Dallas to Tacoma Car Shipping
Dallas to Tacoma Car Shipping
Written by Richard Avery, President of Smart Auto Move · USDOT 2887232 · MC 969368
The cost to ship a car from Dallas to Tacoma is typically $1,600 to $1,900 on an open trailer, and takes about five days in transit time over roughly 2,110 miles. Most cars on this run belong to someone starting a new job or reporting to a new posting. It is a relocation lane, and that shapes both when it gets busy and what tends to go wrong.
How much does Dallas to Tacoma car shipping cost?
The lane priced both ways, for an operable mid-size vehicle on an open trailer. Reviewed September 2026.
| Route | Distance | Days on the road | Open transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX to Tacoma, WA | 2,110 miles | About 5 days | $1,600 to $1,900 |
| Tacoma, WA to Dallas, TX SAME PRICE | 2,110 miles | About 5 days | $1,600 to $1,900 |
Dallas to Tacoma car shipping is cheapest in spring and fall
Late April into early June, and again from late September, the corridor is quiet in both directions and nothing on the route is weather-limited. If your dates are yours to pick, pick here.
Summer and midwinter sit at the high end
July and August carry the relocation rush. December to February the northern plains can close. Either one narrows the pool of trucks willing to commit to a date.
Enclosed and non-running are quoted on their own
Covered trailers, cars that will not roll, dual-wheel trucks and anything modified each price differently. Put yours through the calculator for a real figure.
These figures come from shipments we have run on this corridor, not a national average. Prices are estimates and move with fuel. See how the national bands work.
Wyoming is the part of Dallas to Tacoma auto transport worth planning around
Every northbound run on this corridor spends two days on open, high country between about 4,000 and 7,000 feet. That is the stretch that decides whether five days holds.
Both routes cross Wyoming. The state closes parts of I-80 and I-25 to light and high-profile vehicles when the wind gets up, and a loaded car carrier is exactly that profile. It happens several times most winters.
The rest of the year this is a straightforward run. April through early June and late September onward, the whole route is open and the five-day figure is about as reliable as a cross-country estimate gets. For more on the Wyoming corridor itself, our Cheyenne page covers how those closures work.
Dallas to Tacoma Car Shipping Questions
The questions we get asked most on this lane, answered with this route's own numbers rather than national averages.
How much does Dallas to Tacoma car shipping cost?
The cost to ship a car from Dallas to Tacoma is typically $1,600 to $1,900 on an open trailer, and takes about five days in transit time over roughly 2,110 miles. Spring and fall sit at the lower end. The summer relocation rush and midwinter sit at the upper end. Enclosed, non-running and oversized vehicles are quoted on their own.
How long does Dallas to Tacoma car shipping take?
About five days on the road once the car is loaded. Your pickup window comes before that, so plan on a few days more from the day you book. The route is roughly 2,110 miles and a driver can only cover so much of it a day under federal hours rules.
What route does the truck take from Dallas to Tacoma?
The usual line leaves the metroplex on US-287 and I-40 through Amarillo. It turns north on I-25 past Raton Pass, Denver and Cheyenne. Then it runs west on I-80 and I-84 through Utah and Idaho, and joins I-5 at Portland. The alternative goes straight up I-35 through Oklahoma City and Wichita and crosses the plains on I-70 or I-80. Both are about 2,110 miles.
Can winter weather delay this shipment?
It can, and Wyoming is the reason. Both routes cross it, and the state closes stretches of I-80 and I-25 to light and high-profile vehicles when the wind gets up. A loaded car carrier is exactly that profile. Drivers who run this corridor watch the advisories and time their runs around them. From December to February, treat five days as a good week and leave a little slack in your arrival plans.
My car has hail damage. Does that matter?
Not for the shipment, and it is worth five minutes before the truck comes. North Texas gets a lot of hail, and plenty of cars here carry small hood and roof dents the owner stopped noticing years ago. Those are the panels the condition report gets checked against in Tacoma. Photograph the roof and hood in daylight and make sure the driver writes the existing marks on the Bill of Lading. It is the easiest handover problem to avoid.
Which Dallas and Fort Worth suburbs do you collect from?
All of them. Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Arlington, Irving, Garland, Richardson, Denton, Carrollton, Lewisville, Grapevine, Southlake, Mesquite, Rockwall, Mansfield and Flower Mound included. Name the city when you book rather than just saying Dallas. The metroplex is enormous, and Frisco, Mansfield and Rockwall are three different mornings for a driver working his way out of the region.
Does shipping from Tacoma to Dallas cost the same?
