Best Car Shipping Companies of 2024

Shipping a car can be a costly and confusing venture. Whether you're moving from one state to another, or just heading somewhere far away for the season, you might find yourself researching car shipping companies looking for the best option. There are many players to choose from in the car shipping industry. Car Talk's automotive experts can help you figure out which shipping company is the best for your needs.

With over 40 years of automotive industry experience, Car Talk experts have researched many of the top car shipping companies and integrated our findings based on hundreds of customer reviews, ratings, state and federal customer complaints to help you choose a reliable and affordable option. We’ll explain how much auto transport costs and how to get the best deal.

10 Best Car Shipping Companies in 2024

Top 5 Car Shipping Companies

The 5 best car shipping companies in the industry are listed below with more detail:

#1. AmeriFreight

AmeriFreight works with the top five percent of over 11,000 carriers to negotiate the best rate on the shipper’s behalf, and won’t consider a carrier with less than a 95 percent quality rating for its customers. The company offers a money-back guarantee and ships almost anything motorized from coast to coast. Your car is completely covered by the carrier’s insurance including gap protection with the AFta PLAN, so there’s no need to worry about damages.

AmeriFreight says their costs can range from around $500 to well over $1,000 for shipping a sedan on open transport. The upside is that several discounts are available for various reasons, such as for members of the military, students, and seniors.

Why is AmeriFrieght our #1 Golden Wrench winner?

• With a rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars, excellent reviews and their money-back guarantee, AmeriFrieght sets itself apart as a very impressive car shipping company.

Pros & Cons of AmeriFreight

Customer Reviews of AmeriFreight

"AmeriFreight provided prompt and professional service! My family is quite pleased."

- C.J., Yelp, 5 Stars, September 2023

"Received initial quote, but was shocked when a new quote was 50% higher just two days later. As a first-time customer, this left a bad impression and I will not be doing business with this company."

- Marcela, Yelp, 1 star, April 2023

Read more customer reviews of AmeriFreight here.

Example AmeriFreight Pricing

The following is example pricing to ship a standard 2018 Camry with open the transport option with AmeriFreight. Note that your own quote may vary:

For more in-depth information, read our full AmeriFreight review »

#2. Montway Auto Transport

Montway, as opposed to a company like uShip, is an actual shipper. And unlike the rest of these companies, the only items Montway ships are vehicles. When we ran the quote at uShip, Montway was one of the shippers that provided a quote, and the pricing ended up mid-pack, around $1,300.

We ran the same shipping quote we did for uShip -- a 2003 Jeep Wrangler -- to and from the same destination. Interestingly, the quote we got direct from Montway was significantly cheaper than the quote that showed up at uShip.

Montway provides two quotes: one for a cash price, and one for a credit or debit card. The credit card price was $1,149. Cash saved $60, with a price of $1,089. Insurance was included in the quote.

That’s for an open car transporter. Montway also shows you a price if you’d like a closed transporter. For our trip from Massachusetts to Texas, we got an additional $410 fee for a closed transporter. Not a bad deal, really.

Why is Montway a Golden Wrench winner?

• The company maintains a great rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, and a respectable reputation for great service and excellent customer reviews.

Pros & Cons of Montway Auto Transport

Customer Reviews of Montway Auto Transport

"First time shipping a vehicle from NJ and the process was extremely easy from start to finish. The driver, Pavel, was awesome with communication and loaded the car without any issues. Thank you Pavel & Montway for a painless experience."

- Edwin, Yelp, 5 Stars, March 2024

"Got lucky and was connected with a good transportation company. Montway is not a transportation company but just a broker however they will assign and un-assign drivers without notice. I would much rather go directly with a shipping company if you care about your car."

- Ibie, Yelp, 2 stars, December 2023

Read more customer reviews of Montway Auto Transport here.

Example Montway Pricing

The following is example pricing to ship a 2007 Camry and a 2012 Silverado, open and closed trailer from Portland, ME to Austin, TX. Please note the difference between cash pricing and credit pricing. Note that your own quote may vary:

For more in-depth information, read our full Montway Auto Transport review »

#3. Sherpa Auto Transport

Sherpa Auto Transport specializes in relocations, snowbird moves, multi-car shipments, and late model transport. They’re also well-known for shipping classic autos, larger SUVs and trucks, and vehicles that are no longer operable. The average price to ship a car with Sherpa is around $900, but that number can vary greatly depending on the type of vehicle being shipped, how far it needs to be moved, the season, and other factors. If you decide to ship with Sherpa, the initial payment is not charged until a carrier is secured. Canceling before a carrier has been assigned will only cost you a $25 dispatch fee.

