Shipping a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL

We recently completed shipping of a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek from San Diego, CA to Jacksonville, FL. We traveled a distance of 2,347 miles using an open trailer for $2,050.00 which translates to $0.87 per mile.

The vehicle could be started and operated during pick up. In light of a journey like this involving a fully functional vehicle, the question that comes up is the question we get asked. Why not just drive it?

The route

The 2,347 miles-long drive from San Diego to Jacksonville cuts across the southern part of the United States mostly on one interstate.

The journey starts in downtown San Diego and continues eastwards along Interstate 8, passing through In-Ko-Pah Gorge and descending into the Imperial Valley towards El Centro and Yuma. I-8 joins I-10 close to Casa Grande, Arizona.

I-10 then takes care of the rest of the drive. This road passes through Tucson and bypasses Las Cruces before moving into Texas through El Paso to Fort Stockton and San Antonio and Houston.

The interstate then enters Louisiana through Baton Rouge and along the Gulf Coast, bypassing Mobile. The interstate enters Florida through Tallahassee. Jacksonville is at the eastern end of I-10 where it meets I-95.

Ship it or drive it

And here’s the truth, including the part that doesn’t look good for us.

Driving in cash terms is less expensive. In this case, a Crosstrek with 28 miles per gallon will need about 84 gallons of gasoline. In monetary terms, that makes it something between $290 and $360 in fuel. Throw in three nights at hotels and four days at restaurants, and people generally end up spending close to $900, which is under $2,050.

There are additional costs involved beyond just the cash cost, however. Driving involves 2,347 extra miles driven. On a car that you expect to keep or sell, these miles have value, and even at a modest valuation of 20 cents per mile in terms of wear and depreciation, that adds another $470 to the cost.

Then there’s the time you’ve spent. Four days driving one way, and back again if you don’t plan to stay. If you can work remotely from a hotel, it is acceptable. Otherwise, four days of vacation days are not inexpensive.

And the risk. Two thousand miles of interstate driving has a non-zero risk of a stone chip, a mechanical breakdown, or even worse. In shipping, the risk is transferred to the commercial carrier and cargo insurance.

Driving shines when the distance is shorter, an inexpensive car that does not matter, the trip is something you would have done in any case, or the schedule does not matter.

Shipping shines when the distance is longer, like this distance, cars where mileage is important, a tight schedule, everyone who flies to the destination, and everyone who has multiple vehicles to move.

Honest evaluation. With 2,347 miles you trade $1,100 for four days, 2,347 miles of wear, and the risk. The value of this tradeoff entirely depends on how much those four days cost to you.

What $0.87 per mile reflects

Two things lie behind this number.

Distance is one of them. Loading, pickup, securement and coordination, and delivery all cost the carrier roughly the same on any given task, and they do not change as a function of the distance. Spread across 2,347 miles, the cost per mile is quite low.

The open trailer is another thing. The open trailers haul more cars on each run and are much more common than the enclosed ones.

This is a good corridor. The I-10 across the south rim of the US is one of the busiest freight corridors in the nation, and both San Diego and Jacksonville are actual markets, military and commercial traffic on each end of the route.

Open transport

The Crosstrek traveled using an open trailer, as is typical of the vast majority of cars transported in the U.S.

This is a production crossover with a factory clear coat, and the purpose of an enclosure is only relevant to those cars where a rock chip has real monetary value. At more than 2,347 miles, even the extra cost of the enclosure would make this much too expensive for the ship-or-drive debate to remain close.

Ground clearance is not an issue here. The Crosstrek has more ground clearance than most cars at its size, thus the ramp angle was not important. Straps were used over the tires instead of chains around the suspension.

Transport summary

• Origin: San Diego, CA 92101
• Destination: Jacksonville, FL 32216
• Distance: 2,347 miles
• Service cost: $2,050.00
• Cost per mile: $0.87
• Vehicle: 2018 Subaru Crosstrek
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: San Diego, CA → I-8 east through El Centro and Yuma → I-10 east at Casa Grande, AZ → Tucson → Las Cruces, NM → El Paso, Fort Stockton, San Antonio and Houston, TX → Baton Rouge, LA → Mobile, AL → Tallahassee, FL → Jacksonville, FL

Shipping a 2026 Nissan Rogue from Middlebury, CT to Las Vegas, NV

Recently, we have completed a delivery of 2026 Nissan Rogue from Middlebury, CT to Las Vegas, NV. The delivery took 2,607 miles of open trailer transportation and amounted to $1,900.00. Thus, the price for a mile is $0.73.

The vehicle could be driven at the time of pickup. In case of cross-country deliveries, the car gets there before the customer is settled at his new place and here is the question to be answered directly. What if you are not yet ready to take possession of your vehicle?

The route

This 2,607 miles drive from Middlebury to Las Vegas takes one right across the country from western Connecticut to the Mojave.

Middlebury is located west of Waterbury. On the road, one takes the I-84 west from Danbury, and via the Hudson Valley all the way to Pennsylvania and arrives in Scranton.

From there, one proceeds south on the I-81 to Harrisburg, then west along the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Pittsburgh. From there, the I-70 leads all the way through Columbus and Indianapolis and St. Louis and Kansas City to Denver.

