Car Shipping Services

Choosing the wrong car shipping service costs real money. Pay for an enclosed trailer you did not need, and you overspend by hundreds. Pick the cheapest open carrier for a $90,000 exotic, and one rock chip ruins your day. The fix is simple: match the service to the vehicle.

That is what this page is for. We list every car shipping service we offer, explain in plain words who each one is for, and link you straight to the details. Compare your options below, then get an instant car shipping quote when you are ready.

Open vs. Enclosed: The First Choice You Make

Most people start here, so let us make it clear. Open transport loads your car on a two-level trailer, out in the air. It is the most common method and the cheapest. Roughly nine of every ten cars on U.S. roads ship this way, and they arrive fine.

Enclosed transport puts your car inside a covered trailer. No rain, no road salt, no flying gravel. It costs more — usually 30% to 60% above open — but it earns its price for the right vehicle. Want the dollar breakdown first? Read our guide on enclosed car transport cost.

Our honest take: if your car is a daily driver worth under $40,000, open transport is the smart call. Save the enclosed trailer for classics, exotics, fresh restorations, and anything with a paint job you would cry over. We would rather you keep that money than upsell you.

Car Shipping Services Built Around Your Situation

Sometimes the vehicle is ordinary but the reason for the move is not. We shaped several services around the people who use them most.

Active-duty members rely on military car shipping for PCS orders, with flexible windows and service discounts. Retirees use snowbird transport to send a car south for winter and back in spring — booking the round trip up front locks in a better rate. Heading to campus? Student car shipping times the move around housing dates. Companies moving staff use corporate relocation with one invoice and one contact.

Buying at auction adds its own wrinkles. Our auction car shipping picks up from Copart, IAA, Manheim, and dealer lots, and we handle the gate release so storage fees do not pile up. New to the process? Our car shipping guides walk through every step.

Every Carrier We Use Is Licensed and Verified

A service is only as good as the truck that shows up. In our experience, the single biggest mistake shippers make is handing a car to a carrier they never checked. So we vet every one.

That means active MC and DOT numbers, current cargo insurance, and a clean operating record on file with federal regulators. You can confirm any carrier yourself with our FMCSA carrier lookup tool before pickup. We also keep a running guide to common car shipping scams, because spotting a fake quote early saves a real headache.

No part of this should feel like a leap of faith. Ask for the insurance certificate, read the carrier reviews, and check the numbers. A legitimate carrier hands all of it over without blinking.

Not Sure Which Service You Need? Start Here

You do not have to be an expert to choose well. Answer three quick questions and the right car shipping service usually picks itself.

How much is the car worth? Under $40,000 and used daily? Open transport. A collector piece, an exotic, or a fresh restoration? Go enclosed. The cost gap is real, but so is the peace of mind.

How fast do you need it? If your dates are loose, standard booking gets you the best rate. If the clock is tight — a job start, a closing, a deployment — expedited or last-minute service moves you to the front of the line.

How much hassle can you handle? Door-to-door is the simplest path and what most people pick. Terminal-to-terminal trims the price if you are happy to drive to a depot. When you have weighed all three, run the numbers in our car shipping cost guide or compare lanes on our route pricing pages. Want to save the most? Our guide on the cheapest way to ship a car covers every lever worth pulling.