The company offers local and long-haul transport and can ship door-to-door. Direct delivery is Sherpa’s most popular type of transport since the level of convenience for shippers is much greater. Sherpa takes the added step of reimbursing owners up to $20 for a car wash after shipping has been completed since they recognize that vehicles may get dirty during transit.

Sherpa Auto Transport's big selling point is what it calls its Price Lock Promise, which just means that the company will not charge you more than their original quote stated. The practice provides extra assurance, especially when some shipping charges with other companies can grow quickly with hidden costs.

Why is Sherpa Auto Transport a Golden Wrench winner?

• With a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, solid customer reviews and an A+ BBB rating, Sherpa has proved itself to be an excellent choice for car shipping services.

Pros & Cons of Sherpa Auto Transport

Customer Reviews of Sherpa Auto Transport

"Great service. Car arrived on schedule in great condition. Stress free for us. Thanks Sherpa!"

- Darlene, Yelp, 5 Stars, March 2024

"Terrible experience. Full week window. No driver found. So stressful. Had to cancel and drive cross country due to time constraints. Would never use Sherpa again."

- Diane, Yelp, 1 star, April 2022

Read more customer reviews of Sherpa Auto Transport here.

Example Sherpa Pricing

The following is example pricing to ship a 2015 Toyota RAV-4 in an open trailer. Note that your own quote may vary:

For more in-depth information, read our full Sherpa Auto Transport review »

Nexus Auto Transport

Nexus Auto Transport was established in 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. This large national car shipping company has reasonable prices and offers door-to-door shipping options. Nexus Auto Transport has a very simple online quotes process and as of this year, they no longer require a reservation fee to get the process started.

The company also offers a few types of shipping options, so that they can offer the best pricing depending on your budget. Premium closed-container, reliable budget open-container, and the fastest expedited options are all on offer, and the consumer can choose which option is best for their budget.

Why is Nexus Auto Transport a Golden Wrench winner?

• With a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, very reasonable prices and an A+ BBB rating, Nexus has proved itself to be an great option for car shipping services.

Pros & Cons of Nexus Auto Transport

Customer Reviews of Nexus Auto Transport

"Excellent Service! The car was picked up as scheduled and delivered to a location just near our home. Would definitely recommend!"

- Valerie, Yelp, 5 Stars, March 2024

"Horrible service, not professional, would not recommend this carrier to anyone. Just crap!"

- Jeff, Yelp, 1 star, April 2024

Read more customer reviews of Nexus Auto Transport here.

Example Nexus Auto Transport Pricing

The following is example pricing to ship a 2015 Subaru Outback in an open trailer. Note that your own quote may vary:

For more in-depth information, read our full Nexus Auto Transport review »

Easy Auto Ship

Easy Auto Ship is a newer company compared to some of the players in auto transport. However, they have singled themselves out as a serious contender in a short amount of time. Easy Auto Ship has excellent reviews, varied options for shipping, from open transport to enclosed classic car shipping options.

Easy Auto Ship offers many options for auto transport of all sorts of vehicles, including RVs, boats and classic cars. Shipping to international destinations is also an option.

Why is Easy Auto Ship a Golden Wrench winner?

• The company received 4.5 out of 5 stars, maintains excellent ratings and reviews and offers all types of shipping options for the consumer including expedited shipping options.

Pros & Cons of Easy Auto Ship

Customer Reviews of Easy Auto Ship

"I had a wonderful experience booking car shipping via Easy Auto Ship. Their rates were great, they were responsive, and they found me a high quality shipper who was communicative, took good care of my car, and dropped it off earlier than expected. I was nervous to ship my car cross-country, but read a blog that Easy Auto Ship was one of the best, and I am happy I made this choice."

- Angela, Yelp, 5 Stars, March 2023

"They didn't ship my car for 2 weeks, had to cancel. Avoid. I switched to a new company who got me a driver in 4hrs."

- Mariah, Yelp, 1 star, January 2023

Read more customer reviews of Easy Auto Ship here.

Example Easy Auto Ship Pricing

The following is example pricing to ship a 2020 Toyota Camry in an open trailer. Note that your own quote may vary:

For more in-depth information, read our full Easy Auto Ship review »

More Popular Shipping Companies

Ship a Car Direct

With all the car shipping options out there now, it can be tough to make a choice as to which option is best. Ship a Car Direct makes that decision even harder, as they have some of the lowest prices we have seen this season.

Ship a Car Direct offers an insurance and damage-free guarantee and maintains excellent customer service reviews. The company has been providing stellar shipping experiences since 2008, offering door-to-door auto transport and exceptional pricing.

