$1,200 to $1,350 for an operable sedan on an open trailer, based on our own recent shipments as of September 2026. A mid-size SUV runs $1,350 to $1,500 and a full-size pickup $1,450 to $1,650. Enclosed transport adds about 80 percent.

Three to four days in transit once the car is collected, over about 1,435 miles. A truck covers roughly 400 to 500 miles a day once loading and delivery stops are counted. This is a southern route on I-10 and I-20, so winter weather rarely adds time.

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.

Volume. California to Texas is the heaviest domestic migration flow in the country, so haulers run it constantly and in both directions. Nobody is paid for empty miles, and the rate settles near the average. A shorter run into a quiet market can cost more, because the driver leaves empty at the far end.

Open for anything you drive daily. Plan on about 80 percent more for enclosed, so a $1,250 open move is roughly $2,250 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 earns its keep on a classic, an exotic, fresh paint, or a car too low to clear a ramp.

Yes. Your vehicle travels under Carrier Cargo Insurance from the moment it loads in Los Angeles until it comes off in Dallas. 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.

Usually, and LA is the end worth flagging. Hillside streets in Silver Lake, Echo Park and the canyons are the tightest. Older apartment blocks often have no loading space at all. A car hauler is about 75 feet long. Tell us the address when you book. If it is tight, a supermarket lot on a main boulevard is used instead, at no extra charge.

Rarely. The metroplex was built around wide roads and large lots, so a full-size hauler can usually reach the address. Two exceptions. Gated communities in Plano and Frisco may need a guard cleared in advance. Uptown and Deep Ellum have nowhere legal to stop. Name the community when you book.

All of them. Our North Texas team covers McKinney, Frisco, Plano, Allen, Prosper, Denton, Carrollton, Richardson, Garland and Rockwall, along with Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving and Grapevine. McKinney is a service area rather than an office you can visit, so there is no counter and no street address, and every delivery is door to door.

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. June through mid-August is busiest here, because the summer move peak and the Texas school calendar overlap. Booking two to three weeks ahead helps in any month.

GPS tracking is available when the carrier and the truck support it, and plenty of trucks do not carry a reliable system. Companies promising live tracking on every shipment are overselling it, because nobody controls whether a driver's truck is tracked. What you always get is the driver's phone number for a call or text, plus email updates.

Yes, and the whole corridor runs well. Austin, San Antonio and Houston all have their own pages with published prices. Houston is the longest of the four at about 1,566 miles. Smaller Texas towns are served too, but expect a slightly wider pickup window.

Check the USDOT and MC numbers on the FMCSA SAFER system, which takes about thirty seconds and is free. Ours are USDOT 2887232 and MC 969368. Then read reviews on public profiles rather than testimonials on a website, check the BBB complaint history, and treat a quote far below everyone else as the warning it usually is.