Boston Car Shipping

The cost to ship a car to or from Boston is typically $450 on a short regional run and up to $2,500 coast to coast, on an open trailer, and takes between 1 to 10 days in transit time. Providence is about 50 miles away. Boston to Los Angeles is $1,850 to $2,150.

Boston to Los Angeles runs $1,850 to $2,150, and Cambridge to Sacramento $1,900 to $2,200, both from real loads we dispatched. Plan on 8 to 10 days.

Boston to Orlando is about 1,270 miles and Boston to Miami about 1,500. Both sit in our $900 to $1,600 national range, or $1,250 to $2,100 for Miami. Plan on 4 to 6 days.

We publish a route price once real Boston loads stand behind it. Until then, those rows show our national range for that distance, and your quote gives the exact figure.

Distance comes first. Then the size of the vehicle, whether it runs, open or enclosed, the time of year, and how easily a truck can reach your street.

New England and New York are 1 day. Washington is 2 days. Florida is 4 to 6 days. The West Coast is 8 to 10 days.

Pickup happens inside a window that starts on the date you ask for. Standard service is a 6-day window. Expedited service is a 3-day window.

Late August and early September, when most leases turn over on September 1 and students arrive. Book three to four weeks ahead then. The snowbird weeks to Florida in the fall are busy too.

Often we meet at a nearby lot instead. Beacon Hill, the North End and Back Bay have narrow streets. A lot a few minutes away is quick and costs nothing extra.

Open is the right call for most cars. Plan on about 80 percent more than open for enclosed. A $1,000 open move is roughly $1,800 enclosed. A hard-sided trailer holds two to six cars where an open one holds ten, so each car carries more of the cost. Worth it for a classic, an exotic, fresh paint, or a car too low to clear a ramp. For a daily driver, open is the right call.

Yes. Your car is covered by the carrier's Carrier Cargo Insurance from pickup to delivery. Once your order is assigned to a truck and carrier, we can send you the certificate of insurance right away.

Smart Auto Move is. We place your car with a carrier we have vetted and worked with, and we stay with the move from pickup to delivery. We will get your car moved, or your money back.

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 so the inspection is clear. Take photos from every side. Leave about a quarter tank of fuel. Take out toll tags, garage openers and loose valuables. Tell us about any leaks or problems with starting. Then hand over one key.

One to two weeks for most routes. Three to four weeks around September 1, and two to three weeks for the Florida runs in the fall.

We take a deposit when you book and the balance is due at delivery. Drivers usually take a cashier's check, money order or cash. You can also put the full amount on a credit card, but only at the time of booking, so the funds are ready 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.

Check its USDOT and MC numbers on the FMCSA site, and read its reviews on the BBB and Google. Smart Auto Move is USDOT 2887232 and MC 969368, with a BBB A+ rating. Be careful of a quote far below the others. Ask that company if the rate is confirmed, then look for complaints about the price going up later.

A deposit means we only work with committed customers, and it shows we are confident we can book a carrier at the price we quoted. A company that takes nothing up front is often not sure it can. Those are often the ones that come back later with a higher rate.

Insurance first. Many agents will register the car and get the plates for you for a small fee. Then have the car inspected within 7 days of registering it.

Sometimes by a day. Carriers run New England all winter. Clear a loading spot, brush the snow off the car, and plan to meet at a lot if snowbanks narrow your street.

Our nearest service areas are Huntington Station on Long Island and Iselin, New Jersey. Our national team handles Boston moves at 888-709-9078. Your car goes straight from your address onto the carrier.

Yes. A non-running car needs a winch or a carrier with a lift, so it usually costs $200 or more above the same car running. Tell us when you book. We will talk it through and give you an accurate price.

You get the driver's phone number for calls or texts, plus email updates from us. GPS tracking is there when the carrier and the truck support it. We will tell you which applies once your carrier is assigned.

The driver calls ahead with a time. You walk around the car together and compare it with the pickup report. You note anything new on the Bill of Lading, sign, and pay the balance. Then the car is yours.