The I-70 takes one across the Colorado Rockies through the Eisenhower Tunnel and Grand Junction to Utah. Just before Cove Fort, the load moves southwards along the I-15 and arrives at Cedar City, St. George and finally into Nevada. The 89178 region is found in the southwestern part of the Las Vegas valley.

If you are not ready to receive it

It comes up far more frequently than you would expect, and this is when a minor issue turns into an expensive one in a heartbeat.

The driver cannot wait. Neither for days, nor even for one full day. There are other vehicles in the truck and other customers waiting for them, as well as Hours of Service regulations limiting how long the driver can drive in a day. An uncompleted delivery on the designated day is a real problem for the entire shipment, not just for you.

Designate an alternate recipient when you book your order. By far the most inexpensive solution. Anybody old enough to sign can accept the vehicle and sign off the condition report. It can be a neighbor, a relative, a coworker. Provide us with a name and phone number at booking time, rather than scrambling at the last minute.

There is storage and it is not cheap. If there is no one able to accept the vehicle, it may be stored in a depot close to the delivery point, but that needs to be planned in advance, not improvised, and it is priced per day.

Let us know early. A change of date before the vehicle is dispatched should not incur any charges at all. Once the vehicle is on a truck traveling west, things become more difficult and every alternative will cost you something.

Undelivered vehicles could result in redelivery. If the carrier arrives but cannot deliver the vehicle for some reason, the truck might proceed to its next destination and return again later. The redelivery fee is a legitimate charge, and it is yours to pay.

The problem with delays cuts both ways. There are times when the vehicle is late but you have arrived, and there are times when you are late but the vehicle has arrived. Neither is uncommon in a move that is 2,607 miles long.

What $0.73 per mile reflects

There were three major advantages in favor of the customer.

First, distance. The pickup, loading, securement, and coordination of a load are relatively similar operations regardless of the distance and do not depend on the road. When divided by 2,607 miles, the proportion assigned to every mile drops significantly. When divided by 425 miles, the costs are higher.

Secondly, open transportation. Open trailers can fit more cars at once and are much more common than enclosed trailers.
Finally, corridors. Both I-70 through the center of the country and I-15 through Las Vegas are main corridors for transportation of goods. Additionally, the Northeast and Las Vegas are real markets.

Open transport

The Rogue was transported via an open trailer, which is the way almost all cars in this country travel.

It is a current production small SUV with factory clear coat. Enclosed is available for those cases where a rock chip is an actual expense, and traveling over 2,607 miles enclosed would have cost quite a bit for something this car didn’t need. We told you that rather than trying to sell you something.

Ground clearance was not an issue. The Rogue rides high enough for ramp angle not to be an issue at either end. Soft ties down were used around the tires rather than chain tie downs.

Transport summary

• Origin: Middlebury, CT 06762
• Destination: Las Vegas, NV 89178
• Distance: 2,607 miles
• Service cost: $1,900.00
• Cost per mile: $0.73
• Vehicle: 2026 Nissan Rogue
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Middlebury, CT → I-84 west through Danbury → Scranton, PA → I-81 south to Harrisburg → Pennsylvania Turnpike west through Pittsburgh → I-70 west through Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City → Denver, CO → over the Rockies through Grand Junction → I-15 south at Cove Fort, UT → Cedar City and St. George → Las Vegas, NV

Shipping an Inoperable 2026 Ram 2500 from Fredericksburg, VA to Indian Orchard, MA

Our recent transport of a 2026 Ram 2500 inoperable truck from Fredericksburg, Virginia, to Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, was completed recently and it was for 425 miles on open trailer at the rate of $1,489.00 or $3.50 per mile.

This is the highest per-mile rate that we have ever posted, surpassing the $3.34 that we had for service truck previously. This is due to the fact that the vehicle is both a heavy-duty truck and inoperable, and the distance is also relatively short.

The route

The distance from Fredericksburg to Indian Orchard is about 425 miles long and is the northeast corridor end to end.

Fredericksburg lies along I-95 between Richmond and Washington. One travels north from Fredericksburg through the DC metro area and then goes through Baltimore. The driver continues through Delaware, passing Philadelphia on his way.

The path moves to New Jersey Turnpike and skirts around the New York metro area and picks up I-95 through Connecticut and beyond New Haven.

Then one takes the load north on I-91 to Hartford and then continues to Springfield, Massachusetts. Indian Orchard is a suburb east of Springfield.

Short as this route is, this route has some of the heaviest traffic in the country.

The hardest combination to book

Inoperable vehicles were discussed individually in another blog post as was heavy trucks. The combination of them together creates the smallest possible carrier pool in this industry and is something that should be understood.

Not all carriers have a winch. This is the first of filters and removes the bulk of the carrier pool immediately. The problem with an inoperable vehicle is that it needs to be towed into position and a truck that does not have a winch cannot do it.

Not all winches are rated for this sort of work. This is the filter that many do not understand. The winch that has no trouble towing a 4,000 pound sedan is not necessarily rated to tow a 3/4 ton crew cab pickup that can go above 7,000 pounds. The capacity is a specification and not a suggestion.

It still has to roll and steer and brake. As was stated when covering the Range Rover, “inoperable” refers to the engine. In terms of towing, what is important is the ability to roll, steer, and brake.

