Shipping an antique automobile is not like shipping your average sedan. The car will be old and difficult to replace because its value exceeds the estimated price. There was an urgent need to ship one such car from a commercial place in Bakersfield, California, to another business in Evansville, Indiana. This involved driving for 2,018 miles at a price of $2,350. The planning process began even before choosing a company to do the job. Here is all about that and more regarding shipping an antique car.
What Information You Need Before Requesting an Enclosed Carrier Quote

However, obtaining an enclosed carrier quote is not as straightforward as inputting the zip code to get a price. Shippers must provide certain information about the vehicle to give carriers accurate quotes; otherwise, they risk getting quotes that may turn out to be different during pick up. Any carrier will request the year of the vehicle, along with its make and model. This information is essential in pricing the transportation of the 1967 Mustang because it determines such parameters as its ground clearance, dimensions, and weight.
The nature of the pick up and delivery address will also determine the price of moving the vehicle from one location to another. The two locations in this situation happen to be business places. These kinds of locations provide enough space for a trucker to move without using a shuttle truck, thus saving time and money. In most cases, residential picks cost more due to limited maneuvering space. Finally, the carrier will ask whether the car is operable or not. If it does not work, it will be expensive to load.
Lastly, it should be decided on which transport type would be used before giving a quote. Enclosed transportation is more expensive compared to open transport services. In this case, for an old 57-year-old car, enclosed transport should be used due to safety reasons.
Shipping a Car from California to Indiana

The Bakersfield to Evansville shipment was for 2,018 miles, passing mainly through the South and Midwest states. Shipping companies on this shipping route would have to go through busy shipping routes from California to Texas and then up to Indiana via either Missouri or Tennessee. This is a busy shipping route, thus making it easy to get an available enclosed carrier without waiting.
Shipment duration will take five to nine days. There are several reasons that could delay delivery time. The first is weather conditions and the second fuel stops. Hours of Service legislation applies in this case since it limits the number of hours a driver can drive in a period. Another factor that could delay delivery time is scheduling for pickups and deliveries. In this particular case, the two locations where there would be pickups and deliveries were businesses with normal operating hours. Coordination of these two factors was important as the driver may have had to come back the following day.
The price of $2,350 considers the distance traveled, the enclosed trailer, and the logistics for the business-to-business shipment. Per mile, this is equivalent to about $1.16. This is comparable with the prices for enclosed transport over long domestic distances.
Classic Car VS. Standard Car: Price Difference
There is a clear difference in the costs of transporting a vintage car compared to a regular, everyday one based on several elements. The first factor is the use of an enclosed trailer. An open trailer may fit up to nine cars but shares the expense among many, whereas an enclosed trailer carries a smaller number of cars and is more costly than the former.
Regular cars are usually transported on open trailers because there is no harm caused by the environment. This does not apply to vintage cars like the 1967 Mustang, which require extra protection since one paint scratch or a small dent can be costly. Moreover, finding parts for this type of car may require additional time and effort, which may not be desirable for its owners.
Apart from the trailer type, some vintage cars may require additional consideration while loading the trailer. Apart from fuel system issues or low ground clearance, classic cars may have flexible brake lines. Any driver familiar with vintage cars will be able to consider these factors.
For the 1967 Mustang, for instance, the additional costs of closed shipping versus open shipping on a 2,000 mile trip should be in the range of $400-$700. When one considers how expensive even small-scale repair work can be on collector cars, this difference does not look like much.
The key to arranging Bakersfield-Evansville delivery was proper coordination both in Bakersfield and in Evansville. The importance of accurate quotation data cannot be underestimated here, especially when combined with the right choice of carrier.
Transport Summary
- Origin: Bakersfield, CA 93311
- Destination: Evansville, IN 47710
- Vehicle: 1967 Ford Mustang (Classic Car)
- Distance: 2,018 miles
- Primary routes: US-58 E → I-40 E → I-44 E → I-57 N → I-64 E
- Trailer type: Enclosed trailer
- Pickup location: Business
- Delivery location: Business
- Price: $2,350 (~$1.16 per mile)





