Ship a car to or from Boston with exact pickup dates, no deposit, and a driver who knows which streets a 75-foot carrier can actually use.
Below you will find 2026 rates, the neighborhoods where the truck meets you rather than reaching your door, and what the Massachusetts RMV asks once the car arrives.
Key takeaways
Boston lanes run $850 to $1,975 on an open carrier; distances vary from 700 to 3,140 miles.
Transit runs 1 to 10 days depending on distance, on top of a 1 to 3-day dispatch window.
In Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and the North End, the truck meets you on a wide avenue or a lot rather than at your door.
Book one to two weeks ahead, and three to four weeks ahead around September 1st and during snowbird season.
New Massachusetts residents must register on becoming a resident and pass a safety and emissions inspection at a licensed station within 7 days.
How much does it cost to ship a car to or from Boston?
Boston lanes run $850 to $1,975 on an open carrier. Distance sets most of the price, followed by vehicle size, season, pickup access and direction.
Those figures come from SGT Auto Transport open-carrier quotes across all Massachusetts lanes in the 6 months to September 2026. The Florida corridor is one of Boston's busiest, running 1,330 to 1,500 miles and $850 to $1,525 depending on the city and direction.
The range is wide because Boston lanes run from 700 miles to Durham to more than 3,000 miles to the West Coast. Read the row closest to your own move rather than the range as a whole.
One thing worth knowing before you compare quotes: the rate per mile falls sharply as the distance grows. A 700-mile run to Durham, North Carolina works out to roughly $1.18 a mile, while a 2,990-mile run to Los Angeles works out to $0.56. Check your specific price with the SGT Auto Transport price calculator.
Price by vehicle
These ranges cover every vehicle class across all Massachusetts lanes, so they run wider than the route figures above.
| Vehicle type | Price range |
|---|---|
| SUV Midsize | $900 - $1,775 |
| Sedan Compact | $825 - $1,650 |
| SUV Compact | $900 - $1,800 |
| Sedan Midsize | $800 - $1,625 |
| SUV Full-size | $875 - $1,875 |
| Coupรฉ | $700 - $1,625 |
| Hatchback | $700 - $1,725 |
| Pickup Crew Cab | $1,075 - $2,325 |
| Sedan Full-size | $725 - $1,650 |
| Station Wagon | $875 - $1,725 |
| Convertible | $750 - $1,600 |
| Pickup Small | $1,025 - $2,150 |
| Pickup Extended Cab | $825 - $2,175 |
| Minivan | $975 - $2,100 |
| Passenger Van (8-12 People) | $825 - $1,825 |
| Cargo Van Large | $1,150 - $2,400 |
All prices are based on open carrier transport bookings to and from Massachusetts. All SGT Auto Transport data used for these prices have been collected in the past 6 months.
The enclosed premium is not a flat percentage in this market. It runs +21.3% on a short distance run (100 to 499 miles) and +37.3% on a long one (2,000+ miles), because far fewer enclosed trailers work the coast-to-coast lanes out of New England.
Vehicle class matters less than people expect. A carrier sells deck space and weight allowance rather than miles, so what changes the price is the slot your car occupies on an eight- to ten-car trailer. Two low sedans fit where one lifted truck goes, and an undeclared roof box or lift kit can mean the driver cannot load the car at all.
What moves your price
Distance, and the falling rate per mile as the trip lengthens
Vehicle size and height, with a lift kit or roof box changing what the carrier can plan around
Open or enclosed, covered below
Pickup access, which in dense Boston neighborhoods means a meeting point rather than a surcharge
Season, with September and the snowbird months the tightest
Speed, if you need a fixed date rather than a window
Boston lane prices
Car Shipping Prices From Boston
| Origin | Destination | Price range | Distance (mi) | Transit time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, Massachusetts | Denver, Colorado | $1,450 - $1,650 | 1,970 | 3-4 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Los Angeles, California | $1,550 - $1,675 | 2,990 | 5-7 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Durham, North Carolina | $900 - $950 | 700 | 1 day |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Jupiter, Florida | $850 - $900 | 1,410 | 2-3 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Kirkland, Washington | $1,700 - $1,725 | 3,050 | 7-10 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Miami, Florida | $925 - $1,400 | 1,480 | 2-3 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | San Francisco, California | $1,400 - $1,775 | 3,100 | 7-10 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | San Jose, California | $1,575 - $1,700 | 3,140 | 7-10 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Alpharetta, Georgia | $1,025 - $1,075 | 1,070 | 2-3 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Atlanta, Georgia | $975 - $975 | 1,080 | 2-3 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Austin, Texas | $1,375 - $1,400 | 1,960 | 3-4 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Bellevue, Washington | $1,825 - $1,900 | 3,040 | 7-10 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Boca Raton, Florida | $1,025 - $1,075 | 1,450 | 2-3 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Chanhassen, Minnesota | $1,400 - $1,425 | 1,410 | 2-3 days |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Columbus, Ohio | $875 - $900 | 740 | 1 day |
Data sourced from SGT Auto Transport's last 6 months of shipping with Massachusetts at one end. All prices are based on open carrier rates for a mid-sized sedan and may differ from the current market rates you may experience.
