What’s the Cheapest Way to Ship My Car in 2026?

• Selecting an open transport carrier with terminal-to-terminal delivery is the cheapest way to ship your car. Open transport costs, on average, $0.93 less per mile when compared to a closed carrier.
• Booking at least two weeks in advance can help you get the best price because it allows more drivers to bid on your job.
• To avoid surprise fees upon delivery, look for the best car shipping companies with a strong reputation for accurate quotes. 

The 2026 Auto Transport Industry Report notes that regional car shipping is more common than cross-country or long-distance shipping. Shipping a car regionally costs an average of $2.35 per mile. Long-distance and cross-country trips usually cost more. In many shipping scenarios, you can pay up to 50% less with a few tricks of the trade. In this guide, we'll quickly review how car shipping works, then give you a detailed plan for choosing the cheapest way to ship your car. 

The car shipping industry is a confusing beast. Why is it so hard to get a straightforward price without any surprise fees? To answer that, we need to explain the difference between car shipping brokers and car carriers.

Carriers are also known as drivers. These are transport pros who have the right type of truck, trailer, license, and insurance to haul your car from A to B. They might work for a company, or operate independently. 

Brokers specialize in customer service. They work with consumers like you to understand your needs, then post your requirements to a job board that can only be accessed by approved carriers. Interested carriers bid on your job, and each new bid is more affordable than the previous one.

Brokers typically use a vehicle shipping cost calculator to give you a quote before they even list your job. This quote is usually the starting bid. In a perfect world, carriers will find the starting bid to be a fair price, and will bid on your job. But sometimes, the price is too low and no one bids. The broker may have to increase the price to attract bidders. 

If you want to skip that bidding process, it's best to avoid brokers altogether, and hire a carrier directly. But bids may work in your favor, and help you get the most affordable car shipping rates. The key is to make your job appeal to as many carriers as possible to generate more bids.

Continue reading: How does car shipping pricing work?

Ready to attract carriers and ship your car as cheaply as possible? Follow these tips.

There are two main types of trailers (also called carriers) that can haul your car: open and closed.

Closed trailers fit fewer cars than open trailers. Fewer cars means less money for the driver, so the price-per-car tends to be higher for a closed carrier. 

Overall, our research shows that people save over $400 by choosing an open vs. closed car carrier. 

Door-to-door shipping means the carrier picks up the car in front of your house and delivers it in front of your new house (or the new owner's house). It's convenient for you, but is it convenient for the driver? 

That depends on where you live. Drivers like to haul a fully loaded trailer because it means maximum profit. If they're looking for another car to pick up on their route and you live nearby, you could be in luck. On the other hand, you might have a tough time convincing a driver to detour in your direction if you're far from a major city or freeway. That means fewer carriers are likely to bid on your job and lower the price.

Ask about terminal-to-terminal shipping instead. You'll drive the car to a safe location near a major transport hub. The carrier can pick it up there and drop it off at another shipping terminal. The convenient location is far more attractive to carriers looking to add a car to their trailer as they pass through town. 

Some carriers (and brokers) are more flexible about pick-up and delivery locations than others, so be sure to ask about your options upfront. 

 The more time companies have to bid on your job, the more likely you are to get a low price. One company might submit a bid of $950 the first day, while another could come in at $875 the next day. The longer auto transport companies bid against each other, the lower your price goes.

The benefits of making an early reservation max out at about two weeks, so you don’t have to spend months waiting. Just plan ahead.

A lot of people want to know exactly when their car will be picked up. Many of us depend on our vehicles, and we prefer to part with them at the last possible moment—especially when we're busy trying to get ready for a move.

But if you can be a little flexible with the pickup date, you might save money on car shipping. 

Think about it this way: a carrier with room on their trailer will pass through your town on Wednesday, but you want the car picked up on Friday. There are no carriers available to get your car Friday. Now what? 

When it gets down to the wire and you desperately need your car to be picked up, you may have to pay a higher price to make it happen. Remember, carriers look for jobs that pay well in relation to the time and mileage required. If you want low cost auto transport, be accommodating to the carrier. 

One of the best ways to get a low price for auto transport is to get several quotes. We recommend contacting three to five companies and avoiding those with the lowest and highest prices.

Why avoid a company with rock-bottom prices? Because it’s possible those prices are too good to be true.

The carriers that bid on your job sometimes submit unrealistic prices so you’ll choose them and then raise the price after you’ve booked. You may pay a deposit that can’t be refunded and get stuck with an expensive car company you thought had low rates.

The Move.org team has evaluated more than a dozen car shipping companies to find the most reputable options. View in-depth comparisons in our guide to the best car shipping and auto transport companies, or check the table below for a quick snapshot. 

Shipping a car costs as low as $1.08 per mile, but the final price depends on many factors, including the time of year and the size of your vehicle. Shopping around and catering to carriers' needs can help you get the lowest price possible. Anything less than $1.89 per mile on an open trailer is considered a below-average cost. 

• How long does it take to ship a car?
• How do I ship a motorcycle?
• Should I sell my car or ship it?
• Should I ship my car or drive it?
• What do I need to know about car shipping insurance?

Learn more about auto transport companies with low prices:

• Best Car Shipping Companies
• Best Motorcycle Shipping Companies
• Best Enclosed Auto Transport Companies
• Best Classic Car Shipping Companies
• Best Car Shipping Companies for Your Military Move