The weight takes two bites out of the deck. It not only eats up weight capacity for a load on top of the federal weight limits per axle but also, when you factor in the winch time and the special handling involved with a dead weight trailer, makes it both less profitable and slower.

Say everything about that in your quote. The weight itself and the cab layout, whether it is rolling, steering, or braking. A quote based on an “inoperable Ram 2500” and a trailer that doesn’t roll is a bad quote.

Why $3.50 per mile

There are three factors at work here, and the short distance increases their effect even more.

Distance acts as the multiplier. With the total distance being 425 miles, this becomes a short trip. The costs associated with picking up, winch-loading, securement, coordination and delivering will be about the same either way, be it 425 miles or 2,600 miles. In this case, there is no long distance where those costs will be distributed. The total $1,489.00 is the important figure for the customer.

Inoperable loading is the second factor. Time of winching, accurate positioning and specialized equipment all fall into that fixed cost and increase its value, as compared to the vehicle which can drive by itself.

Weight is the third factor. With 2500 crew cab included, there is less space for other items to be loaded under the axle cap, therefore the rate needs to take this into account.

The corridor is not the issue here. There are plenty of trucks traveling on I-95 through the northeast. What is in short supply is the appropriate equipment.

Open transport

Ram was transported using an open trailer, which is the only viable solution to transport cargo of this weight and size.

There are restrictions in terms of height and length for enclosed trailers, and those that can carry a load of this size and weight are expensive. The open trailer is the right choice for such a truck anyway.

For loading, winch was used instead of a ramp. As for the securement, soft straps over the tires were used, and it is particularly important since it is a dead-weight vehicle.

Transport summary

• Origin: Fredericksburg, VA 22408
• Destination: Indian Orchard, MA 01151
• Distance: 425 miles
• Service cost: $1,489.00
• Cost per mile: $3.50
• Vehicle: 2026 Ram 2500 crew cab
• Condition: Inoperable, winch loaded
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Fredericksburg, VA → I-95 north through Washington DC and Baltimore → Wilmington, DE → Philadelphia, PA → New Jersey Turnpike → New York metro → I-95 through New Haven, CT → I-91 north through Hartford → Springfield, MA → Indian Orchard, MA

Shipping a 2026 Lexus TX from Torrance, CA to Leander, TX

We recently completed the shipping of a 2026 Lexus TX from Torrance, California to Leander, Texas. This process involved the shipping of the car 1,348 miles by enclosed trailer, and incurred shipping fees totaling $2,265.00, or $1.68 per mile.

The vehicle was driveable upon pickup. This per-mile price range falls at the top of the scale for the distance shipped, and that is due to the combination which we have alluded to before but never fully explained. Enclosed shipping of a large vehicle.

The route

This 1,348 mile drive starts at Torrance, winds through the desert southwest, and finishes up at Leander.

Torrance is located in the South Bay of Los Angeles. Motorists transition to I-10 heading east, and after climbing out of the basin area, they will go by Palm Springs and across the Colorado River at Blythe.

The journey takes place for nearly its entire length on I-10. I-10 takes motorists through Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Las Cruces; and El Paso, Texas. The lengthy drive through Texas goes from there through Van Horn and Fort Stockton and Junction.

The route turns north from San Antonio via I-35 toward Austin and uses US-183 heading north. Leander is located in Williamson County to the north end of the metro, just like the road we used in our Honda CBX move.

Why enclosed costs more on a big vehicle

Every enclosed load is a premium. For a large unit, the premium is greater, and it multiplies rather than simply adding.

Enclosed trailers have dimensional limitations, and open decks do not. The open deck has a roof made out of air. The enclosed trailer has a roof and walls made of actual material, and a door opening with a limited height. That limitation is the key limitation, before deck length.

The three-row SUV strains against all of those limits. The Lexus TX measures just over 200 inches long and just about 70 inches tall. It fits very well in an open trailer slot. In an enclosed trailer, it eats up a significant chunk of the interior space in every dimension.

The pool of carriers reduces by two. There are fewer enclosed carriers to begin with. Of those, there are even fewer that can fit a three-row SUV. Less competition is less competition.

Capacity tends to go down to the ground as well. An enclosed trailer typically hauls between two and seven vehicles. Loading an SUV pushes that number more towards the lower end, so the rate needs to reflect those units that were sacrificed to make room for it.

So don’t just ask for enclosed space. Soft side or hard side, and what the height of the door opening is. In a large vehicle, those things will make or break your estimate.

It’s a completely valid decision, not an error. A person who wants their new vehicle to show up unscathed can have it that way, and we don’t dissuade them from it. We explain to them why it’s that high.

What $1.68 per mile reflects

There are three items, each contributing to the same end.

The enclosed premium is the foundation and applies to any booking that is enclosed.

The vehicle size multiplier is applied based on the rationale mentioned above. In case of a sedan making an enclosed trip on the same route, the value would be closer to the $1.34 we published for a 1,407 mile enclosed sedan route.

The only variable pulling against us is distance. The 1,348 miles mean there is quite some ground covered by the costs associated with pick-up, loading, securing and delivering.

The lane is positive. The I-10 route between Southern California and Texas is one of the most consistent freight lanes in the country.

