Should You Ship A Car Or Drive It?

Key Points:

• Shipping a car can save time, money, and stress during a move.
• Driving your vehicle means assuming all risks and paying for expenses such as gas or lodging.
• Open car shipping is the fastest and most cost-effective way to ship a vehicle.

When planning a long-distance or cross-country move, you may be faced with the decision to ship your car or drive it to your new home. While a road trip may seem exciting, driving yourself could be more expensive than shipping your car. The cost of food, lodging, and tolls along the way tend to add up. Furthermore, driving long distances adds wear and tear to your vehicle.

If you’re trying to perform a cost-benefit analysis of driving versus shipping your car, our guide will help you determine what’s best for your move. If you’re leaning towards shipping, we have reviewed the industry’s best car shipping companies. We recommend that when looking at shipping providers, you compare multiple quotes.

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Ship A Car Vs. Driving: Pros And Cons

When deciding between shipping a car and driving it, there are many factors to consider. It helps to be aware of the potential hassles and benefits associated with either option. For example, hiring an auto shipping company reduces the wear and tear on your vehicle, while driving may protect your peace of mind by giving you complete control of your own schedule.

Below are a few pros and cons to consider:

Car Shipping

Driving

No matter what you choose, you’ll need to weigh what’s most important to you. Often that comes down to whether shipping a car or driving it is the most convenient option.

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What To Know About Car Shipping

Many drivers don’t have any experience with auto transport services, but it’s important to understand all your options before making a decision about shipping vs. driving. Below is everything you need to know and what you can expect when shipping your car.

Types Of Car Shipping

There are two main types of car shipping services:

Open Trailer

Open transport is the cheapest way to ship your car. Auto shipping companies can transport many cars over long distances with open carrier trucks that fit eight to ten vehicles. The hauler can make stops along the route to pick up and drop off cargo. 

Open transport keeps prices down by distributing fuel costs across several different customers. However, keep in mind that open transport does leave your car exposed to road debris and potential bad weather.

Enclosed Trailer

If you’re shipping a high-end or classic car, you may want to opt for enclosed transport. The enclosed carrier keeps your car safe from bad weather and road hazards, but it will raise the cost of your transport. Shipping via an enclosed trailer can be up to 50 percent more expensive than open auto transport.

Types Of Car Shipping Delivery

There are two main types of delivery services offered by auto transport companies:

Door-to-door delivery

This shipping option means that car carriers will pick up and drop off your vehicle at specific addresses as long as these addresses are legally and physically accessible. Most customers prefer door-to-door shipping for its convenience, though this is harder to accomplish if you live in a big city on a crowded street. Most car shipping companies offer this option.

Terminal-to-terminal delivery

Shipping to and from terminals is generally cheaper than door-to-door service, but it’s less convenient for the customer and sometimes is not even offered by the shipping company. It takes extra time to get to and from the terminal, as most of these are located in bigger cities.

Car Shipping Process

The car shipping process may seem daunting, but it can be broken up into a few simple steps.

1. Get car shipping quotes online: Most car transport companies have tools on their websites to provide you with free quotes. Plug in your pick up and delivery locations, the make, model, and year of your vehicle, and your preferred transport type. You’ll also need to provide contact information and a timeframe for your delivery. To find cheap car shipping rates, it’s a good idea to obtain quotes from several car transport service providers.
2. Book your shipment: Once you find a quote that meets both your budget and your shipping needs, book your transport. Each company is different, but most will have you contact a representative to confirm your quoted price and pickup window.
3. Prepare your car for shipment: Gather paperwork, make an extra set of keys, and inspect your vehicle for any existing damage and document it before the auto transport carrier arrives.
4. Track your shipment: Once your car is en route to the delivery location, you can track the status of your transport. Some vehicle transport companies provide apps with GPS tracking, while others offer updates through a customer service representative.
5. Receive your vehicle: Once your car is delivered, you and the truck driver will once again inspect the vehicle for any damage occurred during transit. To complete the job, you’ll sign a bill of lading, which is a receipt that follows your car’s conditions from pickup to drop off, and pay any remaining balance.

