Shipping a Car You Bought Out of State or Online
You found a car through an online marketplace, a dealer, or a private seller in another city, and now it needs to travel to you. When the seller and you are in the same state, and that state is Georgia, California, Florida or Michigan, we arrange door-to-door pickup from the seller's or dealer's address and delivery to yours, on an open carrier, with one confirmed price before you pay. When the car is in another state, we point you, free, to licensed companies that run the lane.
Can we book your car's trip?
It depends on where the car is. A car bought in Tampa for delivery in Miami, or in Grand Rapids for delivery in Detroit, is one we price. We do not hold federal broker authority, so we cannot book a car's trip across a state line. Send that request anyway and we reply, free, with licensed carriers or brokers that run the lane; you book and pay them directly.
For scale, when we asked for one car on interstate trips in September 2026, quotes ran from $920 (Chicago to Orlando, about 1,120 miles) to $1,895 (New York to Los Angeles), and in-state trips under 300 miles still came back between $344 and $894, apart from one $210 broker figure that no carrier had confirmed (car shipping cost). Whoever you book, check them on FMCSA SAFER and run the written quote through the quote checker before you pay a deposit.
Why the shipping step deserves a check
Buying a car online or from a seller in another city is common, and the shipping step is often the part buyers understand least. Whoever moves the car, get the all-in price in writing and know who is liable before the seller releases it.
What we need from you
- Pickup address: the seller's home, the dealer's lot, or an auction or transport yard.
- Delivery address: where you want the car.
- Vehicle year, make and model, and whether it currently runs.
- Contact details for the seller or dealer, so the carrier can coordinate pickup access and hours.
- Your preferred pickup window and how flexible it is.
Coordinating with a seller or dealer
A pickup from a private seller usually means agreeing on a time when someone is home to release the vehicle along with its keys and title paperwork; a pickup from a dealer usually means working within the dealer's lot hours and any release procedure the dealer requires. Tell us which situation applies, and give us the seller's or dealer's contact so the carrier can confirm access directly rather than through you as a go-between on pickup day.
What to have ready at pickup
The keys, and any title or bill-of-sale paperwork the seller or dealer will hand over as part of the sale; that transaction is between you and the seller, not something we handle. A driver will do a visual condition check before loading; photograph the car yourself beforehand if you want your own record.
If the car cannot start
Tell us before pickup day. Inoperable vehicles are handled as a separate request, and we do not show an online price for that today.
What we do not arrange
The purchase itself (payment to the seller, title transfer, or an inspection before you buy) is between you and the seller or dealer. We arrange only the transport once you own or have committed to the vehicle.
Questions
- Can the carrier pick up directly from a dealer's lot? Yes, tell us it is a dealer pickup and give us the dealer's contact and hours.
- What if the seller cancels after I've booked? Tell us as soon as you know; we can cancel or reschedule the pickup, subject to any carrier terms.
- Does the price change if the pickup address is a dealer versus a private home? The corridor and vehicle drive the price, not who releases the car; see the cost breakdown.
Sources
- Quote ranges: our own requests for one 2020 Toyota RAV4, September 2026, summarised on car shipping cost. Pickup and handoff steps are our own process.