Shipping a 2026 Nissan Pathfinder from Orange, CA to Appling, GA

Recently, we finished transportation of 2026 Nissan Pathfinder from Orange, CA to Appling, GA. This transportation route was 2,298 miles on open trailer and was performed for $1,975.00, that means, that per mile price was $0.86.

Pathfinder was roadworthy during pickup. What made this shipment worth being described is the fact, that we recently transported three motorcycles via the same route, from Santa Ana to the same location, across 2,297 miles. Just one mile of difference and the same period of time. What we have here is something that this industry doesn’t provide often – comparable data.

The route

The distance of 2,298 miles starts from Orange to Appling and cuts across the southern part of the country between Orange County and the Georgia piedmont.

The drive from Orange starts off CA-55 then takes the I-10 east towards the Los Angeles basin and then climbs up past Palm Springs before crossing the Colorado River at Blythe.

The I-10 will be the main highway in this case. It goes through Phoenix and Tucson then proceeds to Las Cruces and to El Paso in Texas. The Texas leg of the journey covers Fort Stockton and San Antonio as well as Houston and into Louisiana along the Gulf Coast to Mobile, Alabama.

From there, the journey heads north through I-65 to Montgomery, then I-85 north-east to Atlanta and then I-20 east to Augusta, while Appling is northwest of Augusta in Columbia County.

The same lane, two very different loads

Here’s the comparison between the two deliveries. Same hallway; a difference of a mile only in the distance.

Three-row SUV, open trailer: $1,975.00 or $0.86 per mile.

Three motorcycles, enclosed trailer: $3,200.00 or $1.39 per mile for the payload.

From the outset the motorcycles cost significantly more. Consider it on a per vehicle basis and the scenario is reversed. Cost to move each of the three bikes is about $1,067 or 46 cents per motorcycle per mile compared to 86 cents for the SUV.

Deck space is determining the prices here. Space needed for a motorcycle is a part of that required for one car space. Three motorcycles use even lesser deck space than one SUV.

Type of trailer makes a difference too. The bikes are delivered in an enclosed trailer. Every motorcycle that we deliver is delivered in an enclosed trailer. If the SUV had been delivered in the enclosed trailer and the bikes in an open trailer, the figures would change.

“Per mile” comparison is relative only within a single type of product. This is the important takeaway. “Per mile” calculation is a good metric for comparing two sedans, or two bikes, or two enclosed loads. For comparing products that don’t belong to the same category, “per mile” is practically worthless – two shipping orders from this page will serve better as an example of that.

What customers actually pay is the total amount. Moving one SUV cross-country cost $1,975.00. Moving three motorcycles for the same distance was $3,200.00. Both are fairly priced, and neither can be compared “per mile”.

See also: Shipping Three Motorcycles from Santa Ana, CA to Appling, GA

What $0.86 per mile reflects

Behind this number lie two factors.

The first factor is distance. Costs related to pickup and loading are roughly equal regardless of the distance for carriers, as well as the costs of securing, coordinating, and delivering, which do not scale with the distance involved. The costs per mile are relatively low when distributed over the 2,298-mile distance.

Vehicle size makes the cost somewhat higher. The Pathfinder is a three-row SUV, which reaches nearly 200 inches in length, making its requirements for the deck larger than that of the sedan, but not that of the full-size SUV or truck.

Open transport and the route make the cost lower. I-10 along the bottom border is one of the busiest routes for freight transportation in the country, and Southern California to Georgia is a stable lane.

Open transport

The Pathfinder was loaded onto an open trailer, which is common practice even when transporting a brand-new vehicle.

This vehicle is a contemporary production family sport utility vehicle with factory paint protection. Enclosed transport is reserved for those vehicles where a rock chip will be a significant financial expense, and for 2,298 miles the premium paid for enclosing a vehicle like this that doesn’t need it would be substantial.

Ground clearance was irrelevant. The Pathfinder is a tall vehicle, so ramp angles were not a consideration at either end. Soft tie-downs were employed to secure the tires without resorting to chains on the suspension.