What To Look For In A Car Shipping Company

Your car is a big part of your life, so you’ll want to find a reputable auto shipper to entrust it with. Here’s what to keep in mind when selecting a vehicle shipping company:

• Years of experience: Companies that have been around for a decade or more have had time to build their offered services, improve their quality, and grow a good reputation among customers. They’re also more likely to provide nationwide shipping.
• Affordable rates: There are plenty of good companies that offer services with competitive prices, but some companies sweeten the deal by offering specialized discounts and guaranteed pricing limits.
• Positive customer reviews: Sites like Trustpilot, Google, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Transport Reviews are all great places to find honest and detailed customer testimonials for auto transport companies.
• Proper registration: You know a car shipping company is safe and legitimate if they’re registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

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Average Costs Of Car Shipping

You can expect to pay anywhere from $0.39 to $2.34 per mile for car shipping. To take a closer look at what drivers can expect to pay, we reached out to a few of the top car shipping companies for quotes on shipping an operable 2019 Mazda CX-5 via open transport. Here’s what we received:

Factors That Affect Car Shipping Costs

There are many other factors that affect car shipping costs, however. They include:

• Distance: Even though long-distance shipping will cost less per mile, it will end up being more expensive overall than shorter-distance transports.
• Vehicle type: Larger and heavier vehicles will be more expensive to ship than standard sedans, because they take up more space in the car containers.
• Vehicle operability: If your vehicle isn’t driveable, it will require more labor to load onto the transport truck.
• Time of year: Demand for car shipping increases during January and the summer months, so transport costs will fluctuate seasonally.
• Transport type: The shipping option you choose will affect the price of your transport. Open-air carrier shipping is the cheapest option for shipping a car. Enclosed auto transport provides more protection, but can cost up to 50 percent more.
• Fuel costs: As gas prices rise, so does the cost of shipping a car.
• Timeframe: If you’re flexible with scheduling your pickup and delivery times, you’ll save money on your transport. Most companies will offer expedited shipping, but it will cost significantly more.
• Pickup and delivery locations: It costs more to transport a car to rural areas than to more urban centers.

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Average Cost Of Driving

Though prices do fluctuate based on what part of the country you’re in, we’ve tallied up average travel costs for a one-night trip. Here’s what we found:

Gas Prices

A full tank of gas could cost between $30 and $75 dollars. At the time of this writing, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is $3.094. The cost to fill a 12-gallon tank is $37.13, while the cost to fill a 16-gallon tank is $49.50.

Lodging Costs

Depending on the hotel you choose (and the choices present as you’re traveling), you could spend between $130 and $150 for one night of economy lodging.

Food Costs

Food-away-from-home prices increased by 7.1 percent from 2022 to 2023. Depending on where you choose to eat, you could be spending around $15 per person per basic meal.

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Should You Ship A Car Or Drive It: Our Take

Driving a vehicle during a move allows you more control over the schedule of your move. Also, you’ll be able to use your vehicle to move household items. However, shipping a vehicle means you assume less risk during transit. By shipping your vehicle, you also cut down on gas and lodging costs and reduce the number of trips and miles you’ll put on your vehicle.

If you’re interested in shipping your vehicle, consider quotes and shipping dates from a few providers before committing.

Top Recommended Providers For Car Shipping

Below are two companies we have chosen from our top providers based on their variety of services, special benefits, and customer satisfaction reviews across websites like Google and the BBB.

Montway Auto Transport: Best Overall

BBB score: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars

With guaranteed pickup dates, door-to-door shipping, almost 20 years in business, and over one million customers served, Montway’s extensive portfolio makes it a leader in the car shipping industry. In addition to affordable rates, the fact that this company holds an A+ score from the BBB, and boasts thousands of positive customer reviews across multiple rating sites, makes it a superb choice for car shipping anywhere.

Read our Montway Auto Transport review for more information.

Easy Auto Ship: Excellent Service Selection

BBB score: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars

Easy Auto Ship (EAS) has built its reputation on a foundation of specialized benefits. Along with standard auto shipping services, this company offers veteran and active-military discounts, rental cars for delayed shipments, and free car washes for dirty vehicles. With EAS’s guaranteed pricing, there also won’t be any sudden cost changes or hidden fees, which can add some peace of mind.

Discover more with our full Easy Auto Ship review.

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Should You Ship A Car Or Drive It: FAQ

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about whether to ship a car or drive it:

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How We Rate Auto Shipping Companies

Our review team extensively researches car shipping providers to deliver informed and unbiased assessments of leading companies. We evaluate several key rating factors that are important to consumers to determine which providers are the best in the industry:

• Reliability: Providers that earn strong ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and have a long history in the auto transport industry score well in this category.
• Services: We take a look at what types of transport services are available through each company, including open and enclosed transport, door-to-door shipping, and more. Those with wider service selections are more likely to meet consumers’ needs.
• Pricing: Our team performs a secret shopper analysis to get quotes for a variety of shipping routes and services. We compare each company’s costs to industry average prices to see how it stands up to the competition.
• Customer Experience: We consider customer reviews on sites like the BBB and Trustpilot to better understand the consumer experience. Car shipping companies with convenient quote processes also perform well in this category.

*Data accurate at time of publication.

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