Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Likely shipping cost
$1,116
Effective cost per mile
0.62
Low end of broker quotes
$949
High end of broker quotes
$1,339
Base carrier rate for this distance
0.62
Transport line haul
$1,116
Rough cost of driving it yourself
$651
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter shipping distance (miles).
- 2Enter vehicle size.
- 3Enter trailer type.
- 4Enter route type.
- 5Enter season.
- 6Enter vehicle condition.
- 7Enter expedited pickup premium ($).
- 8Read your likely shipping cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Auto transport is priced per mile on a curve, not a flat rate: the first few hundred miles cost $1.50–2.00 each, and a coast-to-coast run drops toward $0.50–0.70 because the truck is already going. On top of the distance, four things move the quote — whether the route runs between major metros or into a rural pickup, whether the car runs and drives, whether you want an enclosed trailer, and the season, because snowbird routes to Florida in November and college moves in August price like airline seats. This calculator applies the distance curve, then each adjustment, and shows the per-mile rate so you can compare broker quotes on the same basis. Worked assumption for the defaults: a running sedan, 1,800 miles metro to metro on an open carrier in shoulder season — about $1,120, or $0.62 per mile.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Shipping distance: 1800 miles
- Vehicle size: Sedan — 1.00×
- Trailer type: Open carrier — standard
- Route type: Typical door-to-door — 1.00×
- Season: Shoulder season — 1.00×
- Vehicle condition: Runs and drives
- Expedited pickup premium: 0 $
Results
- Likely shipping cost: $1,116
- Effective cost per mile: 0.62
- Low end of broker quotes: $949
- High end of broker quotes: $1,339
- Base carrier rate for this distance: 0.62
- Transport line haul: $1,116
- Rough cost of driving it yourself: $651
What each field means
Inputs
- Shipping distance (miles)
- The shipping distance used in the calculation, measured in miles. Starts at 1800 miles so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 100–4000 miles.
- Vehicle size
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Compact car — 0.85×, Sedan — 1.00×, SUV or crossover — 1.20×, Pickup truck or large SUV — 1.40×, Dually, van or lifted truck — 1.75×.
- Trailer type
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Open carrier — standard, Enclosed carrier — +55%.
- Route type
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Major metro to major metro on an interstate lane — 0.92×, Typical door-to-door — 1.00×, Rural pickup or delivery — +18%, Remote, island or mountain access — +40%.
- Season
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Slow season (late winter, spring) — 0.92×, Shoulder season — 1.00×, Peak (summer moves, snowbird season) — 1.20×.
- Vehicle condition
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Runs and drives, Inoperable — winch loading: +$175.
- Expedited pickup premium ($)
- The expedited pickup premium used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–800 $.
Results
- Likely shipping cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Effective cost per mile
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Low end of broker quotes
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- High end of broker quotes
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Base carrier rate for this distance
- Returned as a decimal number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Transport line haul
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Rough cost of driving it yourself
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why do brokers quote so much lower than the final price?
Because a broker quote is a listing price, not a contract. If no carrier accepts the load at that rate, the price rises until one does. Ask whether the quote is dispatch-guaranteed and read the cancellation terms before paying a deposit.
Is enclosed transport worth the premium?
For a classic, exotic or freshly painted car, yes — no road debris, no weather, and usually a more experienced driver. For a daily driver worth under about $40,000, open transport is what nearly everyone uses, including dealers.
How is the driving-it-yourself comparison figured?
Fuel at roughly 28 mpg and $3.60 a gallon plus a $140 hotel night for every 550 miles. It ignores your time, wear and the risk of a breakdown, which is why the gap is often smaller than it looks.
Why show a range instead of one price?
Because two honest shops quote the same job 20–30% apart on parts sourcing alone — OEM versus quality aftermarket, remanufactured versus new, and whether the flat-rate book hours match what the job actually takes on your vehicle. The range is the band most real quotes land inside; the midpoint is what to expect.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Cost to Ship a Car Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-ship-a-car-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-ship-a-car-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cost to Ship a Car Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Cost to Ship a Car Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/cost-to-ship-a-car-calculator) (2026).