Transport summary

• Origin: Orange, CA 92868
• Destination: Appling, GA 30802
• Distance: 2,298 miles
• Service cost: $1,975.00
• Cost per mile: $0.86
• Vehicle: 2026 Nissan Pathfinder
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Orange, CA → CA-55 → 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 → I-65 north to Montgomery → I-85 northeast to Atlanta, GA → I-20 east to Augusta → Appling, GA

Shipping a 2015 Toyota Camry from Gardena, CA to Bastrop, TX

Just recently, the move of a 2015 Toyota Camry from Gardena, CA to Bastrop, TX was completed. The trip spanned 1,410 miles using an open trailer for $1,481.00 or $1.05/mile.

The car was operational at pickup time. This is basically as ordinary a vehicle as one can get. An everyday sedan with original paint job, open trailer and mid-range haul down a main highway. But the price per mile is higher than what we have reported on similar moves. And that needs to be explained.

The route

The 2,268 kilometers run from Gardena to Bastrop is a journey through the desert southwest to central Texas.

Gardena is located in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Travelers take the ramp onto I-10 east and make their way out of the valley area through Palm Springs, across the Colorado River to Blythe.

For the entire journey, travelers will be using I-10, which goes through Phoenix, Tucson, and Arizona to reach Texas, and passes through Las Cruces and El Paso, and then to Van Horn, Fort Stockton and Junction to San Antonio.

From San Antonio, travelers continue along I-10 towards Luling, taking a turn towards Bastrop via TX-71 northeast.

Why the same car costs a different amount in a different week

We have put out a 1,315-mile open run at $0.84/mile and a 1,465-mile open run at $0.82. This run is similar in length and similar in vehicle type and it came in higher. This is why.

A quote is a picture of a live market. It is not a rate card. The carriers determine what they will take based upon their options in the market that week, which are ever changing. Same two bookings made a month apart may be different in price substantially.

Carrier availability varies from week to week. The number of trucks operating in the lanes surrounding your pickup date is the most significant factor, which cannot be forecasted well ahead of time by anybody, ourselves included.

The season lies behind all of it. As was mentioned in relation to a move from Minnesota to California, the demand in the market varies during the course of the year, making a lane softer or harder depending on the month.

There’s also another location which is somewhat off-corridor that helps. This is Bastrop, thirty miles from Austin and off the I-35 corridor. Not isolated and not an issue, but there are carriers which service Austin metro have to make a deviation for it, and it matters.

This is the reason quotes expire. The price that we provided to you six weeks ago was the valid one when we provided it. It was not a commitment that the market had any obligation to honor now. If someone guarantees you that his quote is everlasting, it means he either doesn’t book carriers or plans to re-quote you.

So, what could you do about it? Try booking with a larger pick-up window, providing enough time, and quoting in favor of your lane instead of waiting for an improvement. These are the levers that you can pull. Haggling the current market price is not one of them.

What $1.05 per mile reflects

There were two factors that helped the customer, and there were two that didn’t.

Helping him were distance and open transport. A distance of 1,410 miles means that the costs for pickup, loading, securing, and delivery can be reasonably distributed on a sufficient distance, while open trailers can fit more cars than closed ones in one transport run.

Disadvantages are off-the-courridor delivery in Bastrop and more restricted lane situation at the time of booking than similar runs we have booked.

As far as the car itself is concerned, it neither helps nor doesn’t help. Camry is the most ordinary car on American roads. It occupies one place in the parking lot without causing any loading problems.

Open transport

The Camry traveled on an open trailer since this is the mode that is employed by most cars in this nation.

This is a ten-year-old factory-clear coated sedan, and there is always the use of enclosed transport only for cases where getting a rock chip can make any economic impact to a car. In a case like this, the enclosed transport would be unnecessary expense in protecting a car from a damage that it is unlikely to get. We stated this clearly.

Loading was easy because the car was running and had its normal ride height as per sedans. There was therefore no need for consideration of ramp angles.

Transport summary

• Origin: Gardena, CA 90247
• Destination: Bastrop, TX 78602
• Distance: 1,410 miles
• Service cost: $1,481.00
• Cost per mile: $1.05
• Vehicle: 2015 Toyota Camry
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Route: Gardena, 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 → Luling → TX-71 northeast → Bastrop, TX

Shipping a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox from Troy, MI to Vista, CA

This is just one of the recent deliveries for our company, where we shipped a Chevrolet Equinox from Troy, MI to Vista, CA. The delivery spanned across 2,321 miles with open trailer, costing $1,550.00 per 2,321 miles for a total of $0.67 per mile.

