Cost per mile falls as distance rises
A 300-mile move costs far more per mile than a 2,000-mile one, because the fixed costs of dispatching a truck are spread over fewer miles. Short regional moves are quoted closer to a minimum charge than a rate.
Routes have density
Carriers run corridors. A vehicle going from one metropolitan area to another along an interstate gets picked up quickly and cheaply. The same distance ending forty miles down a rural road is a detour a driver has to be paid for, and it is the single most common reason a quote comes back higher than expected.
Size and weight change the trailer
Once a load exceeds legal height or width, it stops being a car-carrier job and becomes a specialised one with permits and sometimes escort vehicles. Dually pickups, lifted trucks, tractors and anything on tracks move on flatbeds, stepdecks or lowboys — each with its own rate.
The things you control
- Flexible pickup dates: a week's window is cheaper than a day
- Terminal or depot delivery instead of a residential street
- Making sure the vehicle rolls, steers and brakes — a winch load costs more
- Booking outside the January and late-summer peaks
From the auction floor
See how this works on a real lot.
Every listing carries its inspection report, its full specification and its bid history. Read one before you decide what it is worth to you.