Car Shipping to and From California (2024 Guide)
If you’re relocating to the Golden State or moving elsewhere, consider shipping your car instead of driving. In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team will explain the ins and outs of car shipping in California. We’ll go over what it may cost, which factors affect vehicle shipping rates and the basics of how to ship a car. We’ll also highlight some of the best car shipping companies that serve California.
Key Takeaways
- Brokers take the hassle out of finding (and often vetting) carriers, but online marketplaces let you personally select who will transport your car to or from California.
- When choosing shipping services, consider how protected you want your car to be, whether you’re willing to pick it up from a terminal and what you’re willing to spend.
- You can usually ship a car in California for less than $800, but an out-of-state shipment costs more. Costs depend on things like the shipping distance, the time of year and your vehicle’s size.
- Montway Auto Transport and SGT Auto Transport are our top recommendations for California car shipping companies.
The MarketWatch Guides Team is committed to providing reliable information to help you make the best possible decision about shipping your vehicle. Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car shipping companies. We collected data on dozens of auto transport providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. After 200 hours of research, the end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.
Learn more about our methodology and editorial guidelines.
What To Expect: Car Shipping in California
Car owners have many options for shipping their cars regardless if they’re moving from one California city to another, or just moving into or out of the Golden State entirely. Below, our team goes through the basic process of car shipping in California in a step-by-step process. The video below also gives a quick rundown of what you can expect from car shipping:
1. Picking a Company for Your California Car Shipment
Shipping brokers are the most common and easiest ways to find drivers (carriers) to ship your vehicle. Brokers have access to entire networks of carriers that bid on shipping jobs the brokers post. Because of this, they take the hassle out of finding carriers, and often select the cheapest bid they can find. We recommend looking at Montway Auto Transport, SGT Auto Transport, AmeriFreight or Nexus Auto Transport.
Alternatively, you can look at a shipping marketplace like uShip, in which you have more control over picking your carrier. However, this requires more work on your end, from looking at carrier profiles to verifying their Motor Carrier and USDOT numbers on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) site.*
To pick your best company, we recommend comparing quotes and shipping options from three or more companies, while also looking at customer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot.
*These numbers show a carrier follows all laws and regulations in auto transport and cargo insurance as set by the FMCSA.
2. Booking Your California Car Transport
Consulting a broker like Montway or SGT means going online and getting quotes for your shipment. To start your car shipping journey, you’ll need to provide your:
- Vehicle’s age, make, model and operability condition
- Pickup location and dropoff destination
- Pickup and delivery dates
- Selected shipping services
- Contact information for whoever will meet the carrier
Depending on the requirements set by the auto transport company you’re working with, there may be additional vehicle transport paperwork or information you need for, such as your:
- Government-issued photo identification (like driver’s license or passport)
- Vehicle identification number (VIN) and license plate number
- Proof of auto insurance
- Vehicle registration or title
To learn more about car shipment booking through brokers, marketplaces or individual carriers, check out our guide on how to ship a car to another state.
Choosing Your Shipping Services
When you book your shipment in California, you’ll have to select from the shipping services the company offers. Here’s a rundown of the most common and popular services offered by most companies:
- Open car transport: The cheapest and most common shipping method, your car will be loaded onto an open trailer with no walls or a ceiling among six to nine other cars.
- Enclosed auto transport: If you want more protection for your vehicle, you can ship it in an enclosed trailer. This will better protect the car from bad weather and road debris.
- Door-to-door shipping: This convenient shipping method means the carrier will drop off your car right at your home/place of work or as closely as it safely and legally can.
- Terminal-to-terminal shipping: This is cheaper than door-to-door, but means your car will be dropped off at a designated location for you to pick up.
- Expedited shipping: This costs a bit of extra money, but will ensure your car is shipped to your destination within a few days if you’re in a sudden rush.
Finalizing Your Shipment
After you get a quote, one of the company’s representatives will contact you to confirm details and payment methods. They’ll then post your shipment and carriers will bid on it. You should get a phone call or some other confirmation once your carrier has been selected. With a marketplace, you would choose your own carrier and finalize the details directly with them.