Pros & Cons of Ship a Car Direct

For more in-depth information, read our full Ship a Car Direct review »

uShip

Like the rest of these companies, uShip will ship just about anything legal that you can put in a crate, as well as cars. However, uShip isn’t really the shipper; it’s a clearinghouse for shipping quotes. Think of this as a Kayak or Priceline for shipping quotes. There’s good and bad about that.

The good news is, the web interface works really well. In order to see prices, you have to log in with your name, email address, and phone number. Once you do that, you’ll see quotes from a number of different shippers, and you’ll also see an instant average of shipping quotes, so you know right away whether you’re getting a good deal or not. The quotes also include ratings from each of the shippers.

We put in a quote request for shipping a 2003 Jeep Wrangler -- something not terribly large -- from Holliston, Massachusetts to Austin, Texas. We received nine different quotes, ranging from a low of $1,061 to $1,804. All of the quotes are subject to an additional service fee -- ranging from $79.59 on the low end to $100 on the high end -- and an additional nominal $67.25 fee for cargo insurance.

The bad news with a shipping price aggregator like uShip is the same as for a Kayak or a Priceline: If things go wrong, you’ll have to deal directly with the shipper, rather than the site where you made your reservation. It’s not the end of the world, mind you, but it’s something to be well aware of.

Pros & Cons of uShip

For more in-depth information, read our full uShip review »

SGT Auto Transport

SGT Auto Transport is one of the most popular choices in the industry for auto transport services. This company is a vehicle shipping and transport company with a long track record of dependable service and maintains positive ratings and reviews.

Whether you are a migrating snowbird heading south for the winter, a military service member relocating to a new position, or perhaps looking to buy a car out of state online to get the best deal, SGT Auto Transport can help.

Pros and Cons of SGT Auto Transport

For more in-depth information, read our full SGT Auto Transport review »

eShip

eShip moves thousands of vehicles every year and offers services seven days a week. The company will shop its carriers to help you find the best rates for the time period you need, and can ship everything from motorcycles to exotic cars and trucks. In a rare move, eShip doesn’t require a deposit before starting the process, but the company does not offer terminal-to-terminal shipping, which may be a non-starter for some shippers.

The company has one of the best insurance policies of any shipper, and you won’t have to pay extra for additional coverage. eShip will refund service fees if the job is canceled before a carrier has been assigned.

These are just five of the major shipping companies that offer vehicle transport. We chose them partially for their transparency, services offered, and customer feedback. Even so, there may be a local shipper with much better rates or service offerings that you can use, so it’s important to do your own research to find out what’s available to you. You should be comparing at least three companies’ pricing before making a decision.

Pros & Cons of eShip

For more in-depth information, read our full eShip review »

RoadRunner Auto Transport

RoadRunner Auto Transport is an auto transport company with nationwide shipping options available. The company offers online vehicle tracking, which is a helpful feature for any potential car shipping customer. RoadRunner also has an online shipping calculator so consumers can get an instant quote, or you can call the company directly and have a customer service representative take care of your shipping needs.

RoadRunner is known for being an affordable option to ship all sorts of large vehicles, including boats and RVs. They offer both closed and open container shipping. The company uses a network of over 14,000 nationwide carriers to offer multiple routes and flexible dates.

Pros & Cons of RoadRunner Auto Transport

For more in-depth information, read our full RoadRunner Auto Transport review »

Our Methodology

Several of these companies are aggregators that work across multiple car transporters and will help you price shop across them. The aggregators are responsible for vetting the individual carriers and often will show you the consumer ratings and individual price quotes so you understand exactly who will be moving your vehicle. They also tend to offer standardized insurance packages that work across their carrier network.

We selected these 10 companies based on over 30 data points and an extensive secret shopper initiative to ensure unbiased and clear results. Our main focus is obtaining the most useful information for our readership based on the central ideas below.

• Reputation - Companies that maintain a strong rating score and industry reputation on trusted review platforms.
• Cost - There are many individual factors that can impact the cost of car shipping including location, timing and worth of the car. We took all these into account when examining the cost structure of each company.
• Consumer Reviews - Individual reviews from current and past customers who have used the business and have personal experience to draw from.
• Longevity - How many years a company has been in business, growing their company, gaining reviews and establishing trust within the industry.
• Services Offered - These services can range from international shipping, enclosed options, open container options and more.

Our Research

• Hours - Car Talk research team spent over 100 hours researching the top car shipping companies in the industry.
• Data Points - Our methodology is based on multiple strong data points involving ratings, reviews, reputation, business practices and policies.
• Metrics - Car Talk uses over 50 metrics in the comparison and evaluation of each shipping company.
• Secret Shopper Initiative - Our unique secret shopper initiative ensures solid, trustworthy results.

