Car Shipping from Houston to Los Angeles: Updated Auto Transport Costs 2025

Labor shortages: the commercial trucking industry has had a shortage of qualified drivers for many years, and SGT Auto Transport sets the bar pretty high for the transport drivers we’ll work with. They not only have to have the right qualifications and experience, but they need the right licensing, DOT permits, certifications and insurance. That means handpicking our driver team and offering premium pay for the right drivers. 

Regulatory compliance: the DOT and various states all have their own requirements for driver safety, emissions, vehicle safety and other parts of the shipping process. Transport companies have to stay within compliance on all these details, many of which are different from one state to the next, and those costs are reflected in what customers are charged. 

Inflation: ever since the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, inflation has been a persistent problem. With economic uncertainty in the air and inflation hanging on, labor, materials, maintenance, commercial truck tires and so many other parts of operations are more expensive. 

Calendar period: the auto transport business is cyclical, meaning we do see a surge in shipping traffic during certain times of the year. That means extra demand for drivers and trucks, and that supply/demand equation will mean that transport rates will be higher during those periods.

Fuel prices: this is, of course, a huge factor and one that is varying all the time. If it costs more for a driver to cover the miles in terms of fuel prices, that’s something that will have a direct impact on what customers are charged. 

Supply chain disruptions: the global economic environment hasn’t helped clear up post-Covid supply chain logjams, and there’s always a chance of this or that crucial piece of equipment or parts for transport vehicles being bottlenecked before it can make it to the transport drivers. 

Make, model and size of vehicle: curb weight is a big part of shipping costs, so a 5500 lb Ford Expedition is naturally going to be a lot more expensive to ship than a 2400 lb Fiat 500. 

Cost/mile: all the above factors come together to affect cost per mile, which is the key piece of any logistics company’s cost calculations. The good news is that for very long runs, cost/mile starts to drop, making it a great value. Still, the fluidity of everything mentioned above will always come into play when figuring cost per mile calculations. 

There’s a little over 1500 miles to cover from Houston to Los Angeles, via the Interstates.

As a Los Angeles car shipping company, our rule of thumb at SGT Auto Transport is that a 2000 mile run should take 8 to 9 days to complete, so auto shipment from Houston to Los Angeles should be roughly a 5 to 6 day turnaround.

That’s barring anything unexpected like weather, road conditions, construction, detours and traffic, all of which can disrupt the best-planned shipping schedules and result in a delayed ETA. 

Get a quote for the services you need and book the transport job

Your driver will show up at your departure point and load the vehicle, at your specified time and date 

Your driver arrives at your destination point after giving you a call a few hours in advance to alert you that he’s coming 

Conscientious and professional

Punctual , with guaranteed pickup service at your convenience

Over a decade of experience in the auto logistics industry

Transparent pricing, with no hidden costs, no tacked-on fees, no bait and switch

Verified Carrier Insurance for your peace of mind, rolled into the total for every quote

Responsive and knowledgeable customer support available 24/7/365

Please inspect your car for fluid leaks: motor oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake or power steering fluid. A transport driver has the option to not load a vehicle with transmission leaks. 

Please disable any alarm system; toll tags or transponders should be removed as well. 

Don’t forget your transport driver will need a copy of the ignition key. 

Please ship your vehicle with a quarter tank of fuel or less; less fuel means less curb weight and lower shipping costs for you. 

Please remove any detachable accessories like light bars, bike racks, antennas or rooftop cargo boxes. 

Depending on the service you specified, it’s acceptable to ship up to 100 lbs of personal items in a box or suitcase, secured in the trunk or cargo area. 

If your vehicle isn’t roadworthy, please let us know in advance. We can and do ship non-running vehicles (such as a project car on its way to a specialized shop for work), but it requires extra time, equipment and handling on the part of the driver. 

Don’t forget to wash your car to make it easier to do the pre-trip condition report (the driver will do the same for the Bill of Lading document).