The Equinox vehicle was operational at pickup. It was a business to business shipment from commercial pickup location to a commercial drop-off location, and this alters the nature of the shipment significantly, and is important to mention since the majority of our posts are consumer shipments.

The route

The 2,321-mile journey that begins at Troy ends at Vista through the Midwest, plains, and the Great Basin.

Troy is located in Oakland County, above Detroit. The drivers make their way to I-75 and continue on towards Toledo before continuing to go west along the toll road of Ohio and Indiana to Chicago.

From here I-80 takes care of the middle part of this journey. It passes through Iowa via Des Moines, goes through Nebraska via Omaha and North Platte, into Wyoming via Cheyenne, over the Wasatch and finally into Salt Lake City.

Here the direction changes and the road moves southward towards I-15, passing St. George and Las Vegas, Nevada. From here the truck descends into California and comes to Vista in northern San Diego County through Escondido on CA-78.

What changes on a commercial booking

All dealer transactions, fleet movements, auctions, leasing returns, and corporate relocation programs flow through the same logistics system that serves individual consumers, but what’s different about commercial shipping is everything else.

Access is not an issue anymore. The two most frequent issues when moving a consumer are a street that is inaccessible to a full-size carrier and nobody to accept the delivery. Commercial addresses typically have parking lots, docks, and employees to accept the vehicle during business hours. Both obstacles vanish into thin air.

Someone knows how to handle this kind of move. The receiving and releasing of vehicles is a standard procedure for a dealer or fleet operator. The condition report will be filled out properly, the keys will be there, and the dimensions of the truck are not a surprise to anyone.

The timing will be much easier to accommodate. Commercial locations work five days a week, not one particular day. That means a bigger pick-up window and, as we have previously explained, that equals a lower price.

Paperwork and payment are different processes. Commercial moves are normally invoiced, as opposed to cash payments made to the driver at time of delivery. In a company that moves vehicles on a regular basis, it’s a process versus a bunch of errands.

The volume makes the discussion different. A company that moves vehicles on a monthly basis is not the same customer as one that moves the vehicle just once. The lanes become predictable, and predictable lanes are more easily priced.

However, it’s the same network in both cases. Commercial moves are handled by the same vetted carriers with the same insurance check as anything else we move. It’s the same vehicle; the logistics are just better.

What $0.67 per mile reflects

There are three aspects which played in favour of this booking.

First and foremost is distance. The cost of pickup, loading and securing for a carrier does not vary with distance but remains constant; moreover, coordination and delivery also have similar fixed costs. Splitting this cost over 2,321 miles means that per mile cost becomes small.

Second is open transportation. The open trailer transports more vehicles in a single load and operates much more frequently than an enclosed trailer.

Third aspect is commercial access, which is the only aspect which is unique to this booking. Business operation during business hours and more flexible pickup time provide additional choices to a carrier which he will not have in case of residential shipment.

The corridor itself is another factor. Interstate 80 covering the north half of the country and Interstate 15 south to southern California are primary shipping corridors.

Open transport

The Equinox was loaded on an open trailer, which is normal practice for business and fleet transport.

It’s a manufactured crossover with a factory clear coat, and it goes enclosed if there is any chance that a rock chip would be an issue. On a business vehicle traveling from one business location to another, it’s the logical choice.

Ground clearance was not an issue. The Equinox is raised enough that ramp angle did not become a consideration at either end of the trailer. The Equinox was secured using soft ties over the tires, and no chain suspension was used.

Transport summary

• Origin: Troy, MI 48083
• Destination: Vista, CA 92081
• Distance: 2,321 miles
• Service cost: $1,550.00
• Cost per mile: $0.67
• Vehicle: 2020 Chevrolet Equinox
• Condition: Operable
• Trailer type: Open
• Booking type: Business to business
• Route: Troy, MI → I-75 south to Toledo, OH → Ohio and Indiana toll roads → Chicago, IL → I-80 west through Des Moines, Omaha and North Platte → Cheyenne, WY → Salt Lake City, UT → I-15 south through St. George and Las Vegas → Barstow, CA → Escondido → Vista, CA

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