Coast to Coast Car Shipping
Coast to Coast Car Shipping
Smart Price Promise: the price you agree to is the price you pay. How it works.
Your details stay with us. Used only to answer you, never sold. Privacy policy.
Written by Richard Avery, President of Smart Auto Move · USDOT 2887232 · MC 969368
A coast to coast move is the longest thing we do, and it is the one where a vague quote costs you the most. So here are eleven real cross-country routes with the distance, the transit time and the price for each. Find the one nearest yours and you will know where you stand before you fill in anything.
How much does it cost to ship a car coast to coast?
Coast to coast car shipping runs $1,450 to $2,300 for a mid-size car on an open trailer, and takes 6 to 10 days on the road. Los Angeles to Orlando is the short end at $1,450 to $1,600 over 2,552 miles. New York to Los Angeles is the top end at $1,900 to $2,300. As of September 2026, the full table is further down this page.
Rather talk it through? Call 888-709-9078.
Eleven coast to coast routes, with what each one costs
Open trailer, mid-size car, sorted by distance. These are estimates drawn from our most recent shipments and the current fuel rates. Both directions are shown, because a cross-country lane does not price the same going each way, and that turns out to matter more than most people expect.
| Route | Miles | Days | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA to Orlando, FL | 2,552 | 6 | $1,450–$1,600 |
| Newark, NJ to Los Angeles, CA | 2,781 | 7–9 | $1,500–$1,800 |
| New York, NY to Los Angeles, CA | 2,790 | 7–10 | $1,900–$2,300 |
| Sacramento, CA to Jacksonville, FL | 2,800 | 7 | $1,800–$1,900 |
| Albany, NY to Los Angeles, CA | 2,818 | 7–10 | $1,900–$2,100 |
| New York, NY to Seattle, WA | 2,850 | 7–10 | $1,800–$2,000 |
| San Jose, CA to Oviedo, FL | 2,910 | 8 | $1,850–$1,950 |
| Atlantic City, NJ to San Jose, CA | 2,967 | 8–10 | $1,700–$1,950 |
| Seattle, WA to Jacksonville, FL | 2,992 | 8 | $1,850–$1,950 |
| San Francisco, CA to Miami, FL | 3,045 | 8 | $1,900–$2,000 |
| Tacoma, WA to Orlando, FL | 3,150 | 8 | $1,900–$2,000 |
These are estimates, not fixed prices. Diesel is the biggest cost in moving a car and fuel prices move, so we update these figures as the market changes. Once you book, the Smart Price Promise holds your price.
Enclosed coast to coast transport runs about 80 percent above the open figure. Non-running, oversized and modified vehicles are priced individually. For a route not on this list, the quote form returns the live number in about two minutes.
Three things about cross-country pricing nobody else publishes
Read the table again and three patterns jump out. All three come from our own dispatch history, and all three can save you real money if you have any flexibility.
Leaving the East Coast costs more than arriving
Westbound out of the New York metro prices well above the same trucks coming in. Carriers arrive in the Northeast loaded, because everybody is shipping into it, then compete for the loads heading back west. That competition is what you pay for. A quote built off an inbound rate will be far too low to actually book, which is worth knowing when one company comes in hundreds below the rest.
New Jersey is cheaper than New York City
Look at Newark to Los Angeles against New York to Los Angeles. Nine miles apart, several hundred dollars apart. Drivers can stage on the Turnpike and load without fighting a bridge, a tunnel or a city permit. If you have any say in which side of the Hudson the car is collected from, pick the New Jersey side.
Los Angeles costs more than Seattle out of New York
Even though Los Angeles is 60 miles closer. Demand on the southern California run has been sitting ahead of the northwest one, and the observed rates follow the demand rather than the mileage. This one moves with the season, so ask for the live number rather than assuming it still holds.
Your car never sits anywhere. It goes from your address straight onto the carrier and stays covered under Carrier Cargo Insurance for the entire trip. On a 3,000 mile run that matters more than on a short one, because every transfer between trucks is a chance for something to go wrong.
What sets the price on a coast to coast move?
- Which coast you are leaving. Covered above, and on a cross-country run it is worth hundreds.
- Which city you are going to. A busy two-way market prices at the average. A quieter destination means empty miles before the driver's next load.
- Vehicle size and weight. A three-row SUV or a lifted truck takes more deck space than a sedan, and over 3,000 miles that difference compounds.
- Running or not. A non-running car needs a truck with a winch. No flat fee, typically $200 or more above the same car running.
- Open or enclosed. About 80 percent more for enclosed.
- Season. May through August is the national peak. February through April is the cheapest stretch of the year.
- Date flexibility. The biggest lever you control.
Why flexible dates save you money
Trucks fill a spot at a time. When a driver has one space left, they take the car that is easiest to collect on the way rather than one they have to detour for. Give us a three or four day window instead of a single date and your car is far more likely to be that one. On a cross-country run, where a truck may be assembling a load over several states, that flexibility is worth more than on any short lane.
Open, enclosed and expedited coast to coast transport
Open transport
Every price on this page. It is the same kind of trailer that delivers new cars to dealerships, and it moves nine out of ten cars we ship coast to coast. More on open transport.
Enclosed transport
About 80 percent more. A $1,900 open move is roughly $3,420 enclosed. Cross country is where enclosed is most often worth it, since the car is exposed for eight days rather than two. More on enclosed transport.
Expedited transport
A three day pickup window instead of six. On a cross-country move this matters most at the front end, since waiting for a truck is where the time usually goes. More on expedited transport.
Weighing the first two? The open and enclosed comparison puts them side by side.
Coast to coast car shipping in three steps
Get your price
Enter your pickup city, your delivery city, the vehicle and the first date it can go. Two minutes, no obligation.
Book and set the window
A deposit holds the booking. We check whether a full size carrier can reach both addresses or whether a nearby lot is quicker, then assign the carrier and send you the driver's details.
Load, travel, deliver
You and the driver walk the car and sign the Bill of Lading. It stays on that same truck across the country and you walk it again at the other coast before signing.
The full vehicle preparation guide covers getting the car ready, which matters more on a long run than a short one.
What our customers say
Every review we publish sits on a public Google profile you can open and read for yourself. We do not write testimonials. Smart Auto Move is also BBB Accredited with an A+ rating, and you can open our FMCSA record and read it yourself.
Crystal Evans was very helpful.
Coast to coast car shipping questions
The ten questions people search before a cross-country move.
How much does it cost to ship a car coast to coast?
How long does coast to coast car shipping take?
What affects the price of a cross-country move?
Should I choose open or enclosed for a coast to coast move?
Is my car insured during a coast to coast shipment?
Can I leave personal items in the car?
Is coast to coast shipping really door to door?
How do I prepare my car for a cross-country trip on a truck?
How far ahead should I book, and when do I pay?
How do I know a coast to coast shipping company is legitimate?
More questions are answered on the full auto transport FAQ.
Cross-country routes and guides
Home › Coast to Coast Car Shipping