Enclosed transport

The trailer walls were durable enough for the sandy environment and road splashes along the full course of the route, especially since on an entirely new unit with delivery miles, this is the very essence of the thing.

The loading process was easy since the proper equipment had been allocated. It is true that the TX was operable and it is high enough, which means that the inclination of the ramp was never going to be an issue. What was important was whether the trailer could accommodate this unit given its height and footprint.

Securing process was done via soft straps on the tires rather than chains over the suspension.

Transport summary

• Origin: Torrance, CA 90505
• Destination: Leander, TX 78641
• Distance: 1,348 miles
• Service cost: $2,265.00
• Cost per mile: $1.68
• Vehicle: 2026 Lexus TX
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Torrance, CA → I-10 east through Palm Springs, Blythe, Phoenix and Tucson → Las Cruces, NM → El Paso, Van Horn, Fort Stockton and Junction, TX → San Antonio → I-35 north to Austin → US-183 north → Leander, TX

Shipping a 2025 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory from Houston, TX to Ballston Spa, NY

We recently completed transporting the 2025 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory motorcycle from Houston, TX to Ballston Spa, NY. This transportation was done over a distance of 1,791 miles in an enclosed trailer for a price of $1,101.00, or $0.61 per mile.

This type of transport of a superbike from Texas to upstate New York is generally a purchase rather than a relocation of the motorcycle, and that is a common scenario we are called upon to help with. This is also the scenario where most things go wrong, since the client is not present when the trailer arrives.

The route

The 1,791-mile run from Houston to Ballston Spa climbs diagonally from the Gulf coast to the foothills of the Adirondacks.

The 77057 area sits west of downtown Houston near the Galleria. Drivers pick up I-45 north to Dallas, then head northeast on I-30 through Texarkana to Little Rock, Arkansas.

From there I-40 runs east through Memphis to Nashville, where the route turns north on I-65 to Louisville, Kentucky. I-71 carries it on through Cincinnati to Columbus, Ohio.

The eastern leg picks up I-70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, then turns north on I-81 through Scranton and east on I-88 toward Albany. Ballston Spa sits in Saratoga County, a few miles from Saratoga Springs.

Buying in another state and shipping it home

Remote deliveries make up a big part of our shipments and the nature of issues involved here is pretty predictable.

Be sure of the source of your shipment. While dealership would have regular working hours, staff experienced in releasing cars and parking space for a truck, a private seller is quite another thing. You can be sure he will have a nine-to-five job, a narrow driveway and little or no experience with carriers. Let us know whether it is a dealer or private individual you are dealing with when booking a truck.

All payments must be made prior to delivery. Carrier cannot play an escrow agent nor mediate any disputes here. You should have a car of your own and seller should have a knowledge of that before the release is arranged by a driver.

Documents will not be shipped along with the vehicle. Transfer of title and bill of sale take place between you and the seller in person. We ship the equipment itself, not the papers. A title put into a tail tidy will most likely never be found again.

Inspection is where the rubber meets the road. In a regular delivery, the owner inspects the truck with the driver. In a distant buy, no one who cares about the truck will be there for its delivery. But the driver will fill out the condition report, and the condition report tells you the state in which the truck was received and not whether the truck matches its description.

Ask for photographs from the seller first. Recent, showing all panels, before the truck is booked. If the truck you receive is not consistent with the photographs, that’s a discussion with the seller, and photographs make it a short one.

And you need to have an independent pre-buy inspection performed. Carriers don’t inspect for mechanical condition, nor do we. If you’re buying blind, the independent inspection prior to delivery is worth far more than any inspection that the shipping process can provide.

What $0.61 per mile reflects

There were two factors responsible for arriving at this figure.

First of course was motorcycle deck share ratio. This was explained in detail during our previous calculation where it became clear that a bike takes up only a percentage of space that a car takes up, and the number is based on this deck share percentage and not full space occupancy like a car’s.

Other factor was the distance covered. In case of 1,791 miles, there will be enough distance to cover the fixed costs involved in transportation from pickup to loading, to delivery of shipment.

These routes have been well established and are busy routes. Routes include Houston to Dallas route, I-40 corridor route and Ohio to Northeast route.

Enclosed transport on a new superbike

All motorcycles we transport are shipped enclosed, and it is the most straightforward case when it comes to a current-year superbike.

There’s no bodywork that could hide anything since in a bike case, the fairing serves as bodywork. The RSV4 Factory has carbon aerodynamic winglets that are a part of the bike’s fairing, as well as semi-active suspension and forged wheels. Those are very expensive components that are completely unprotected.

A new machine is also helpful for the condition report. There is no history involved so far that could be distinguished from transit damage, so everything documented upon delivery is clear. It works both ways: it makes claims clean if any arise and makes unnecessary ones evident.

The security procedure is carried out following the supersport approach. A bike with clip-on bars has nothing to secure by straps since there is no crossbar, only fork tubes or triple-clamp system is used, along with locking the front wheel in the chock.

