Total distance is the main component used in calculating a quote for car shipping. Longer distances generally lead to a higher overall car shipping price, but also include a discounted cost per mile. With our car shipping calculator, you can get the best auto transport quote for any car shipment. It’s important to note that international car shipping prices might differ from ground vehicle transport.

Different from distance, route refers to what highways and other roads will be traveled to transport the vehicle. Routes in highly populated areas may have increased traffic congestion, which could impact transport time and shipping costs.

Additional route considerations that can be factored into shipping costs include:

• Physical road conditions
• Adverse weather
• Road construction

When you book a car transport service, shipment date often plays a huge role in the cost. It’s best to book your car shipment as far in advance as possible. As soon as you know you’ll need to ship your vehicle, begin researching an auto transport company to request a car shipping quote.

Additionally, increased flexibility around car pick-up dates will often result in car transport quote savings.

When planning your auto transport, we ask for the exact vehicle specifications, because the truck driver must know how much space is required to safely secure your automobile and ensure proper trailer height and side clearance. Longer and taller cars require additional vehicle transport adjustments, which may slightly increase car shipping costs. Vehicle modifications like larger tires and roof racks can also increase the cost.

Most people shipping a car select open car transport, as it is the industry standard and cheapest way for car shippers to move your vehicle. For extra car shipment protection, we recommend using enclosed car transportation services that shield vehicles from weather and debris. Enclosed auto transport can increase the cost of car shipping, but is worth the peace of mind for delicate, exotic or luxury car transportation.

If your car is running, you will get a better auto shipping price from car shippers for the allotted distance. If your car is inoperable, but maintains the ability to roll, steer, and brake, it will require a winch and other accommodations to be loaded onto the carrier trailer, which will increase the cost of shipment.

**Please note that DTF Transport only quotes for car shipping if the vehicle can:

• Roll, brake and steer
• Be loaded and unloaded by a forklift or wrecker

Certain characteristics of your car will have an impact on the quote and final cost of your car shipment, including the following:

Height, length & curb weight

Taller, longer, and heavier vehicles may require a specific trailer or trailer type to support the length and/or added weight. They may also need certain accommodations, like being transported in a specific place within the trailer. Both of these situations could require the driver take fewer or smaller vehicles to accommodate special requests and manage total allowable weight limits.

Metropolitan areas usually have plenty of trucks available to carry out car shipping orders for auto shippers, which lowers the car transport price. When transporting cars, we strive to find the best deal for residents of small towns. If you live far from a major highway, you can opt to meet the trucker at a designated location for a better cost for shipping a car and potentially faster auto transportation services.

Car shipping costs vary greatly based on the time of year. For example, auto transport services to warmer states are very popular during the snowbird season, so the cost for transporting a car to those destinations will be higher. Use our car shipping calculator to get the price for shipping a car. Depending on your scheduling flexibility, we recommend trying different shipping dates to see rate impact for choosing the best price.