Shipping a car vs. driving it yourself: the actual math

Driving isn't free just because you already own the car. Fuel, wear, and any nights on the road all cost money: this page shows the arithmetic so you can compare it to your own shipping quote, rather than telling you which option wins.

The inputs, sourced

• Cost per mile of driving: the IRS standard business mileage rate is 76 cents per mile, in effect July 1 through December 31, 2026. The IRS describes this rate as based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating a vehicle: fuel, maintenance, and depreciation combined into one per-mile figure. IRS.gov, read 2026-09-21.
• Lodging, if the drive takes more than a day: the U.S. hotel industry's average daily rate for 2026 is reported at roughly $162 per night. Oysterlink.com, read 2026-09-21. Your actual rate will vary by city and season; this is a national average, not a quote.
• Not included below: meals, a return flight or second driver's travel back, extra insurance for a long personal drive, and your own time. None of these have a single defensible national figure, so we leave them as your own inputs rather than inventing one.

Worked example: a 1,000-mile move

Driving cost = miles × $0.76/mile. 1,000 miles × $0.76 = $760 in fuel, wear, and depreciation, by the IRS's own methodology.

Add lodging if the trip takes more than one day. At roughly 500 miles of comfortable driving per day, a 1,000-mile trip is about two driving days, or one overnight stop: +$162 at the national average rate.

Subtotal: $922, before meals, a return trip home, or the value of your own time behind the wheel.

This is arithmetic on published national figures, not a market price for your specific route. Your real driving cost could be higher (a less efficient vehicle, a pricier lodging market) or lower (you already have someone driving that direction anyway).

When driving makes more sense

• You want to use the trip itself: sightseeing, visiting people along the route, no fixed timeline.
• The distance is short enough that fuel and one day's time clearly beat any shipping price.
• You have someone available to drive who was going that direction regardless.

When shipping makes more sense

• The distance is long enough that fuel, lodging, and multiple days of wear add up against a shipping price.
• You'd rather not put additional mileage on the vehicle, especially if it's newer or was recently purchased.
• You have no one available to drive it, or you're flying to the new location yourself.

What we will not say

We will not tell you shipping is cheaper than driving in general: it depends on your distance, your time value, and your specific quote. Compare the arithmetic above to your actual confirmed price before deciding.

Get my price

Run the math above for your route, then request a price for shipping the same vehicle. It's confirmed before any payment, so you can compare it directly against your own driving estimate.

Sources

• www.irs.gov: standard mileage rates, accessed September 21, 2026.
• oysterlink.com: average daily hotel room rates, accessed September 21, 2026.