What it covers
The price we quote for your car, on your route, with the service you chose. That is the total you pay.
Smart Auto Move provides nationwide door-to-door auto transport for personal passenger vehicles, including cars, trucks, and SUVs. We ship open, enclosed and expedited across the United States with a vetted network of over 16,000 carriers. Every quote comes with the Smart Price Promise: the price we quote is the price you pay.
Smart Auto Move is a nationwide car shipping company for personal passenger vehicles. It works with a vetted network of over 16,000 carriers, ships door to door, and backs every quote with the Smart Price Promise.
The Smart Price Promise means the price we quote is the price you pay. It holds as long as the vehicle, the route, the condition and the shipping details stay the same. A quote is only useful if it holds, and ours is built to.
The price we quote for your car, on your route, with the service you chose. That is the total you pay.
The same car, the same pickup and delivery points, the same condition and the same service. If one of those changes, tell us early and we update the quote with you.
We price from what carriers are being paid on your route right now. So the quote you get is one a carrier will take.
Smart Auto Move works with a vetted network of over 16,000 professional auto transport carriers across the United States. Over time, these working relationships show us which carriers communicate well, which routes they know best, and how they perform from pickup through delivery.
A network that large means there is usually a vetted truck already running near your route. That helps your car get picked up sooner and keeps your price steady.
We value carriers with proven communication, experience, and reliable service history.
We consider route familiarity, equipment, timing, and carrier availability when coordinating transport.
Strong carrier relationships help improve communication before pickup, during transit, and at delivery.
Each of the 16,000+ carriers in our network is checked for active operating authority and insurance on file with the FMCSA. We also look at equipment, route experience, communication and service history before a carrier is assigned to your car.
Smart Auto Move offers open car shipping, enclosed car shipping, and expedited auto transport for customers shipping personal passenger vehicles across the United States.
Open transport is the most common and cost-effective way to ship a car. Vehicles travel on multi-car carriers commonly used for everyday vehicle shipping on major routes nationwide.
Enclosed car shipping provides additional protection from weather and road debris. This option is often chosen for luxury, classic, exotic, and specialty vehicles that need extra care.
Expedited transport prioritizes faster pickup scheduling when time matters most. It is designed for customers who want quicker dispatch and more urgent vehicle movement.
Shipping a car with Smart Auto Move is a simple three-step process: request a quote, schedule pickup, and receive your vehicle at delivery.
Provide your pickup location, destination, vehicle details, and timeline online or by phone so your transport options can be reviewed quickly.
Once your shipment is ready, Smart Auto Move coordinates carrier assignment and pickup scheduling for your route and vehicle type.
Your vehicle moves with a carrier from our vetted network of over 16,000, with updates and communication from dispatch through final delivery.
Customers choose Smart Auto Move for the Smart Price Promise, a vetted network of over 16,000 carriers, and a straightforward car shipping experience.
Customers can verify Smart Auto Move trust signals by checking official third-party and government resources. Use the links below to review our business accreditation, federal registration, and contact information.
Car shipping cost depends on distance, vehicle size, route demand, seasonality, and whether you choose open, enclosed, or expedited transport. These ranges reflect our own recent shipments as of August 2026 and cover open transport for a mid-size vehicle. Your exact quote is covered by the Smart Price Promise.
| Route type | Typical distance | Estimated range | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short distance | Under 500 miles | $450 – $900 | Regional and nearby state moves |
| Mid-distance | 500 – 1,500 miles | $900 – $1,600 | Common interstate routes |
| Long-haul | 1,500 – 2,500 miles | $1,250 – $2,100 | Midwest, Texas and the Southeast |
| Cross-country | 2,500+ miles | $1,600 – $2,500 | Coast-to-coast vehicle shipping |
Open transport is the most affordable option and the one these ranges assume. Enclosed runs about 80 percent above open for the same route. Expedited narrows the pickup window from six days to three. Oversized, modified and non-running vehicles are priced individually, so use the calculator for those.
Smart Auto Move ships vehicles nationwide, connecting major cities, regional hubs, and high-demand interstate routes across the United States.
Customers commonly book transport for relocations, dealer and online purchase delivery, college moves, military moves, and snowbird seasonal routes. With over 16,000 vetted carriers, there is steady truck availability on the most popular corridors.
Smart Auto Move operates frequent vehicle shipping routes across several of the busiest transport corridors in the United States. Explore dedicated route guides for pricing, timing, and regional coverage in these high-demand lanes.
Why these corridors matter: Our staffed offices in Lakewood, Los Angeles and Kissimmee, and our Texas service areas in McKinney and Houston, sit right on these lanes. That helps match your car with trucks already running the route.
Smart Auto Move customers regularly mention clear communication, professional coordination, and dependable delivery support. Read recent feedback from customers who used Smart Auto Move for nationwide door-to-door vehicle transportation.