Yes. Southbound runs $1,600 to $1,900 for a mid-size car on an open trailer, over about five days, the same as this direction. The Tacoma to Dallas page covers that leg and how the route changes when it runs the other way. Lanes do not always price the same both ways, so it is worth saying that this one does.
Can a truck reach my address in Tacoma?
South and east of downtown, almost certainly. In the North End, Stadium District, Proctor and Hilltop the grades and street widths suit a smaller vehicle better, so we meet you at a nearby lot instead. There is no extra charge and it is usually quicker than working a 75-foot truck up those streets.
Do I need to register the car in Washington?
Only if you are moving for good. New residents title and register with the Department of Licensing. There is a set window from the day you arrive. Use tax can also apply to a car brought in. Whether it does depends on how long you have owned it and what you paid in Texas. Rules and thresholds change, so check the current position with the Department of Licensing rather than taking our word for it.
My car will arrive before I do. Can you hold delivery?
Yes, and it comes up often here, because cars usually beat a household moving truck on this corridor. Tell us at booking rather than when the driver is an hour out, and we plan the delivery around your arrival. Anyone over 18 you name can also receive the car and sign the condition report for you.
Do you ship for military families moving to Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
Yes, and it is a regular part of this lane. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth sits on the west side of the metroplex and Joint Base Lewis-McChord borders Lakewood, where our Washington office is. Give us the earliest and latest dates your orders allow rather than one fixed day. The delivery point can be changed while the car is still on the road.
Is my car insured, and will the quote hold?
Yes to both. The carrier hauling your car holds Carrier Cargo Insurance and it covers every mile. We hold that carrier's certificate of insurance once a truck is assigned, and a copy comes over when you ask. The price we quote is the price you pay, as long as the vehicle, the route, the condition and the shipping details stay the same.
Photograph the hail before your Dallas car shipping pickup
This is the single most useful thing you can do before the truck arrives, and almost nobody mentions it.
North Texas gets a lot of hail. Plenty of cars around the metroplex carry small dents on the hood and roof that the owner stopped noticing years ago. Those are exactly the panels a condition report gets checked against when the car lands in Tacoma.
Shoot the roof and hood in daylight
Flat light shows dents that direct sun hides. Five minutes with a phone, standing back far enough to get the whole panel in frame, is all it takes.
Get it on the Bill of Lading
Make sure the driver writes the existing marks down at pickup. The condition report is the document that settles any question later, and what is on it at the Texas end is what counts.
Then it is simply done
With the damage recorded, arrival is a two-minute walkaround rather than a conversation. This is the most common handover problem on this lane and the easiest one to remove.
One more Texas-to-Puget-Sound thing, and it is about the week after rather than the trip. Texas sun ages wiper blades and door seals faster than mileage does, and Tacoma will find that out quickly. Check the blades and the tire pressures in the first week. It has nothing to do with the shipment and everything to do with the first rainy Tuesday after it.
How long does Dallas to Tacoma car shipping take?
About five days of driving. Two other steps sit either side of it, and the first is usually the longest.
Your Dallas car shipping window comes first
Six days on standard, three on expedited, counted forward from the date you name. Giving us a span rather than one morning is what gets you onto a trailer already heading north.
Then the road
Roughly five days up the Front Range and west through Wyoming and Idaho. Federal hours rules cap how far a driver can legally travel in a day, and no service level changes that.
Then the arrival call
The driver phones ahead as the truck nears Puget Sound and you agree a spot where the car can legally come off the trailer.
Cars usually beat a household moving truck on this corridor, which catches people out. If nobody will be at the Tacoma address yet, say so at booking. We plan the delivery around your arrival, rather than sorting it out when the driver is an hour away.
Collecting your car across DFW for Tacoma vehicle shipping
Dallas and Fort Worth are easy to load and hard to schedule. The built-up area runs past 9,000 square miles, and a truck heading out has to sequence its collections geographically or lose half a day doubling back.
Name your DFW suburb for faster car shipping pickup
Frisco, Mansfield and Rockwall are three different mornings for a driver leaving the metroplex. Telling us the collection city up front gets you slotted into the run properly instead of added to the end of it.
Most DFW addresses load at the curb
The suburbs north and west, Plano, Allen, Southlake, Keller and Flower Mound, have the road width and turning room a full-size carrier needs. Loading happens right at the address far more often here than in older cities.
If you fly out first
Relocations often mean the car leaves after you do. A neighbor, a property manager, a colleague or a family member can hand it over and sign the condition report. We just need their name and number at booking.