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Car Shipping Prices To Boston
| Origin | Destination | Price range | Distance (mi) | Transit time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, Florida | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,025 - $1,525 | 1,500 | 2-3 days |
| San Diego, California | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,750 - $1,975 | 3,000 | 7-10 days |
| Austin, Texas | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,250 - $1,425 | 1,950 | 3-4 days |
| Houston, Texas | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,000 - $1,450 | 1,840 | 3-4 days |
| Irvine, California | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,650 - $1,850 | 2,980 | 5-7 days |
| Los Angeles, California | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,575 - $1,725 | 2,990 | 5-7 days |
| San Francisco, California | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,850 - $1,925 | 3,100 | 7-10 days |
| Tampa, Florida | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,150 - $1,350 | 1,330 | 2-3 days |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,600 - $1,700 | 2,220 | 4-5 days |
| Bountiful, Utah | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,525 - $1,675 | 2,370 | 4-5 days |
| Everett, Washington | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,850 - $1,875 | 3,070 | 7-10 days |
| Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Boston, Massachusetts | $925 - $1,025 | 1,460 | 2-3 days |
| Goleta, California | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,750 - $1,775 | 3,080 | 7-10 days |
| Humble, Texas | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,350 - $1,375 | 1,840 | 3-4 days |
| Kirkland, Washington | Boston, Massachusetts | $1,700 - $1,825 | 3,040 | 7-10 days |
Data sourced from SGT Auto Transport's last 6 months of shipping with Massachusetts at one end. All prices are based on open carrier rates for a mid-sized sedan and may differ from the current market rates you may experience.
Shipping into Boston usually costs more than shipping out. On the Miami lane, the gap is $100 at the floor and $125 at the ceiling, and on San Francisco it reaches $450 at the floor. Austin is the exception at the floor, where shipping out starts $125 higher, although shipping in still tops out $25 higher.
Your quote holds for 7 business days and includes door-to-door collection and delivery, a vetted carrier, active cargo insurance, and a pre-load inspection. Nothing is collected until a carrier is assigned.
How long does it take to ship a car to or from Boston, Massachusetts?
Transit can take 1 to 10 days, depending on the destination, with a 1-3 day dispatch window; the maximum time from booking to delivery is 13 days. You can reduce the dispatch window to 1-2 days by booking Express Auto Transport, or to 24 hours after booking with the Guaranteed Pickup Service.
A loaded carrier covers about 500 to 700 miles a day, the limit set by the federal 11-hour driving rule. On paper, that puts Boston to Los Angeles at four to six days, but a coast-to-coast load carries seven to nine other cars with their own collection and delivery stops, so five to seven days is the realistic figure.
Two things add days at the Boston end. Nor'easters between December and March close I-90 and I-95 for hours at a time and trigger city snow emergencies that clear whole streets of parked cars, which makes a curbside collection impossible even where one would normally work. And the first week of September is the single busiest week of the year for Boston pickups, when lease turnover and college move-in land together.