Transport summary

• Origin: Houston, TX 77057
• Destination: Ballston Spa, NY 12020
• Distance: 1,791 miles
• Service cost: $1,101.00
• Cost per mile: $0.61
• Vehicle: 2025 Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Houston, TX → I-45 north to Dallas → I-30 northeast through Texarkana to Little Rock, AR → I-40 east through Memphis to Nashville, TN → I-65 north to Louisville, KY → I-71 to Cincinnati and Columbus, OH → I-70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike → I-81 north through Scranton → I-88 east to Albany, NY → Ballston Spa, NY

Shipping a 1950 Oldsmobile 88 from Doral, FL to Elk Grove, CA

Recently, we completed the transportation of a 1950 Oldsmobile 88 car from Doral, Florida to Elk Grove, California. The route spanned 3,027 miles and the cost came to $1,756.00, making for a price per mile of $0.58.

The Oldsmobile 88 was functional at pickup. This is the lowest per mile price ever published by us, and it is one that needs to be understood fully, as it demonstrates what the bottom line of this industry really entails.

The route

With 3,027 miles between Doral and Elk Grove, this is by far our longest route thus far, traveling across the United States diagonally.

Doral is located west of Miami. Travelers travel north on the Florida Turnpike through Wildwood to I-75 and Lake City before turning west on I-10.

I-10 carries travelers for the entire distance south. This includes traveling through Tallahassee and down the Gulf coast to Orange, Texas, which includes passing through Mobile, Alabama, New Orleans, and Houston, Texas, before continuing through San Antonio, Texas, and Fort Stockton, Texas, and El Paso, Texas, all the way into New Mexico, passing through Las Cruces, New Mexico.

From there, the route passes through Arizona’s Tucson and Phoenix before reaching California. Then, travelers follow I-5 north up the Central Valley through Bakersfield and Fresno and Stockton. Elk Grove is found south of Sacramento.

What 58 cents a mile takes

Our lowest published rate is down from $3.34 at the higher end of this range, which works out to about a six-fold spread in rate on the same service and it is not arbitrary. Four elements have to fall into place in order to get down to this end of the spread.

Max distance is by far the most important determinant here. There are certain costs associated with pickup and loading of any load, in addition to security and coordination and delivery. Spreading those over 3,027 miles results in the lowest cost per mile. The very same fixed costs spread over 494 miles yielded $1.72/mile.

Open transport. The open trailer can haul more cars per trip and operates significantly more often than the enclosed trailer.

One standard position in the trailer. The Oldsmobile was a full-size automobile in the year 1950 and a standard-sized one today. It’s not a one-ton service van that consumes space and deck weight capacity.

Two well-developed end-points on a primary corridor. Both South Florida and Sacramento are legitimate markets and I-10 is a major freight route in the U.S. This load didn’t go around anybody.

But it does not need any bargaining. It is not some figure which they have bargained for, but rather one that came out of the calculation when the four parameters matched each other. Just ask any broker about what would happen if no carriers bid on the quoted figure.

Open transport on a seventy-five-year-old car

Most of the classics we’ve covered have been done up enclosed, and for cars of this vintage that is always the suggestion. This guy elected to go open, which he’s entitled to and a reasonable choice for a southern route on an okay day.

It’s pretty simple. Enclosed is a better choice in terms of protecting the car from road debris and inclement weather for the duration of the run, but is definitely higher cost. Open is how most of the cars in this country travel. For cars like this, what tips the scales is chrome, because this particular 1950 Olds has a lot of it, mostly on the grille and bumpers, where the pitting won’t polish away.

That’s how we present it to the customer, and let them decide as opposed to making that decision for them.

Additionally, a 1950 car means seventy-five year old technology. Six volt electrical, and drum brakes without any assist, not to mention no tie-down points on the chassis. Soft straps were used over the tires as a means of tie-down, circumventing the entire tie-down problem. The car was started twice, once at pickup and once at delivery, and nothing else.

Transport summary

• Origin: Doral, FL 33166
• Destination: Elk Grove, CA 95758
• Distance: 3,027 miles
• Service cost: $1,756.00
• Cost per mile: $0.58
• Vehicle: 1950 Oldsmobile 88
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Doral, FL → Florida Turnpike north to Wildwood → I-75 to Lake City → I-10 west through Tallahassee, Mobile and New Orleans → Houston and San Antonio, TX → El Paso → Las Cruces, NM → Tucson and Phoenix, AZ → Los Angeles, CA → I-5 north through Bakersfield, Fresno and Stockton → Elk Grove, CA

Shipping a 2011 Mini Cooper from El Cerrito, CA to Nashville, TN

We recently completed the transportation of a Mini Cooper from El Cerrito, California to Nashville, Tennessee. The trip entailed 2,018 miles of travel via open trailer and the fee amounted to $1,794.00, averaging to $0.89 per mile.

This vehicle was functional when picked up. This is actually our smallest vehicle to date and this presents a common query that we have to answer. Why would the Mini, which measures only a little more than twelve feet in length, cost less than a full-sized sedan?

The route

This race that runs from El Cerrito to Nashville covers the Great Basin and Rockies and the plains as well.

El Cerrito is located in the eastern part of San Francisco Bay north of Berkeley. In the beginning of the journey one gets to Interstate 80 east and travels via Sacramento and through the Sierra Nevada by Donner Pass and goes through Nevada by Reno and Winnemucca and Elko to Salt Lake City.

