Car shipping, explained
Practical, sourced guidance from the team behind our price model. Updated when the market moves.
Latest articles
HaulFare Research Team
Updated
How Long Do You Have to Register a Car in a New State?
30 days in 22 states, 60 in 11 and DC: new-resident car registration deadlines for all 50 states and DC, what starts the clock and what to check.
HaulFare Research Team
Updated
When to Book Snowbird Car Shipping for the 2026-27 Season
When to book snowbird car shipping for 2026-27: lead times for the fall and spring legs, the dates that squeeze trucks, and how direction moves the price.
Featured article
Auto Train vs Car Shipping: Can You Ship a Car by Train?
Amtrak's Auto Train carries your car between Virginia and Florida only if you ride along. Fares, size limits, and when a car carrier makes more sense.
HaulFare Research Team
Car shipping price research
More articles
Short, sourced reads on prices, seasons and paperwork.
Updated
Why Is Car Shipping So Expensive? 2026 Cost Breakdown
A truck cost a record $2.34 a mile to run in 2025 and diesel set a weekly record in 2026. Where a car shipping price goes, and the parts of it you control.
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Updated
Bill of Lading for Car Shipping: What to Check and Why
What the Bill of Lading is, what to check on it at pickup and delivery, how to photograph the car, and why its notes decide whether a damage claim gets paid.
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Updated
The Cheapest Time of Year to Ship a Car, Month by Month
Car shipping prices by month in the HaulFare price model, from February at 5 percent below October to July at 10 percent above, plus snowbird lanes.
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Updated
How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Car 1,000 Miles in 2026?
Per-mile pricing for shipping a sedan 500 to 2,500 miles, open versus enclosed, and what pushes a 1,000 mile quote above or below the $895 to $1,115 range.
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Car shipping guides
Longer answers to the questions that decide whether shipping makes sense for you.
Updated
Ship a Car to Florida for Winter: Plates, Insurance, Storage
Shipping a car to Florida for the winter: plates for part-year residents, the 90-day insurance rule, gated-community delivery, prices and summer storage.
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Updated
Auto Transport Broker vs Carrier: Which Should You Use?
Brokers arrange transport; carriers own the trucks. How each is licensed, why the industry runs through brokers, and how to tell which one you are talking to.
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Updated
Can I Put Stuff in My Car When Shipping It? Rules and Limits
What you can and cannot pack in a shipped car: the 100 pound rule, the window line, banned items, why nothing inside is insured, and how to pack it right.
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