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How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car from New Jersey to California?

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Home  |  Car Transport   |   How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car from New Jersey to California?


People ship vehicles for many reasons. Whether you are relocating from New Jersey to California or perhaps selling a vehicle across state lines, an auto shipping company can simplify the process. Many people don’t want to drive their car for obvious reasons. It puts additional mileage and wear and tear on their car. It is also a grueling task to make a cross-country drive. Furthermore, a long-distance drive can be very expensive by the time you factor in gas, food, and lodging. For all of these reasons, many people prefer the convenience of a specialized auto shipping company. While the average cost to ship a car in the continental U.S. is between $900-$1200, the actual cost to ship your car from New Jersey to California will be dependent upon a number of factors. 

Distance

The first and biggest factor that will affect the transportation cost of a car is the distance it needs to be shipped. This is also determined by the pick-up and drop-off location. If a carrier has to travel a less common route to deliver your car to a rural location, this will cost more. Terminal-to-terminal transport is generally your cheapest option. 

Size and Weight of Your Car

Another important factor that will impact the price of shipping is the size and weight of your vehicle. Carriers have strict weight restrictions so heavier cars mean they can transport less freight. For this reason, vans, trucks, and full size SUV’s are more expensive to ship than smaller cars. 

Condition of the Car

Another factor to consider is the condition of your car. An inoperable car requires extra care, time, and equipment so there is usually an extra fee. However, if your car is in running condition, it will not require any additional efforts which means no added costs. 

Dates and Speed of Delivery

If you require an expedited delivery, be prepared to pay additional charges. If you are flexible on your delivery date, you can save yourself some money. The time of year you ship can also impact the price. The summer months are peak season for auto shipment so you can expect to pay higher rates during these months. The cheapest time of year to ship your car is during the winter months. 

When you are searching for shipping companies, you can expect to get different quotes from different services. While the average cost to ship your car from New Jersey to California will probably fall in the $900-$1200 range, there are clearly several factors that are out of your control. Be sure to do plenty of research to choose a company that is both reliable and affordable. Always inquire about additional fees and surcharges and take the time to read reviews and verify the company’s licensing and registration. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Honest Answers to Your Car Shipping Questions

Yes, we always ask for your specific pickup and delivery addresses, if the carrier can get right to the addresses you provide, they will. If the addresses that you give us are not safely accessible for a Multi-car carrier, however, you will need to make arrangements with the driver to meet at a nearby location where the carrier can safely get in and out.

People do it all the time (rarely for free) but the official answer is no.

Not what you wanted to hear, we know, but that is the honest answer.

We are not licensed to broker the shipment of household goods and, likewise, no car carrier that operates in the USA is licensed to transport them from state to state either. Despite what you might be being told by other car shipping companies you may speak with.

Remember, at the end of the day we're all salespeople, and the true answer to this question is not a great selling point.

You will hear a lot of companies tell you that you can put up to 100 pounds of items in the trunk, but that is not entirely true. That fact is that items of that amount are fairly common and the department of transportation is probably not going to split hairs and fine the trucker over items of that amount, provided they are not over their weight limit. They could fine them, however, if they see a vehicle stuffed full of personal items so the car carrier will most likely try to negotiate something with you to cover themselves against any costs they could incur. It's not something we can build into your contract though.

We have a short and helpful video on this topic in our user videos.

Only in rare cases and car carriers will usually charge a premium to make it happen.

All dates given by car carriers are typically estimates and projections.

For this reason (and to keep your cost down) we ask that you build in some flexibility and give us the earliest possible date you would be WILLING to release the vehicle, even though it may not be your preferred date.

We'll put you in direct contact with your car carrier and the driver will also typically call you the afternoon or evening before your pick up and delivery (they won't just show up unannounced, and if they do we want to hear about it). However, car carriers are out on the road battling traffic, weather and any number of other factors that can and do throw them off of their pickup and delivery projections from time to time.

If the projected dates we give you come and you are unable to make contact with your carrier, please call our office immediately so that we may help resolve the situation.

The average transit time from pick up to delivery on any vehicle going coast to coast will average 7 to 10 days. From there you can figure your transit time based on how far your vehicle is traveling, i.e. from either coast to the Midwest might average 3-7 days.

Yes!

Even better, we do not even ask for payment until we have you confirmed for pickup by a safe, reliable, fully insured, direct car carrier. If for any reason you do not ship your car with the carrier that we arrange for you, there is no fee.

The fees paid directly to the carrier however, (in most cases, their fees are not paid until your vehicle is delivered) are not directly controlled by us, so any requests for a refund of the carrier's portion would need to be addressed with the carrier directly.

Of course! And you are always backed by our Damage Free Guarantee policy.

Part of what you pay us for is to verify that the car carrier that we put you on is covered by the proper amount of insurance and that everything is up to date.

There is never any additional cost to you for this coverage, and their insurance is always primary.

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