Best time to ship a car in Boston
| Window | What happens | What it means for booking |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September | Lease turnover, "Allston Christmas," college move-in | Book 3 to 4 weeks ahead |
| October to December | Snowbirds heading south | Book southbound legs early |
| December to March | Nor'easters and snow emergencies | Allow a wider delivery window |
| April | Patriots' Day and Marathon week | Avoid downtown collections that day |
| March to May | Snowbirds returning north | Book northbound legs early 3-4 weeks out |
| June to August | Steady summer relocation demand | Book 1 to 2 weeks ahead |
September is worth planning around more than any other date on this calendar. Boston's residential leases turn over almost universally on 1 September, and the universities fill in the same week, so a single seven-day window carries more moves than most months.
Book one to two weeks ahead in normal periods. Around 1 September and through both snowbird windows, three to four weeks is realistic. A wider first available date is worth more than a longer lead time in every season.
Open or enclosed car shipping for Boston
Open transport is the standard. It carries about 9 out of 10 of our Massachusetts bookings and suits any daily driver, SUV or work truck. Your car travels on an eight to ten car trailer, exposed to weather and road spray in the same conditions it would meet if you drove it down yourself.
Enclosed runs +21.3% on a short-distance run (100 to 499 miles) and +37.3% for a longer one (above 2,000+ miles). The Boston-specific reason to choose enclosed over open is road salt: Massachusetts treats heavily from December through March, and a covered trailer keeps it off your vehicle. Classics, exotics, low-clearance cars and new vehicles are the usual candidates.
Enclosed trailers are scarcer on this corridor, so allow two to four weeks rather than one to two. Top-load placement on an open trailer is the middle option most people do not know to ask for: your car goes on the upper deck where nothing above it can drip, at meaningfully less than the enclosed premium.
Guaranteed Pickup fixes a 24-hour collection window and Express narrows the dispatch window when your date cannot move.
Who ships cars to and from Boston
Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, Tufts and UMass Boston all fill in the same late-August and empty in May. Those weeks are the tightest of the year on this market but also the easiest peaks to book around. Campus delivery is rarely at the door, so plan on a nearby lot. Name someone over 18 as your authorized agent if you fly in separately
The Florida corridor is Boston's biggest seasonal movement, south in the autumn and north in spring, and the same households usually book both legs. Quote them together if you know both dates, because two loads are easier to place than one. If you fly down before the car arrives, name a neighbor or property manager as your authorized agent.
Kendall Square, the Seaport and the Route 128 employers draw steady inbound volume year-round, much of it from the Bay Area, New York and the Research Triangle. Unlike the student and snowbird waves, this demand does not concentrate into particular weeks.
Hanscom AFB in Bedford and Coast Guard Base Boston are both within our regular coverage. Bring your orders as soon as you have them, because we work backwards from the report date rather than a preferred date, and base gate access is arranged before the driver arrives.
We collect from Copart North Boston, IAA Taunton, ADESA Boston in Framingham and America's Auto Auction Boston. Send the lot number, gate pass and buyer information before the driver arrives, because storage fees start after a sale clears. Confirm the running condition with the seller, since a car that will not start needs a winch-equipped carrier.
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- Instant car shipping cost calculator
- High accuracy in price estimation
- Ship a Car to Another State Easy
How to prepare your car for Boston car shipping
Twenty minutes on this list protects you if anything goes wrong in transit, and the photographs are the step people skip and later regret.
Wash the car and photograph every side in daylight, including existing marks
Leave the fuel at a quarter tank or less
Remove personal items, keeping anything you leave under the 100 lb allowance in the trunk
Remove or shield your E-ZPass, since the Mass Pike is all-electronic and reads transponders at speed
Charge an EV to 30% to 50% state of charge
Tell dispatch at booking if the car does not run, or carries a lift kit, oversized tires or a roof rack
Check tire pressure, disable the alarm and hand over one key
Fold in the mirrors and remove roof or bike racks, which are not covered as cargo
How it works and receiving your car
If you cannot be present at either end, name an authorized agent aged 18 or over when you book. It has to be arranged in advance, because the driver releases the vehicle only to the person on the paperwork.
The Bill of Lading is the transport contract, the receipt and the condition report in one, and any damage claim rests on what is written on it at pickup and delivery. Photograph the car before the driver arrives and again at delivery, and take your time over the inspection rather than signing to move him along.
Get a quote.
Carrier assignment and pickup.
Delivery.
How to choose a Boston car shipper
Almost every quote you receive comes from a broker rather than the company that will drive your car. A carrier owns the truck. A broker holds an FMCSA license, vets carriers, and matches your vehicle to one already running your route. SGT Auto Transport is a broker.
