$800 to $950 for an operable sedan on an open trailer, based on our recent shipments as of September 2026. A mid-size SUV runs $900 to $1,050 and a full-size pickup $1,000 to $1,200. Enclosed transport adds about 80 percent.

Two to three days in transit once the car is collected, over about 790 miles. A truck covers roughly 400 to 500 miles a day once loading and delivery stops are counted. Between December and March, add a day for the I-77 mountain crossing at the Virginia state line.

I-77 climbs the Blue Ridge, and the Fancy Gap grade at the Virginia and North Carolina state line is the pinch point. It sits at about 2,900 feet and is known for dense fog and black ice. A driver will hold short and wait rather than take a loaded 75 foot trailer down it in bad conditions. April through November it is a non-issue.

Pickup happens inside a window that starts on the date you ask for. Standard shipping uses a 6 day window and Expedited narrows it to 3 days. Your driver calls you directly as the truck gets close, so you get the day and a rough time rather than waiting all week.

Because of what is waiting at the far end. Chicago to Dallas is 925 miles and prices about the same as this 790 mile run. The Triangle is a smaller market, so there is less freight heading back north out of it and a driver has fewer choices for the next load. Distance sets the floor, and the return leg sets the rest.

Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Knightdale and Hillsborough. Name the actual town when you book rather than just Raleigh. Raleigh to Chapel Hill is about half an hour, and it decides how the driver sequences the day.

Smart Auto Move Inc is registered at 4208 Six Forks Rd Ste 1000 in Raleigh, but that is the company's business address rather than a depot. There is nothing to visit or collect from. Our four staffed offices are in Lakewood WA, Chicago IL, Los Angeles CA and Kissimmee FL, and every Triangle delivery is ordinary door to door.

Open for anything you drive daily. Plan on about 80 percent more for enclosed, so an $875 open move is roughly $1,575 enclosed. An open trailer holds seven to ten cars where an enclosed one holds two to six, so each car carries more of the cost. Enclosed is worth a thought in a Chicago winter, because the first hundred miles run through road salt.

Yes. Your vehicle travels under Carrier Cargo Insurance from the moment it loads in Chicago until it comes off in the Triangle. The coverage belongs to the motor carrier rather than to Smart Auto Move, and we confirm the authority and coverage are active before a car is assigned. Once a carrier is assigned, ask us for the certificate of insurance and we will send it.

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.

Yes, and August is the week to book early for. NC State, Duke and UNC move-in land in roughly the same fortnight, so campus areas get congested and trucks compete for the same slots. Three to four weeks of notice makes a real difference in that window. Outside August, campus delivery is straightforward.

Usually. The pinch points are permit-parking blocks on the North Side, alleys, and narrow streets in winter when snow routes are active. A car hauler is about 75 feet long. Tell us the address when you book. If it is tight, a retail lot on a main road a few minutes away is used instead, at no extra charge.

Yes, as long as it rolls, brakes and steers, and the trailer carries a winch. There is no flat fee. Expect about $200 or more above the price of the same car running, and the exact figure is worth a short conversation. Book it as inoperable up front, because a car re-rated at the curb costs more and can lose the pickup slot.

A deposit is due when you book and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery, usually by cashier's check, money order or cash. You can also put the whole amount on a credit card at booking. Cancel any time before we assign a carrier and your deposit comes back to you. After that it carries over to a later shipment instead.

February through April. Those are the quietest months, so there is more trailer space than freight to fill it. May through August is busiest, with an extra squeeze in August from Triangle university move-in. Winter is cheap but the mountain crossing can add a day.