Then the journey follows southward and eastward via I-70 and runs through the Rockies of Colorado by Grand Junction and Denver. Next it runs westward to Kansas to Kansas City and further to Missouri.

The last part of the journey is southeastward via I-24 through Paducah and Clarksville to Nashville.

Why a small car does not get a small price

It is fair for the customer to expect price to correlate with size. That is correct; however, not in equal proportion. The Mini stands out in the extreme right end of the scale where the correlation ends.

The slot for the vehicle is a slot regardless whether it carries a Mini or a Camry. The carrier considers the load as slots in vehicles and not in inches. It makes no difference whether the load in that slot is a Mini or a Camry – it still requires a complete pick-up and complete loading/unloading and inspection.

That is why the cost savings are limited. The size difference between a Mini and a mid-size sedan is around four feet – which is not enough to open an additional slot for another vehicle on the trailer that will provide the carrier another fare.

However, the additional cost for the extra large cars is substantial because the full-size vehicle takes additional deck space and weight on axle capacity that could be allocated to another vehicle.

However, motorcycles are the actual exception here. A motorcycle actually occupies a small portion of a car spot, which is why three motorcycles can fit into the space of one car and cost proportionally less. This is actually a completely different vehicle type rather than a smaller car.

This is all that can be said about it in brief. Using a smaller car than a sedan will save you very little money. Getting a bigger car will require you to pay much more.

What $0.89 per mile reflects

There are two items behind this rate, and neither is the car size.

First is distance. The fixed cost of pickup, loading, securing and coordinating and delivering gets divided up at 2,018 miles. When this same amount is divided by a shorter distance, the cost per mile is nearly doubled.

Next is open transport. Open-bed trucks move a greater number of vehicles than enclosed trucks, and this factor is already figured in every quote.

This job is a combination of positives and negatives. The West Side of the Salt Lake area to Nashville is a pretty heavily traveled corridor on the I-80, as is the I-70 going across the country. But Bay Area to Nashville is not the busiest lane of the highway in the US. And this prevents us from getting into the seventy cent territory on some of our coast-to-coast jobs.

Open transport

The Mini was loaded on an open trailer, because most of the cars that are transported through this country are done using an open trailer.

This is a factory-coated production hatchback, and an enclosed trailer is only available for cars that have to worry about rock chips. An enclosed trailer will have cost us $2,018 more miles that we don’t need.

Ground clearance was never an issue. While the Mini may ride lower to the ground than many other cars its size, it is still well within what an ordinary ramp can handle, meaning that no liftgate was necessary.

Transport summary

• Origin: El Cerrito, CA 94530
• Destination: Nashville, TN 37210
• Distance: 2,018 miles
• Service cost: $1,794.00
• Cost per mile: $0.89
• Vehicle: 2011 Mini Cooper
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: El Cerrito, CA → I-80 east through Sacramento and over Donner Pass → Reno and Elko, NV → Salt Lake City, UT → I-70 east through Grand Junction and Denver, CO → across Kansas to Kansas City → St. Louis, MO → I-24 southeast through Paducah, KY and Clarksville → Nashville, TN

Shipping a 1953 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup from Huntington Beach, CA to Columbia, TN

Not long ago, we completed the transportation of a 1953 Chevrolet 3100 pickup from Huntington Beach, CA, to Columbia, TN. The distance covered was 2,000 miles, the truck was shipped in a closed container, and the total cost of the shipment was $2,900.00 ($1.45 per mile).

However, the 3100 was operational upon pickup, and it is seventy-two years old. “1953 Chevrolet 3100” is one of the least informative descriptions our customers can put in their requests. This is why we ask for more information when transporting a vintage truck like that rather than a modern SUV.

The route

The 2,000-mile drive from Huntington Beach to Columbia goes through the desert Southwest and mid-South.

Huntington Beach is located near the coast of Orange County. The driver drives through inland to I-405 and I-15 north and passes through the Cajon Pass to reach Barstow.

From Barstow, the drive takes I-40 east until it reaches Columbia. It passes through the Mojave Desert and into Arizona via Kingman and Flagstaff, then moves into New Mexico through Albuquerque before entering Amarillo, which lies in the panhandle region of Texas.

The drive continues on the same interstate via Oklahoma City and Little Rock to Memphis in Tennessee where it ends up at Nashville. From here, the driver moves onto I-65 southward to Columbia.

Three trucks with the same name

An Advance Design Chevrolet from 1953 can show up for pickup in any of three quite diverse cars, and the order form makes no distinction among them.

The first is an original survivor. Almost as delivered. Which means drum brakes throughout, no brake power assist, six volt electrical system and mechanical everything. Six volts is important for pickup, because the cranking effort is less than what a contemporary driver expects. A marginal battery that starts in the shop may not start on a cold morning, which was discussed in another older vehicle.

The second is a restored original. Correct to period, but a rebuild. Often much more valuable than the survivor, but mechanically the same. The difference is what a scratch costs.

And then there is the restomod. Modern chassis or heavily modified running gear. Disc brakes and twelve volts, possibly a modern V8 engine, maybe even air suspension. This has become a common build and totally alters the handling mission.

Air ride is the one to single out here. A truck with an air suspension can rest against its bumpers because of the bleeding of the system. A truck that once had six inches of clearance while being driven might not have any at all the following morning. And the driver who has never been aware of the air ride system will only learn about it at the wrong time.

