Upstate exports leaves through here, and the Volvo and Mercedes plants north-west of the city put finished vehicles on the road in both directions.
Illustrative photography — not Prime Trans equipment.Does Prime Trans serve Charleston, SC?
Yes. Prime Trans is an FMCSA-licensed motor carrier based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, about 199 miles from Charleston, SC, about 3 hours by road on I-26 the whole way. A truck is in this market weekly, and on schedule for port work.
Work we actually run in Charleston.
- Port drayage and vehicle movesFinished vehicles and containers between the port, the plants and the Upstate. Inland Port Greer runs to Charleston on Norfolk Southern six nights a week, which sets the benchmark we price against.
- Plant supportVehicle and parts movement for the Ridgeville and Ladson operations and their suppliers.
- Dealer and fleetLowcountry dealer trades, rental fleet rebalancing between the coast and the Upstate.
- Reefer and dry vanCoastal freight moving inland on I-26.
Where the vehicles come from.
- Copart and IAA yards in the Lowcountry
- Coastal dealer groups from Mount Pleasant to Summerville
- Port-side vehicle staging
Who moves freight here.
- The Port of Charleston moved more than 2.6 million TEUs in calendar 2025
- Volvo Cars Ridgeville builds the electric EX90 and Polestar 3, with the XC60 added in 2026 and roughly 150,000 units of annual capacity
- Boeing South Carolina 787 final assembly, and Mercedes-Benz Vans at Ladson
What we move in and out of Charleston
Drayage & intermodal
Container drayage between Inland Port Greer, the Port of Charleston and Upstate shippers, plus honest advice about when the rail beats the truck.
Read onAuto transport
Open car hauling across the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee with photo-documented eBOLs, winch capability and same-day dispatch.
Read onDry van
Dry van capacity on our scheduled lanes to Texas and the Upper Midwest, and on dedicated shuttles around BMW Spartanburg, Michelin and Inland Port Greer.
Read onDedicated lanes
Put Prime Trans on a lane: committed trucks, backup capacity, a 12-month rate with a fuel-surcharge table, and quarterly reviews.
Read onOther markets on the same runs
Straight answers
Do you run to the Port of Charleston?
Yes, on I-26 from the Upstate. For containers, note that Inland Port Greer exists precisely so that Upstate boxes ride the rail overnight instead of the road — we will tell you when the ramp is the better answer, even though the truck move pays us more.
How long is Spartanburg to Charleston?
One hundred and ninety-nine miles, about three hours, all on I-26. It is a full day round trip with a load each way.
Can you move vehicles for the Volvo or Mercedes plants?
We move finished vehicles and we run dedicated shuttle lanes. Plant work is awarded, not spot-bought, so the conversation starts with the lane, the volume and the schedule.
Do you serve Summerville, Goose Creek, Mount Pleasant and North Charleston?
All of them, plus Moncks Corner and Ridgeville on the same trip.
Moving vehicles or freight in Charleston?
Tell us the two ends, how many units and the first pickup date. A written quote comes back the same business day.