Retiring or relocating and planning to save money by driving your own car there? Here’s how to know if you should shift gears and ship instead

Multi-day drives require hotels, meals and possibly lost income from taking time off work. Add in tolls, parking and maintenance, and a seemingly cheaper drive can add up to thousands of dollars.

Let’s look at an example. Going by Google Maps, a cross-country road trip from New York to Los Angeles is 2,775 miles, or 41 hours of driving. Assuming a not-too-onerous eight hours of driving per day, that’s four nights of accommodation, five days on the road, and about $70 in tolls (1). The current average U.S. gas price is $3.13 per gallon (2), and the average passenger car on the road in 2023 had a mileage of 22.6 miles per gallon (3).

Estimating the other costs is tricky, given how much they change day-to-day and vary across states. However, when they travel, U.S. federal workers typically receive a reasonable-but-not-generous allowance of $110 for accommodations and $68 for meals and incidental expenses each day (4). Based on those numbers — and assuming no sightseeing, detours or wrong turns that whole way (good luck!) — you’re looking at $1,234 at a minimum for one person or $1,574 for two.

Shipping a car along that route, on the other hand, could cost you a very similar $1,300 to $1,725, according to Sherpa Auto Transport (5).

The case for that option strengthens when you consider the various overlooked costs of a cross-country road trip. One of them is depreciation: Putting miles on your car lowers its resale value, but shipping preserves it. And if you lease your vehicle, it may have a mileage cap you’ll need to be mindful of (6).

Insurance is another overlooked piece. Long trips expose drivers to more accident risk, and even a minor collision can wipe out any savings over shipping.

Plus, what’s a road trip without fun? If you drive, you will most likely be passing by countless regions and attractions you’ve never visited before and may never see again. You’ll want to budget in some time and money for small adventures, special meals, and souvenirs.

Finally, there’s the opportunity cost. Days spent on the road — and then recovering from a likely exhausting trip — are days you’re not working, resting or spending time with family. Shipping collapses that entire experience into a single payment, and for many households, the math tips in favor of letting the professionals handle it.

Factors determining the cost of shipping

• Distance. The farther you need to ship, the more shipping generally costs.

• Vehicle size and weight. These have a big bearing on cost. Compact sedans cost less to ship than large SUVs or pickups because they take up less space and require less fuel for the carrier. Other important factors include whether the vehicle is operable or requires a winch and other tools to be loaded onto a trailer, as well as the vehicle’s height — low clearance requires special attention.

• Drop-off and pickup locations. Well-trafficked corridors, such as between New York City and Los Angeles, attract more carriers and lower bids, while rural pickup or delivery points cost more.

• Transport type. Open transport is the common choice, but some people may opt for more expensive enclosed trailers (7).

Move in the off-season and look for discounts

Major holidays and peak moving months raise demand and prices. So, booking in fall (after the college rush but before snowbirds take flight), mid-winter (after the holiday backlog clears) or other off-peak windows can yield significant savings or better bid competition.

Many brokers and carriers offer off-season deals and multiple-vehicle discounts when demand drops. If you can be flexible on pickup or delivery dates, you’ll usually get a lower rate (8).

Several auto-transport brokers advertise specific discounts for seniors, military members, students and multiple-vehicle shipments. Before you book, determine if you might qualify for a discount and whether that discount is applied to the base rate or to add-ons.