Car Shipping from Iowa to New York: Updated Auto Transport Costs 2025

Fuel costs: this is one of the biggest drivers of shipping costs, and one of the easiest to figure out. Nobody likes paying more for fuel at the pump, and if a commercial transport driver is paying more to fill up with diesel (on a tractor-trailer that gets 7 to 10 miles per gallon), that raises overhead and someone has to take up that extra cost. 

Vehicle year/make/model: this has everything to do with dimensions and weight. Of course it will cost more to ship a pallet of shingles than it would to ship a dozen tires; the pallet weighs a lot more and takes up more space in the trailer, space that could be taken up by other stuff that needs to be shipped. Along the same lines, it’s going to cost more to ship a 14 ft long, 5500 lb RAM 2500 pickup than to ship a 2500 lb Mini Cooper. 

Route: the Interstate highway system was devised as a streamlined, efficient way to connect cities, bypassing traffic and skirting small towns. It’s less efficient to make it to a small town destination, or a remote area where a transport driver might have to go an extra hour or two off the Interstate and take 2-lane state or county roads to get there. 

Time of year: in a business like ours, there are definite cycles and calendar periods when more people need auto logistics services, which puts some pressure on the number of drivers who are available to handle them. In those situations, the supply/demand curve means that rates will have to temporarily go up. 

Inflation: ever since the Covid lockdowns, prices for all kinds of goods and services have been climbing worldwide, and a sketchy, uncertain global trade environment doesn’t help. Like with fuel prices, a spike in prices for things like truck tires, motor oil and maintenance parts means more operating costs for truckers and higher rates for customers

Cost/mile: this is always the basis for any rate formulation in the logistics industry, and all of the above have to be taken into account when determining the cost/mile ratio. The good news is that for longer runs, cost/mile starts to drop and continues to drop when more miles are involved, making cross country auto transport a good value. 

That’s a pretty vague question, so let’s narrow it down a little and talk more specifically about auto transport from Des Moines to New York City.

A routing guide indicates that to be a trip of 1107 miles, and our rule of thumb for logistics is that a trip of 200 miles should be done in a single day turnaround.

If there are 2000 miles involved, we would expect that to be an 8 to 9 day job. In light of that, we could roughly say that vehicle transport from Des Moines to NYC should be doable in 3 to 4 days’ time.

We need to note, though, that arrival times and dates are always an estimate; it’s too hard to provide an exact ETA when unexpected events like bad weather, construction, road conditions, detours or jammed-up traffic can all slow a driver down.

We can assure you, though, that if it looks like your delivery is going to be delayed and the schedule will be disrupted, our customer support team will let you know and will keep you up to date on when you can expect your delivery.

Using the Quote Calculator, get your estimate and book your order

Driver shows up at your address at your preferred time and date to load up your vehicle

Driver shows up curbside at the destination at the estimated date and time 

Punctuality and professionalism 

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Professional team of transport drivers

Responsive customer support

Please remove any external parts like light bars, bike racks, rooftop cargo carriers, antennas

Please remove any toll transponders or tags, and disable any alarms 

Please be sure all four tires are completely inflated, your car’s battery is charged up, and the car’s headlights and taillights work 

Remember that the driver will need a copy of your car’s ignition key 

We prefer to  ship vehicles with a quarter tank of fuel or less. Fuel weighs about 6 lb per gallon, and less fuel means less curb weight and lower shipping costs. 

It’s acceptable to ship up to 100 lbs of personal items with your vehicle, provided they are secured safely in the trunk or cargo area. 

If you’re shipping a vintage car or anything with mechanical quirks such as a special procedure for startup, it’s a good idea to give the driver a “cheat sheet” to inform him. 

Please check carefully for any motor oil, coolant, transmission, brake or power steering fluid leaks – a transport driver might refuse to load a vehicle with fluid leaks.

If your car’s not in running order, that’s something we’ll need to know in advance. We can and do ship vehicles that can’t start, run, steer and stop on their own power, but it requires special arrangements, extra equipment and extra time on the part of the transport driver. 

If your neighborhood has low-hanging branches or lots of congestion, it could be difficult or even against city ordinances to get an 80 ft 18 wheel transport truck to your curbside. If that’s the case, consider getting together with the driver at an easier spot such as an open parking lot.