The cost to ship a car from Tacoma to Portland is typically $450 to $600 on an open trailer, and takes one day in transit time. That covers a running mid-size car over 145 miles, and the same range applies coming back north.

One day on the road. The pickup window comes first: six days on Standard service, three on Expedited, counted from the first date you give us.

Yes. Portland to Tacoma sits in the same $450 to $600 range, which makes a round trip simple to plan for a car going down for a season and coming home.

Because the price follows the work rather than the distance. The driver still loads, secures, hauls and unloads your car, and it still takes a slot on the trailer that a longer-paying load could have used. Short lanes sit at the floor of our under-500-mile band for that reason.

For one running car and a free afternoon, often yes, and we will tell you so. Shipping wins when there are two cars and one driver, when the car is a classic or a low-mileage lease, or when a moving day leaves nobody able to spend the day on I-5.

Yes, and this is the most common booking on the lane. Both cars can go on the same trailer, or you drive one and we carry the other. Quote both at the same time and we will look at the pairing together.

It often does, since the drive is under three hours. What we promise is the pickup window and one day of road time, so if a same-day handoff matters to you, say so and we will look for a driver who can commit to it.

I-5 the whole way: south past DuPont and the Nisqually flats, through Olympia, Centralia, Chehalis and Kelso, then over the Columbia into the metro.

Only in minutes. The I-5 spans lift for river traffic and traffic above waits while they do. Plenty of drivers on this route take I-205 and the Glenn Jackson Bridge instead, which is a fixed span. Either way your price is unchanged.

Very little. The lane runs alongside the Cascades instead of over them, so Snoqualmie, White and Chinook passes are not involved. Wet pavement through Lewis County is the usual winter story, and one clear day is all this trip needs.

Yes. Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Gresham, Happy Valley, Oregon City and the rest of the metro all share the Portland range.

In the suburbs and outer east side, almost always. The newer streets and wide arterials out there suit a full carrier, so the trailer reaches the address itself.

Those go to a nearby handover point. Narrow older grids, cars parked both sides and a low tree canopy leave a nine-car trailer nowhere to work, so the driver picks a wider cross street or a retail lot a few minutes out.

Only for the truck. Garage clearances are too low for a car carrier, so plan on meeting the driver at street level outside. It takes about ten minutes and nothing is added to the price.

Same price, different state. A Vancouver address keeps the whole move inside Washington, so your plates and registration stay as they are. Tell us which side of the Columbia you are on when you request the quote.

Vehicle size leads. A sedan or small crossover sits near the bottom of the range, while a full-size pickup, a lifted truck or a three-row SUV sits near the top. Date flexibility settles the rest.

Offer three or four possible pickup days instead of one, and ship a standard-size running car. Flexible dates let us put you on a truck that is already making this run.

Open covers nearly every car here and it is what the range reflects. Enclosed is worth it for a classic, an exotic, fresh paint or a low front end, and it adds about 80 percent, so a $525 open move is roughly $945 enclosed.

Yes. The carrier's Carrier Cargo Insurance covers it from the Tacoma pickup through the Portland delivery, and we can email you the certificate once your truck is assigned.

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, photograph each side and the odometer, and leave about a quarter tank of fuel. Pull off a roof box, a bike rack or a Good To Go pass, and mention an alarm or any starting quirk.

In most of the city, yes. South Tacoma, Fife and the flat blocks near I-5 load at the curb without trouble. The North End, Proctor, Hilltop and the Stadium District are steep and tightly parked, so the driver works from a wide lot minutes away.

Someone does, at both ends, to release the car and sign the condition report. Any adult you name can do it: a partner, a neighbor, a coworker or a colleague at the new office. Give us the name and number at booking.

Once you are an Oregon resident the car needs Oregon title and registration, and Oregon DMV allows 30 days from the date of sale to apply before a late fee. An out-of-state title also means a VIN inspection, so bring the title and your current registration.

Many vehicles do. DEQ tests 1975 and newer gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles registered inside the Portland boundaries, plus lighter diesels. A model year within the last four years is exempt, and so are fully electric vehicles and motorcycles.

That is fine if Washington is still where you live. Students and people working in Portland while keeping a Washington home do it regularly, because the requirement follows residency rather than the car's parking spot.

A week or two is plenty for most of the year. Give it two to three weeks around the end of the month, when leases turn over and moving trucks fill up. Expedited narrows the pickup window to three days when your date is fixed.

A deposit when you book, then the balance to the driver at delivery by cashier's check, money order or cash. A card can cover the full amount at booking if you prefer.

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.

It still goes. A winch-equipped truck handles it, and that adds $200 or more to the running price. Flag it when you ask for the quote so the right equipment is booked.

Yes. You get the driver's number for a call or a text, our email updates track the trip, and GPS tracking is available where the carrier's equipment supports it.