We recently completed the shipment of the 2025 Mazda CX-5, which traveled from Malibu, California to Surfside, Florida. The trip was 2,776 miles on an open trailer and the cost of $1,998.00 translates into $0.72/mile.
The vehicle was operational during pickup. This is an across-the-country shipping operation and it covers all aspects of the procedure, therefore a good one to discuss from start to finish. Customers want to know what happens once they place an order and the truth of the matter is that the process is much more defined than they may think.
The Route
The route of 2,776 miles goes from Malibu to Surfside starting in the Pacific Ocean side of the nation and ending in the Atlantic Ocean side of the nation.
The city of Malibu is found on the Pacific Coast Highway, northwest of Santa Monica. Motorists drive east on I-10, climbing up from the Los Angeles basin through Palm Springs, across the Colorado River at Blythe.
Most of the drive will be done using I-10. It traverses Phoenix, Tucson, and Las Cruces, enters Texas at El Paso and travels through Fort Stockton, San Antonio and Houston into Louisiana, and then down along the Gulf coast via Baton Rouge and Mobile.
The interstate heads through the Florida panhandle to Tallahassee and on to Jacksonville, after which the motorist turns to the south using I-95 through Daytona Beach, Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, and then to Surfside in the barrier island north of Miami Beach.
What actually happens after you book
There is an established sequence of auto transport process. Being aware of it means getting rid of most worries because silence in this case means that everything is fine.
The first step is quoting. We assign a price depending on route and vehicle and trailer types. There is no need to pay yet and no service has been arranged.
Next step is booking. You approve the order, share pickup window and addresses and contact information. At this step we check any specifics, like modifications, personal belongings, access problems at either end.
Carrier assignment is the next step. We offer this load to our carriers and assign a carrier that runs your lane. It is the most invisible step and the step where all the work is actually done. We make sure that carrier is certified and insured and has good safety records.
Next comes dispatching. Carrier accepts the load and the schedule is confirmed. A deposit is a regular thing at this stage because a real service is already arranged.
Next step is the pickup call. Driver contacts you directly to coordinate pickup time, it usually happens the day before or on the morning of delivery date. In case of a full-size carrier being unable to reach your address, the location of pick-up is coordinated at this stage.
Loading and Bill of Lading come after that. Driver performs an inspection of the vehicle with you, registers the condition and signs with you. This document will be your baseline for the entire transportation process.
Next comes transit, it takes one week to ten days on this run. The truck makes several stops to load and unload the other vehicles and takes mandated rest breaks, it may park for overnight too. Long pauses in this process are quite normal.
Next comes the delivery call. Driver contacts you once more to coordinate delivery, it usually happens with one-day notice and again on the morning of delivery day.
Delivery and final inspection of the vehicle come after that. Inspect the vehicle together with the driver according to the Bill of Lading before signing. Usually balance is paid at this stage, often to the driver directly.
The step customers usually worry about most is the period between booking and dispatching.
What $0.72 per mile reflects
Three key factors worked in favor of the customer.
The first was distance. It costs the carrier just about the same to pickup and load the cargo, as well as secure the loads and coordinate them, regardless of the distance traveled, and these costs do not depend on the distance at all. Once distributed across 2,776 miles, the per-mile cost becomes minimal.
The second factor is open transport. Open-top trailers can haul more vehicles at once and make more trips than enclosed trailers, and when traveling the long distance like that, the difference grows dramatically.
Third, it is the corridor itself. The I-10 through the southern tier and I-95 along the peninsula of Florida are among the most traveled freight corridors in the country, and from Southern California to South Florida is a regular route.
Open transport
The CX-5 was shipped via open trailer, which is how the vast majority of vehicles in this country are shipped.
The CX-5 is a production compact SUV with factory clear coat. Enclosed shipping is intended for those vehicles where a rock chip constitutes a significant monetary concern; in 2,776 miles, the premium for enclosed shipping would be significant for this vehicle, which doesn’t require the service.
Loading was easy, since the vehicle started, and the CX-5 is high enough off the ground that the ramp angle was never a problem. Security was achieved with soft straps around the tires, not chains on the suspension, our normal method for securing any vehicle.
Transport summary
- Origin: Malibu, CA 90265
- Destination: Surfside, FL 33154
- Distance: 2,776 miles
- Service cost: $1,998.00
- Cost per mile: $0.72
- Vehicle: 2025 Mazda CX-5
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Open
- Route: Malibu, CA → I-10 east through Palm Springs, Blythe, Phoenix and Tucson → Las Cruces, NM → El Paso and San Antonio, TX → Houston → Baton Rouge, LA → Mobile, AL → Tallahassee and Jacksonville, FL → I-95 south through Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale → Surfside, FL
