Houston to Los Angeles Car Shipping

The cost to ship a car from Houston to Los Angeles is typically $950 to $1,100 on an open trailer, and takes 4 to 5 days in transit time. The trip is about 1,550 miles, almost all of it on I-10. Your quote gives the real figure for your dates.

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 both addresses. A wider pickup window helps the most, because it gives us more trucks to fit your car onto.

Most Houston to Los Angeles moves take 4 to 5 days on the road. The trip is about 1,550 miles, mostly on I-10 through San Antonio, El Paso and Phoenix. Pickup comes first, inside a window that starts on your date.

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.

Yes. Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Pearland and Cypress share the same prices as Houston.

Drive it if you want the car with you and have the days to spare. At about 1,550 miles, that is about three long days behind the wheel plus motels, meals and fuel. Ship it when you would rather fly, when you have two cars and one driver, or when the car does not run.

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 is enough for most moves. Give a little more in the busy summer season. Booking earlier does not cost more. It gives us more trucks to choose from.

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.

California asks new residents to register a car within 20 days. The DMV checks the VIN on a car from another state, and most gas cars need a smog check first. Bring your title or registration, proof of insurance and your ID.

Yes, at the delivery end. Our staffed Los Angeles office is at 5111 Harold Way Suite 301. Houston at the pickup end is one of our service areas, on the national line 888-709-9078. Your car goes straight from your address 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.