Thinking of buying a car located in San Diego CA and would need to be shipped to south central PA. Open carrier would be fine. Very flexible on timing. Any guess as to what the cost might be?

2k

I think Jim is very close. Possibly a little less but without flexibility maybe not unless it's far off. Have you ever used uship.com? You can get quotes from several shippers without obligation.

Back in 06 I shipped a car from PA to CA and it cost $900. What I leaned was if you want a car shipped immediately, or on a specific date it costs a lot more. I think back then it was 2k. If you are very flexible it is a lot cheaper. I think when I had my car shipped it was a 2 month window.

Road trip! Fly in and drive it home? Its always an adventure, sometimes just a little more adventure then other times. Gene

Thanks for the replies. I put it out for bids on uShip per Larry's suggestion, we'll see what happens.

Gene, if I wasn't so busy with work right now, I'd seriously consider a fly out and drive home!

I just shipped a car from Texas to Michigan. $1,300. I thought it was quite reasonable. A few months ago I tried and it was 2k.
KID

I’ve priced a few cross country runs and it’s been 2k-2500. Enclosed. Saying a few weeks out. Found one today saying ten days and was cheaper than others.

In 2004 it cost me $2000 by enclosed trailer, to ship my racecar from California to Pa.

UShip is another auto transport broker board.

I still have an account but I haven’t made an offer
to transport a vehicle there in many years.

Few vehicles are worth transporting across the country
in a manner so they arrive in the condition they left in.

Out of necessity - auto transport is usually indirect - involving
multiple transfers and outside storage between trailers
in yards with other vehicles - the goal is to keep trailers
full headed in the general direction a vehicle needs to go.

If you buy a vehicle that runs & drives - put the money
into it instead of paying someone to haul it - then drive
it home if possible - if that won’t work then go after it
yourself with a truck & trailer - hiring someone to do
the transport should be a last resort …. ✅

I will be available next to transport from Anacortes, Washington
in about a week - unless I get eaten by Spiders first … 🕷


Jim

Let the offers come in for a few days. The big guys monitor it and will flood you with bids. The smaller guys are on the road driving. Takes awhile for them to see it.IIve had good luck with U ship from cars to lawn equipment to dirt bikes.

I shipped a Dodge Stratus in 2018 from Washington State to North Carolina, it cost me $800.00. Of course I paid the first company and they kept saying they couldn't get a driver by to get it. After 1-1/2 months I found a different company and got my money back from the 1st. The second company had it delivered in about 10 days.

It cost me $1200 to get my RR from PA to Houston TX last October in an enclosed. My shipper friend tells me that prices are up though do to the current events.

People suggest driving cars home instead of shipping. To me it has never been worth trying to take the time off work, the risk of the car breaking down, the wear and tear on the car, the logistics, and by time I spend on gas, food and airfare the savings is minimal. My time is worth something too. It sounds easy until you are the one doing it.

Yeah this here. The journey always sounds like a great time. But you better know how to wrench. You better have enough money put back to fuel the car as if it got 10 mpg. Whats air fare 1 way? What will you stock the trunk with for emergency breakdown needs? Where will you eat along the way? Is it just gonna be you or do you have a tag along? What places are you ok with spending the night in- how much will that be along the way? No disrespect to all the ladies, but back to tag alongs- many women will need to stop multiple times for restroom, pictures, trinkets, let's not forget the "its only an hour out of our way" stops that wind up costing you(I begrudgingly say its usually worth it too, but don't tell).

The wear and tear on the car itself statement lacks any ground to me. Its a car, you drive them. If you have the means to pay for everything, and are up to the challenges, the car should be driven.

I counted. I've shipped 10 cars. I would not have felt comfortable driving them on a long road trip without at least changing the oil, flushing coolant, and possibly trans fluid and filter change along with diffy oil change. Several there would be no way I would because they had been sitting a very long period. I'm almost always shipping old cars in need of work and I think that's the case with all of us. That would be another thing I have to throw into the mix. Find a shop to do this AND one I can trust. I certainly can't do it myself on the road. And how about cars with 4.10 gear set?

Folks can fly out or drive out and pick up a vehicle
that is roadworthy to make the trip if they have
the inclination - time - skill set to do it.


Jim

If you don't know how to wrench, maybe an old car isn't for you?



What about them? Drove from Memphis to San Diego with 4.10 gears. Not really a problem, imo.

Roundabout a buck per mile enclosed.
Some great private guys out there, and a lot of the Russian/whatever guys that couldn't care less about your car; been there.
Driveable car, highway gears, in good condition, done that and it was fun - because nothing broke and I had company.
Last car I bought, a buddy & I towed an enclosed trailer 1200 miles east, picked up the car, & got home in 5 days, staying in motels and eating well.
Cost me less than hiring it out, and we had control over pretty much everything but the weather.
I also wanted to see the car & do the transaction in person.

The Cheap vs Good rule applies to transport, but if the car's a project, cheap may be better.
At least CA-PA is a common & main route, I wouldn't expect much of a delay.