Detroit Car Shipping

The cost to ship a car to or from Detroit is typically $450 on a short regional run and up to $2,100 coast to coast, on an open trailer, and takes between 1 to 8 days in transit time. Columbus is about 205 miles away. Seattle is about 2,380 miles.

We publish a route price once real Detroit loads stand behind it. Until then, each row shows 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 the pickup.

Ohio, Chicago and Indianapolis are 1 to 2 days. The East Coast is 2 to 4 days. Florida and Texas are 3 to 6 days. The West Coast is 6 to 8 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. Detroit sits on three interstates, so trucks pass close by.

Yes. Give us the seller's name, release hours and a contact, and send them the release for the car. The driver inspects it with their staff and sends you the report.

No. The person who books does not need to be there. The seller or a friend can hand over the car and sign the pickup report.

Yes. Tell us when you book and we plan them together on one truck where we can. Dealers and fleets do this often.

September or early October, before the snowbird rush, and late May for the trip home. October to December is the busy stretch southbound.

Yes. Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Warren, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Royal Oak, Novi and Ann Arbor all share Detroit prices.

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. Two to three weeks for the snowbird weeks in fall and spring. Booking earlier does not cost more.

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.

Michigan No-Fault insurance first, since out-of-state policies are not accepted. Then buy a Michigan plate at a Secretary of State office. Michigan has no emissions test.

Sometimes by a day. Carriers run Michigan all winter. Clear a loading spot, brush the snow off the car, and leave a few days in your pickup window.

Our closest staffed office is in Chicago at 742 E 87th Pl. It handles dispatch and coordination for Detroit moves. Your car goes straight from the pickup 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.