Check the license. Look up any company's MC and USDOT numbers at FMCSA SAFER. Confirm the authority reads active rather than pending or revoked, and that insurance filings are current. Ours are MC 873392 and USDOT 2521690.
Ask what the insurance covers. Every carrier we assign holds cargo insurance verified before dispatch, and you can request the Certificate of Insurance once your carrier is named. Personal items are never covered.
Treat a very low quote as a warning. A price well below the table above does not get picked up. The load sits unassigned, and a call follows explaining that rates have risen with your date now close. Ask whether payment is taken before or after a carrier is assigned.
Check reviews for the route, not just the company. A firm can hold a strong overall rating and still be weak on a specific corridor or a difficult city. Recent reviews naming Boston lanes are worth more than a wall of undated five-star entries.
Shipping a car from the Port of Boston
Boston car shipping FAQs
How much does it cost to ship a car from Boston to Florida?
$850 to $1,525 on an open carrier, depending on the Florida city and the direction. Boston to Jupiter sits at the bottom and Miami to Boston at the top. Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton all fall in between.
How much to ship a car from Boston to Los Angeles, and how long does it take?
$1,550 to $1,675 on an open carrier over 2,990 miles, taking 5 to 7 days on the truck plus a 1 to 3 day dispatch window. Shipping into Boston from Los Angeles runs $1,575 to $1,725.
How much to ship a car from Boston to Denver?
$1,450 to $1,650 on an open carrier over 1,970 miles, taking 3 to 4 days on the truck.
Can a car carrier pick up in Beacon Hill, the North End or Back Bay?
Not at the door in most cases. Narrow permit-only streets cannot take a 75-foot truck, so we agree on a meeting point on a wide avenue or in a lot when you book. It costs nothing extra.
How far ahead should I book around September 1?
Three to four weeks. The September 1 lease turnover and college move-in land in the same week, and it is the busiest week of the year for Boston pickups.
Can I ship a car in winter from Boston?
Yes, and carriers run the lane throughout. Allow a wider delivery window between December and March, since nor'easters and city snow emergencies can hold a truck for several hours.
Should I remove my E-ZPass before shipping?
Yes. The Mass Pike is all-electronic and reads transponders at highway speed, so a transponder left on the windshield bills your account for the carrier's trip.
Can I ship a car I bought at auction near Boston?
Yes. We collect from Copart North Boston, IAA Taunton, ADESA Boston in Framingham, and America's Auto Auction Boston. Send the lot number, gate pass, and buyer information as soon as you have them.
Can I ship an electric vehicle from Boston?
Yes, at 30% to 50% state of charge, enough to drive on and off the trailer. There is no charging in transit, and the battery weight is accounted for in the quote.
Do I need to be there for pickup and delivery?
Someone over 18 does, and it does not have to be you. Name an authorized agent when you book. They inspect the car with the driver and sign the Bill of Lading at both ends.
Is my car insured during transport?
Yes. Every carrier we assign holds cargo insurance verified before dispatch, and you can request the Certificate of Insurance once the carrier is named. Personal items left in the vehicle are not covered.
How do I verify a car shipping company is legitimate?
Look up the MC and USDOT numbers at FMCSA SAFER and confirm the operating authority reads active. Ours are MC 873392 and USDOT 2521690.
Nearby cities and routes
Popular Boston routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston to Miami | Boston to Orlando | Boston to Tampa | Boston to Los Angeles | Boston to Chicago |
| Boston to New York | Boston to Atlanta | Boston to Houston | Boston to Denver | Boston to Seattle |
Every route above carries its own prices, distances and transit times, drawn from the same booking data as this page.
External sources
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Register and Title a Vehicle in Massachusetts. https://www.mass.gov/
Massachusetts RMV. Vehicle Safety and Emissions Inspections. https://www.mass.gov/
Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Auto Insurance Requirements. https://www.mass.gov/
City of Boston. Resident Parking and Snow Emergency Information. https://www.boston.gov/
Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive Vehicle Restrictions. https://www.mass.gov/
Massport. Boston Autoport. https://www.massport.com/
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Hours of Service Regulations. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-of-service
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. SAFER Company Snapshot. https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/