We collect across the metroplex: Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Arlington, Irving, Garland, Richardson, Denton, Carrollton, Lewisville, Grapevine, Southlake, Mesquite, Rockwall, Mansfield, Grand Prairie, Flower Mound, Prosper, Celina, Waxahachie and Keller. Statewide pricing and routes are on the Texas car shipping page.
Dallas to Tacoma auto transport for military moves
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth sits on the west side of the metroplex. Joint Base Lewis-McChord runs along the edge of Lakewood, where our Washington office is. This corridor connects them and we work it through the year.
PCS car shipping works better with a date range
Report dates rarely survive contact with reality, so we would rather build for that from the start. Tell us the earliest and latest your orders allow and the car generally leaves Texas sooner and for less.
Shipping ahead of your housing
Arriving without a confirmed address is normal. Delivery can go to a sponsor, a spouse or a reachable spot near the base, and it can be changed while the car is still on the road.
If the dates move
Call Lakewood on 253-200-5645 and we move the booking without moving the price. That is what the promise is for.
Tacoma vehicle shipping: how delivery works
Tacoma delivers cleanly on the I-5 side of the city. Everywhere south and east of downtown is straightforward.
The neighborhoods that need a meeting point
The North End, Stadium District, Proctor and Hilltop have grades and street widths that suit a smaller vehicle better. There we meet you at a nearby lot instead. It costs nothing extra and is usually quicker than working a 75-foot truck up those streets. Street-by-street detail is on our Tacoma car shipping page.
Tacoma auto transport is handled from nine miles away
On this lane the staffed office is where the car arrives, which is the more useful of the two. Collection in Texas runs on the national line. Arrival is handled by people fifteen minutes away who know which streets a carrier can turn into. If a delivery needs rearranging at short notice, that is where it gets done.
5607 Boston Ave SW, Lakewood, WA 98499
Local: 253-200-5645 · Nationwide: 888-709-9078
Hours, Pacific: Mon to Thu 6:00am to 6:00pm · Fri 6:00am to 4:00pm · Sat 10:00am to 3:00pm · Sun closed
A dispatch and coordination office. Your car travels door to door and never waits here.
After your Dallas to Tacoma auto transport: registering in Washington
Only relevant if you are moving for good, and worth a little time before you need the car for anything official.
What Washington asks of new residents
New residents title and register with the Department of Licensing. There is a set window from the day you arrive. Use tax can also apply to a car brought into the state. Whether it does depends on two things: how long you have owned it, and what you already paid in Texas.
One pleasant surprise
There is no emissions test to book. Washington ended that program, which is a change from the DFW counties where it still applies. One less appointment on a move that already has plenty.
Thresholds, windows and local vehicle taxes all change, and some depend on your exact address rather than the city. Check the current position with the Washington Department of Licensing before you budget rather than taking our word for it. We ship cars; they set the rules.
Open, enclosed or expedited Dallas to Tacoma car shipping
Three ways to move the same car, and the choice is usually straightforward.
Open Dallas to Tacoma car shipping
The default, and what every figure on this page describes. Nine or ten cars on an uncovered double-deck trailer, which is how dealerships get new stock. Five days of plains dust and mountain spray, none of which survives a car wash.
Enclosed Dallas to Tacoma auto transport
Plan on about 80 percent more than open. A $1,000 open move is roughly $1,800 enclosed. A hard-sided trailer takes two to six cars against ten, so fewer cars share the cost. The sensible call for a restored, collector or freshly painted car making this crossing.
Expedited Dallas to Tacoma vehicle shipping
Cuts the collection window in half, six days to three. It gets the car loaded sooner. The road still takes what the road takes, because hours-of-service rules are federal.
Is your car insured on this Dallas to Tacoma car shipping route?
Yes, and it is worth a short read, because how the cover sits is not quite what people expect.
What covers the car
The carrier hauling your vehicle holds Carrier Cargo Insurance, and it covers every mile of the trip. Once a truck is assigned we hold that carrier's certificate of insurance, and a copy comes over as soon as you ask.
Straight there, no stops
The car goes from your Texas address onto the trailer and off again in Tacoma. No holding lot along the way, and no point where one company hands it to another. Our offices are where dispatchers book and track the trip, not where your car waits.
Checking a carrier is something you can do yourself, and we encourage it. FMCSA SAFER is a free public lookup: type in a USDOT number and it returns active operating authority and insurance on file. Ours is USDOT 2887232 and MC 969368.
What Dallas to Tacoma car shipping customers say
Reviews from across our offices. You can also read the customer reviews on our BBB profile, where we hold an A+ rating and have been accredited since 2016.
Crystal Evans was very helpful.
Related Tacoma auto transport routes
Every Tacoma lane with its own page, plus the guides worth a look before you book.