The value range can be equally large. The same three words could refer either to some rough survivor or a multi-thousand dollars build. This is why we first have to know how much the truck is really worth before we allocate the driver for it, and this is why it would be better for you to tell us the actual value.

It’s easy once we know everything. It’s hard if we learn about all this from the very beginning.

What $1.45 per mile reflects

Two opposing forces exist.

Enclosed service forces the figure higher. Enclosed trailers transport fewer vehicles per run and are more expensive to operate in addition to being less prevalent in the fleet. This surcharge applies to every enclosed shipment.

Distance drags it lower. With 2,000 miles of travel, the fixed costs of picking up and loading and securing and delivering are divided over a long haul, which is why the figure comes to $1.45 compared to $2.42 for the short haul.

The corridor looks good. I-40 is a major transcontinental route, and southern California to Nashville is a well-run route.

Enclosed transport

The open alternative was not even worth considering. The enclosed standard for a vehicle of this vintage can be seen below, and the driving distance resolves the issue. Two thousand miles of desert and plains conditions do not need to be exposed to seventy-two-year-old paint and chrome.

Chrome is the particular part of interest for an Advance Design truck. The grill bars and bumpers and trim add considerable value to the vehicle, and pitting of the chrome by rocks and other road hazards cannot be polished out.

Securing was accomplished by tying down the tires instead of chaining the frame. The 1953 Advance Design did not have tie-down points designed into it, thus tying down the tires eliminated that question. The truck was started once at pick up and once at delivery and was otherwise left alone.

Transport summary

• Origin: Huntington Beach, CA 92648
• Destination: Columbia, TN 38401
• Distance: 2,000 miles
• Service cost: $2,900.00
• Cost per mile: $1.45
• Vehicle: 1953 Chevrolet 3100 pickup
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Enclosed
• Route: Huntington Beach, CA → I-405 / I-15 north through the Cajon Pass → Barstow → I-40 east through Kingman, Flagstaff, Albuquerque and Amarillo → Oklahoma City, OK → Little Rock, AR → Memphis and Nashville, TN → I-65 south → Columbia, TN

Shipping a 2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV from Las Vegas, NV to Park City, UT

Our team recently completed the shipment of 2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV from Las Vegas, NV to Park City, UT. The distance was 444 miles via open trailer, costing $726.00 and totaling $1.64 per mile.

The car was driveable at pick-up time. Our blog contains information about full electric cars and standard hybrids. PHEVs represent a third situation, and customers want to know which regulations apply.

The route

The 444-mile run between Las Vegas and Park City is a climb from the Mojave into the Wasatch.

The area code 89149 is located in the northwest of Las Vegas. The drivers soon get on the I-15 highway and drive through the Moapa Valley and Mesquite, crossing the northwest of Arizona via the Virgin River Gorge.

From St. George, the I-15 highway enters Utah and keeps rising to the north as it drives through Cedar City, Beaver, and Fillmore. Further, the road passes through Nephi and Provo until the Salt Lake valley.

Near Salt Lake City, the road changes to the east and goes on the I-80 highway that climbs the Parleys Canyon into the Wasatch Range. Park City is located at the height of 7,000 feet, therefore, the driver parks in Kimball Junction.

Shipping a plug-in hybrid

The PHEV lies in the middle of the two classes that customers have known until now, and the solution is simpler than the underlying technology would suggest.

Its transportation is identical to the transportation of any other vehicle. No special trailer and no special equipment. The carriers move plug-in hybrid vehicles regularly and the high voltage system is not a problem for them.

The fuel volume should be the usual one. About a quarter of the fuel tank. This will help to transport the vehicle on board and drive it after loading without increasing the unnecessary weight of an already overloaded trailer.

The battery charge does not have to be full. Since there is a gas engine in a PHEV, the level of battery charge is not as important as in a full electric vehicle. A regular charge will suffice. There is no need to charge it before loading and nothing has to be plugged during transportation.

It’s heavier than the other two options, though. This is what you should know. A plug-in hybrid will have both the traction battery and a combustion engine, meaning that a CX-90 PHEV will weigh over 5,000 pounds, which is more than a corresponding gas SUV and even than a full EV of similar size. The carriers will make a complete pack with those statistics.

So say “PHEV” on the order instead of only the model name. A CX-90 and a CX-90 PHEV will be different weights. That is why we check up the trim and drivetrain instead of the model name.

Why $1.64 per mile

And then there are two, with the first taking precedence.

The distance comes first. With the distance of 444 miles, this is a short haul and short hauls will always have a high per mile cost. Whether the distance is 444 miles or 2,600 miles, pickup and loading are equally costly for a carrier and likewise with securement, coordination, and delivery. For a short haul like this, the fixed cost has very little distance to spread out and it takes precedence. And at $726.00, this is the cost to consider.

Vehicle weight also pushes the cost up by reason of the above. The three-row plug-in hybrid makes greater use of the weight capacity of the trailer than the sedan does.

The lane here is a favorable one. Las Vegas to Salt Lake City via I-15 is an extensively used lane.

Open transport

The CX-90 was transported in an open trailer, which is the standard selection regardless of whether the vehicle is new.

