Is it cheaper to drive or ship a car?
For short trips, driving is cheaper. Past 1,000 miles, the gap closes fast: shipping gets close to the true cost of driving once you count fuel, hotels, food, and wear on the vehicle. On a 2,400-mile move, fuel alone runs roughly $500 at about $0.21 per mile — before a single hotel night or the 4–5 days off your calendar.
The math most people run is “shipping quote vs. gas money.” That comparison makes driving look cheap because it ignores everything else the trip costs.
What driving a long distance costs
Add these up for your route before deciding:
- Fuel. Roughly $0.21 per mile for a typical vehicle. A 2,400-mile cross-country drive burns about $500.
- Hotels and food. A cross-country drive is 4–5 days. Each overnight adds a room and three meals.
- Wear and depreciation. You arrive with 1,000–2,400 more miles on the odometer. That has a resale cost even if nothing breaks.
- Your time. Days behind the wheel are days not working, not unpacking, not living your life at the destination.
What shipping costs on common distances
| Distance | Example route | Open carrier cost |
|---|---|---|
| ~400–800 miles | Arizona to California | $600–$1,000 |
| ~1,000–1,300 miles | Illinois to Florida | $1,000–$1,500 |
| ~1,200–1,350 miles | New York to Florida | $1,000–$1,500 |
| ~2,500 miles | California to Florida | $1,450–$1,950 |
Enclosed transport runs 40–60% above open rates. Full breakdowns are on our route pages, including California to Florida, New York to Florida, and Illinois to Florida.
When driving wins, and when shipping wins
Drive if: the trip is under about 500 miles, you have the time, and you enjoy road trips. At that distance, shipping quotes stay in the same range as a short-haul move and the convenience premium is harder to justify.
Ship if: the move is 1,000+ miles, you’re on a deadline, you’d have to fly back anyway, or the car matters — a lease with mileage limits, a collector car, or anything you don’t want to add 2,500 highway miles to. One-way flights plus shipping often beats the all-in cost of driving, and you skip the wear entirely.
Timing helps too. Rates run lowest in March, April, and October — while summer moves carry a 20–30% premium.
Frequently asked questions
Does shipping a car save time?
Yes on your end, though the car itself may take longer. A 2,400-mile drive takes 4–5 days of your time. Shipped, the car spends 7–10 business days in transit on a cross-country route, but you spend none of them driving.
Is it cheaper to ship a car at certain times of year?
Yes. March, April, and October are the cheapest months to ship. May through September carries a 20–30% premium, and snowbird corridors spike from October through December heading south.
What about shipping the car and flying?
For long moves this is the most common play: ship the car, book a one-way flight, and skip hotels, road food, and days of driving. Compare your shipping quote plus airfare against the full driving cost above, not just the gas.
Does driving hurt the car’s value?
Every mile counts against resale, and a cross-country drive adds 2,400+ of them. For leased vehicles with mileage caps and collector cars, that alone often decides the question. See our classic car shipping page for high-value vehicles.
Get your number
Run the comparison with a real quote instead of a guess. Your route, your vehicle, your dates — and the price you’re quoted is the price you pay.
Or call us at (800) 997-4181.