Smart Auto Move serves customers across the United States and offers state and city pages for many major vehicle shipping markets. Browse the locations below for regional car shipping information, popular routes, pricing factors, and available transport services.
Smart Auto Move works with a vetted network of over 16,000 carriers, operates ten locations across the United States including four staffed offices, and holds a 4.7 star average across more than 120 Google reviews. The figures below describe our current footprint and customer feedback.
Review counts and averages reflect our Google Business Profiles as of August 2026 and change as new reviews are posted.
Below are answers to the questions customers ask most often about booking, pricing, timing, and preparing a vehicle for transport. If your question is not covered here, call 888-709-9078 and a coordinator will walk you through it.
It means the price we quote is the price you pay. The promise holds as long as the vehicle, the route, the condition and the shipping details stay the same. If one of those changes, such as a new pickup city or a car that no longer runs, tell us and we update the quote with you before the car moves.
Over 16,000 vetted carriers across the United States. Each one is checked for active operating authority and insurance on file with the FMCSA. We also look at equipment, route experience, communication and service history. A network that size means a vetted truck is usually already running near your route.
Plan on $1,250 to $2,100 for 1,500 to 2,500 miles, and $1,600 to $2,500 coast to coast. Those are open trailer prices for a mid-size vehicle that runs, taken from our own recent shipments as of August 2026. A larger vehicle, an enclosed trailer or a peak season can move you outside the range. The calculator prices your exact route.
One to three days for a short regional move, three to six days on a mid-range route, and seven to ten days coast to coast. That clock starts when the driver collects the car. Pickup itself happens inside a window that begins on the date you ask for: six days on Standard, three days on Expedited.
Every carrier we assign carries active cargo and liability insurance, and your vehicle travels under Carrier Cargo Insurance from pickup to delivery. The coverage is the carrier's rather than ours. Once your order is assigned to a truck, the certificate is on file and we can send it to you right away. It covers the car itself, not what is inside it.
Open ships your car on an uncovered multi-car trailer. Enclosed uses a covered one that keeps off weather and road grit. Plan on about 80 percent more for enclosed. A $1,000 open move is roughly $1,800 enclosed. An open trailer holds ten cars where an enclosed one holds two to six, so each car carries more of the cost. Open suits most daily drivers.
Usually yes, within reason. Most drivers will take a few things as a courtesy. Keep it under about 100 pounds, pack it neatly, and keep it out of sight from outside the car. Think a few boxes in the trunk rather than a carload. The one thing to know is that you are paying to move the vehicle, so the carrier's insurance covers the car itself. Keep anything you would hate to lose with you.
Wash it, take dated photos of all four corners, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, and switch off the alarm and toll tag. A quarter tank is the standard request across the industry. Check the battery holds charge and the tires are inflated, sort out any leak before the day, and take off roof racks, spoilers and antennas. A clean car makes the condition check at delivery quick and easy.
Yes, as long as it rolls, brakes and steers. It needs a truck with a winch, so tell us when you ask for the quote and we will match the right equipment. There is no flat fee for this. It typically runs $200 or more above the price of shipping the same car running, and the exact figure is worth a quick conversation.
A deposit is due when you book, and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery. That balance is usually settled by cashier's check, money order or cash. You can also put the whole amount on a credit card, which some customers prefer, though that has to happen at booking so the payment clears in time for the carrier.
Cancel any time before we assign a carrier and your deposit comes back to you. Once we assign one and send you the driver's details, that money is spoken for. It is not gone, though. You can push the move back and use it on a later shipment.
Yes. The driver collects from your address and delivers to your address. Narrow streets, low branches, height limits and local rules sometimes stop a full-size carrier reaching a specific door. When that happens the driver picks somewhere close by with room to unload, usually a large parking lot, and agrees it with you beforehand.
Yes. You get the driver's phone number, so you can call or text for an update any time. We also send email updates along the way, and GPS tracking when the carrier's truck supports it. Most customers find a quick call to the driver is the fastest way to know exactly where the car is.
Watch for the quote that sits far below the rest. If four companies say $1,000 to $1,200 and the fifth says $500, ask that company whether it is a confirmed rate or a mistake. If they say confirmed, search their name for bait and switch complaints before you book. One myth is worth clearing up. People are told never to pay anything up front. But a company that asks for nothing is often unsure it can find a carrier at the price it quoted. Those are the ones that come back later saying the rate went up. You can check any company's USDOT number on the FMCSA site. Ours is 2887232.
Request a free, no-obligation quote from Smart Auto Move to see your route, timing, and estimated price before you book anything. Tell us the pickup and delivery locations, the vehicle, and roughly when you need it moved, and a coordinator will follow up with your options. Your quote comes with the Smart Price Promise.
Smart Auto Move Inc is a car shipping company, licensed and bonded, USDOT 2887232 and MC 969368. Your vehicle stays covered under Carrier Cargo Insurance for the entire trip.