The vehicle is a new family SUV with modern factory paint. Enclosed trailers are reserved for vehicles where getting a rock chip represents an important cost issue, which is not the case for a new mass-produced SUV destined for use in a driveway. Open is also the logical solution in this size range, because enclosed trailers are limited by maximum height and length dimensions that a three-row SUV approaches.

Ground clearance was never an issue. The CX-90 is tall, so ramp angle was not an issue, and loading was very quick.

Transport summary

• Origin: Las Vegas, NV 89149
• Destination: Park City, UT 84098
• Distance: 444 miles
• Service cost: $726.00
• Cost per mile: $1.64
• Vehicle: 2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Las Vegas, NV → I-15 north through Mesquite and the Virgin River Gorge → St. George, UT → Cedar City, Beaver and Fillmore → Nephi and Provo → Salt Lake City → I-80 east up Parleys Canyon → Kimball Junction → Park City, UT

Shipping a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL from Mound, MN to Bloomingdale, NJ

Not too long ago we concluded delivery of a Mercedes Benz 560SL of the year 1988 from Mound, MN to Bloomingdale, NJ. The trip took 1,209 miles with the open trailer and the price was $1,100.00 for total mileage of $0.91.

The Mercedes 560SL was operable and driven up the ramp by itself. It is important to mention that being operable means something different on a cold winter day in Minnesota than what it is mentioned in the spec sheet.

The route

The 1,209-mile drive between Mound and Bloomingdale goes through the upper Midwest region and Great Lakes area into northern New Jersey.

Mound is located on Lake Minnetonka, west of Minneapolis. Drivers take the drive east out of the Twin Cities area, getting on I-94 and driving east through Wisconsin through Eau Claire and Madison, and onto Chicago.

From Chicago, drivers go east following I-80 going through northern Indiana and Ohio past Toledo and Cleveland into Pennsylvania. I-80 passes through Pennsylvania at Clarion and Bloomsburg to Delaware Water Gap.

Bloomingdale is located in Passaic County in northern New Jersey highlands, so the driver finishes at I-287 and NJ-23.

What “operable” means on a cold morning

This is the one thing that can trip up owners of older cars in colder states, and when it happens it’s expensive.

A car that starts when it’s warm in the garage doesn’t necessarily start when it’s cold outside on the driveway. A thirty-seven-year-old car works much harder at ten degrees than sixty degrees. A car said to be running in October does not have to run on the day you pick it up in January.

Batteries don’t crank as well when it’s cold. This is the number one reason for problems during winter pickup but it is also the easiest problem to avoid. If the car hasn’t been driven recently, then you should get it on a tender before your truck arrives, or at least the day before.

Operable and inoperable are two different loads at different rates. As explained in our discussion regarding an inoperable Range Rover, an inoperable vehicle will have to be towed using a winch since all carriers may not necessarily have them. An operable vehicle booked and which fails to start when the driver gets there is a headache for the person driving rather than an issue of documentation.

So please let us know about your doubt. If the booked vehicle is inoperable but it starts, then it’s an added advantage. But if the booked vehicle is operable and fails to do so, it’s an unsuccessful load and rebooking.

The other factor is road salt. The northern states use lots of salt on the roads and this can come under the open deck if moving in the winter months. If moving in the winter season with an old or valuable vehicle, then it’s always good to quote enclosed transport.

What $0.91 per mile reflects

There are two other factors that contribute to the figure.

Distance is the primary factor. At 1,209 miles, fixed costs of pickup, loading, securing, coordination, and delivery have quite some distance to spread across. In the case of short distance transportation, the fixed costs per mile are more or less double.

Corridor is the second factor. Interstate 94 and Interstate 80 from the Twin Cities to New York metro area is an established freight corridor with major markets on either side.

Open transport is the third factor. The higher frequency and larger volume per trip of open trailers as compared to enclosed trailers are always considered in any price quotation.

Open transport on a classic

A Mercedes-Benz R107 SL is a car that increases in value over time and a lot of owners transport theirs encased. The customer decided to transport this car open, which is an acceptable option and a choice that belongs to him/her.

Transportation in an encased trailer ensures safety from all kinds of external influences during the entire journey but is more expensive. Transportation of a vehicle open is a usual way of moving cars in this country and under good weather conditions the danger is not great. What changes the game plan in case of transportation of a car like this is the winter season and the presence of salt.

Mercedes-Benz 560SL is equipped with both removable aluminum hardtop and soft folding top. Depending on which one is installed, the car is always transported closed and locked and the mechanism is never operated while in motion. In case of the removable hardtop being detached from the car and transported separately, it should be covered as well.

Tires are strapped with soft straps instead of chains being placed around suspension.

Transport summary

• Origin: Mound, MN 55364
• Destination: Bloomingdale, NJ 07403
• Distance: 1,209 miles
• Service cost: $1,100.00
• Cost per mile: $0.91
• Vehicle: 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Mound, MN → east through the Twin Cities → I-94 east through Eau Claire and Madison, WI → Chicago, IL → I-80 east through Toledo and Cleveland, OH → across Pennsylvania via Clarion and Bloomsburg → Delaware Water Gap → I-287 / NJ-23 → Bloomingdale, NJ