We recommend booking at least two weeks before pickup, if you can. This ensures you or the broker can secure a carrier at the best possible price. Some companies do ship within an expedited time frame, but this will significantly raise the cost.
3. Preparing for California Car Shipping
After you’ve booked your transport, you’ll need to prepare your car for the shipping process. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:
- Inspect your vehicle and note any pre-existing damage. You’ll want to point these out to the carrier when they inspect your vehicle. This ensures that you won’t file a claim against the carrier for damages that already existed before shipping.
- Remove all personal items and make an extra set of keys. With most shipping companies, personal items make the shipment more expensive because of the added weight on the trailer.
- Leave a quarter tank of gas in the car. Less gas in the car means less weight on the trailer, but you’ll need to eventually use it to drive, regardless if you ship it to a terminal or to your own door.
Taking the time to adequately prepare for car transport can cut down on hassle and help prevent delays. We recommend taking photos during this process. Some car owners even choose to wash their cars beforehand so that they can properly see any dents or scratches.
4. When Your Carrier Arrives for Pickup
When your carrier arrives, the two of you will inspect your vehicle together. The carrier will record any of your vehicle’s pre-existing marks, damages or issues on the bill of lading, which can be thought of as an official receipt of the shipping transaction. Both of you will sign the bill of lading, and the carrier will load your vehicle onto the trailer and be on their way.
5. When Your Car Is in Transport
Cross-country shipments to or from California could take anywhere from six to nine days. Shipments can always take longer due to traffic, road closures, weather conditions and more, but generally, carriers try to drive from 300 to 400 miles per day.
California is the most populous state in the country, with high concentrations of people in the Bay Area and Southern California. You can expect the carrier to encounter some bad traffic in these areas, which could lead to your shipment being delayed.
Some car shipping companies provide GPS tracking or email updates while others don’t. Most likely, you’ll have contact with your carrier, so you can call when needed.
6. When Your Car Reaches Its Destination
From here, you’ll meet your carrier (or have someone else meet them) at the shipping destination. Both of you will inspect your car and sign the bill of lading again. Make sure to get a copy of the bill of lading.
In most cases, this is where car owners pay their carriers. Carriers usually prefer cash, but some may take money orders or checks. If you notice any new issues or marks on your car, use the bill of lading to file a claim against the carrier. Every viable carrier should have cargo insurance.
Cost To Ship a Car in California
Car shipping costs vary, but California auto transport rates typically fall somewhere in the range of $500 to $800 for in-state moves and up to $1,500 for long-distance shipping to another state. Longer distances come with higher price tags. California is a huge state, so even paying to transport your car between cities in California can lead to a hefty bill.
For the sections below, we sourced car shipping quotes online from Montway Auto Transport and SGT Auto Transport, two of the top California car transport companies. We got quotes for shipping within the state and to cities outside of California. All quotes were for a 2019 Hyundai Elantra in drivable condition. For pricing examples, we selected open transport and door-to-door delivery.
Montway Auto Transport for California
With Montway, shipping within the state of California can cost less than $800, but shipping a car to another state is far more expensive.
| Car Shipping Route | Distance | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Oakland, Calif. | 370 miles | $639 |
| Sacramento, Calif., to San Diego | 504 miles | $789 |
| Chicago to San Francisco | 2,127 miles | $1,179 |
| Riverside, Calif., to New York City | 2,756 miles | $1,589 |
Customer service is available via a live chat at Montway.com, or you can call (888) 497-9792.
SGT Auto Transport for California
Rates for in-state vehicle shipping tend to be fairly low, but like its competitors, SGT charges more for out-of-state car transport services. A coast-to-coast move can run up to nearly $1,500.
| Car Shipping Route | Distance | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, Calif., to Anaheim, Calif. | 365 miles | $556 |
| Long Beach, Calif., to Fresno, Calif. | 241 miles | $642 |
| Bakersfield, Calif., to Austin, Texas | 1,489 miles | $1,393 |
| Modesto, Calif., to Atlanta | 2,402 miles | $1,493 |
Free quotes are available at SGTAutoTransport.com with customer service available 24/7 by phone at (866) 774-6570.