How to Ship a Car

Once you’ve decided that shipping is the way to go, you’ll need to determine the best way to actually transport your vehicle and find companies that offer that type of shipping. A few of the most popular vehicle shipping methods include:

• Open Car Transport: Truck transport is the most common way for individuals to ship a vehicle. Open-air transport, where the trailer or truck bed is uncovered, is one of the most cost-effective ways to move a vehicle by truck but comes with risks of damage as the vehicle is completely exposed to the elements.

• Enclosed Car Transport: Vehicles that require a bit more care or discretion in shipping may need a closed truck transport. As the name suggests, the trailer or truck bed is enclosed, which both protects the vehicle from damage and keeps it out of sight.

• Air/Rail/Ship: International moves or those off of the mainland will require a move by air or sea, but long-range continental transport can be achieved relatively easily with rail freight. You’ll have to deal with an inflexible schedule and do a lot of the legwork yourself, but the payoff might be worth it for longer routes.

See our full guide on how to ship a car.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car?

Prices in the vehicle shipping world can vary wildly, depending on the shipper, the vehicle, the shipping distance, and even the weather. You can set yourself up to get the best price by shopping around to at least three different shipping agencies, trying to ship between major cities if possible, shipping during off-season times (winter), and choosing a cost-effective shipping method like open truck transport.

Read our extensive guide on how much it costs to ship a car here.

How to Choose the Right Car Shipper

The “best” shipping company will be different for everyone. We listed just three of the dozens of companies, giving them a nod for high customer ratings, good insurance coverage, and for offering a wide variety of shipping methods. Of those three, there may be only one that offers the pricing and scheduling that you need, but the framework to look for other companies is in place:

• Shop the shipper, not the price: Determine who you feel most comfortable with moving your vehicle. No discount in the world will make you feel better if your vehicle arrives damaged or two months later than expected.

• Check the coverage: Does your shipper have a clearly defined insurance policy? Are they able to guarantee that your vehicle will reach its destination in the condition you left it? These are not just selling points or good marketing. They can make the difference between a successful move and a nightmare.

• Get multiple price quotes: As with anything in life, getting a second (or third) opinion is a good plan. Sometimes, shippers will have vastly different pricing for the same route or for additional services like insurance, so be sure you’re getting the pricing you need.

• Don’t hurry: It’s impossible to prepare for all of life’s emergencies, but you should give yourself as much time as possible to avoid unnecessary charges and to allow enough time to shop around. If you need to ship your car now - like today - you may have fewer options and need to pay a premium. Plan ahead and book ahead, if you can.

How to Get a Car Shipping Discount

There are many ways to look for discounts and price breaks when shipping a vehicle. Having prior or current military service on your resume may allow you to take advantage of many companies’ military discounts. Similarly, students, teachers, and school administrators are sometimes able to enjoy those discounts.

For everybody else, shipping a car can still be relatively affordable for a little bit of legwork ahead of time. Do your homework to find a shipper that offers the type of transport you need and that offers services in your area. Getting competing rates will help you trim down your list as well. Once you’ve chosen a shipper, selecting a shipping method is next. As we discussed, open-truck transport is the most cost-effective, but you may find better luck with rail transport.

It’s also important to not be in a hurry when you’re shopping around. It’s impossible to avoid every emergency, but needing a rush job won’t be cheap. If you’re able to ship your vehicle in the off-season, such as during winter, you may be able to secure a much better rate than choosing a high-traffic time of year. Lastly, shipping between major cities or terminals can net you the best pricing, as many shippers operate routes between large metro areas.

What To Look For in a Car Shipping Company

The most important thing to consider when shipping a car is trust. Do you trust the company? Have the company representatives given you the information you need and have they inspired confidence when describing the shipping process? Further, make sure that you understand the services that you are paying for, and be sure to confirm insurance, costs, and shipping times. And check the reviews online. Personal experience goes a long way to build trust in any consumer.

Car Talk Community's Car Shipping Experience

Car Talk's very active online Community has many interesting and thoughtful perspectives on shipping a car, based on real life user experience and knowledge.

Any tips do you have from your experience?

"Take lots of photos and make sure you’re insured. They ended up causing some damage and I had to file claims. Pictures were critical. And they tried to lowball the compensation of course."

What type of shipping did you choose?

"Enclosed. No way I wanted my cars exposed to elements, debris, nefarious people seeing them and wanting to steal them or something from them…"

-TwinTurbo

Read what our Community has to say about their experiences in car shipping here.