What Affects the Cost of Car Shipping?
Here are the factors that affect the cost of auto shipping in California:
- Time of year: January and the summer months are the peak moving seasons, so car shipping services will be more expensive during those times.
- Distance: Long-distance shipping costs less per mile, but more overall.
- Transport service: Open carrier shipping is the cheapest transport method, while enclosed transport is the safest (but usually costs a few hundred more than open).
- Size and type of vehicle: Larger vehicles take up more space so they’re more expensive to ship. Luxury vehicles and classic cars are more expensive to transport, as they require more damage protection.
- Vehicle operability: If a vehicle is inoperable, it will require more labor and equipment to load onto the car carrier truck, making it cost more to ship.
- Delivery method: Terminal-to-terminal delivery is the cheapest option, but door-to-door service is the most convenient method.
- Delivery locations: Transport costs rise when delivering to a rural area versus a more urban location, because rural areas require moving farther away from main routes.
- Fuel costs: The cost of auto transport services will depend on gas prices. The higher the cost of gas, the higher the shipping price.
California Car Shipping: The Bottom Line
Shipping a car in-state in California generally costs less than $800 but a cross-country move will run about $1,500 or more. These rates can fluctuate based on the distance of the transport, the size of your vehicle, the time of year and other factors.
Recommendations for Shipping a Car in California
We recommend comparing free quotes from a few shipping providers before booking a transport. Montway Auto Transport and SGT Auto Transport are two of the best companies for car shipping in California. Both have websites with instant quote tools, making it easy to get a sense of what shipping a vehicle to or from California could cost you.
Montway Auto Transport: Best Customer Experience
Montway is our top pick for car shipping in California, earning a rating of 9.7 out of 10 in our industry-wide review. The company has a stellar reputation for low prices and quick delivery times. It can ship vehicles anywhere in the country, including Hawaii. Montway offers door-to-door delivery and auto shipping by either open hauler or enclosed transport.
Read more: Montway Auto Transport Review
SGT Auto Transport: Price-Matching Guarantee
A main draw for SGT Auto Transport is its price-matching guarantee, which helped the shipping broker earn 9.2 out of 10 in our review. If you get a car shipping quote from another company that’s less than what SGT quoted you, SGT will match the other company’s price. Typical transit times with SGT are between three and nine days, so whether you’re shipping your car to or from California, you won’t have to wait long.
Read more: SGT Auto Transport Review
Car Shipping California: FAQ
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about car shipping in California:
The cheapest auto shipping option is open car transport. Open trailers can fit several cars at once, allowing the carrier to pick up and drop off cargo many times along a shipping route. To save more money, consider having your car shipped to and from a terminal. Door-to-door service is convenient, but often more expensive.
If you’re looking for the most cost-effective way to ship a car from California to Florida, we recommend using open transport. If you’re more interested in the safest way to ship your car across the country, you can pay a little more for an enclosed trailer, which will protect your vehicle from road debris and weather.
You can expect to pay between $1,000 and $1,500 to ship your vehicle from California to another state or vice-versa.
Our Methodology
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car shipping companies. We collected data on dozens of auto transport providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
- Cost (33% of total score): Auto shipping companies with affordable rates, locked-in pricing and discount opportunities score highest in this category.
- Customer Experience (25% of total score): This score is based on customer satisfaction ratings and the availability of extras like GPS tracking. We also consider the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each transporter’s customer service team based on our own shopper analysis.
- Reputation (22% of total score): Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.
- Shipping Methods (10% of total score): Companies that offer a variety of choices for car transport and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
- Logistics (10% of total score): A smooth shipment is all about the details, which is why we look at how long it takes providers to pick up and ship vehicles, whether they include additional insurance coverage and more.
Our credentials:
- 200+ hours researched
- 20+ companies reviewed
- 2,000+ consumers surveyed
*Data accurate at time of publication.
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