Car shipping
What a car shipping quote should contain before you accept it
The short answer
A car shipping quote is a price a licensed carrier offers to move one vehicle on one lane. A real one names the trailer, the pickup and delivery windows, the cargo coverage limit and what is due when. InterCar Group holds no operating authority, so we quote nothing: we pass your route to carriers who do.
When you are holding several quotes and cannot compare them
Five forms, five different numbers
The spread is rarely a discount. It is five different assumptions about the trailer, the pickup window and how far your address sits off the lane, and until you know which, they are not comparable.
One quote sits far below the rest
The number well under the market band is the one most likely to change. A vehicle listed at a rate no driver will run stays unclaimed until your dates are close, then comes back re-quoted.
Someone has asked you for a deposit
A deposit is normal. The terms are what matter: what it buys, when it stops being refundable, and who holds it until the truck arrives. Ask before the money leaves your account.
The vehicle is not a standard sedan
A lifted truck, a dually, a roof box, a car that will not start. Each changes deck space or loading, and a quote given without them is revised when the driver sees the vehicle.
How a quote is built, and how to check it
The lane sets the base
Distance and how busy the corridor is do most of the work. Two metros with trucks running daily between them price differently from two small towns the same distance apart, where a trailer is routed out of its way.The vehicle sets the space
A carrier sells deck length and payload rather than a slot. A long-wheelbase van or a lifted pickup takes the room of more than one sedan, so it prices above one on the same lane.The dates set the scarcity
A pickup window of several days gets the vehicle onto a truck already running your lane. A fixed date has to be bought, because a trailer is routed around it.Check who is quoting you
Ask for the USDOT and MC numbers, then look the company up yourself in the federal records rather than accepting a certificate by email. You want one that is active and authorized, with insurance filed by the insurer.Get the answers in writing
The trailer, the windows, the transit time, the coverage limit, the deposit and when it is refundable, and the total including delivery. A price nobody will put in writing is not a quote.
Upfront pricing
The published bands a quote is judged against
These are published market ranges, not an offer. InterCar Group does not quote transport and does not take payment for it. Use them to tell a reasonable quote from one that will be revised later; the full per-mile table by distance sits on the car shipping cost page.
| Service | Typical range | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Typical US move, one vehicle | $1,000 – $1,500all in | The published national average across distances and trailer types. A quote far under it on a long lane is the one to ask about first. |
| Vehicle that does not run | $150 – $300added to the quote | Winch loading and the trailer position it forces. Declare it when you first describe the vehicle, not on the day. |
Estimates only. Final price confirmed by the local operator before dispatch.
What moves this price
- How far each address sits off the carrier lane. A pickup well off the interstate is a detour someone is paid for, and it is the most common reason a first number moves.
- Date flexibility. A window of several days is priced against a truck already running your lane; a fixed date has to be routed around and bought.
- What the vehicle actually is. Height, length, weight, a roof box and whether it runs all change the space it takes and how it gets loaded.
- Whether the number was ever real. A price posted below what drivers accept sits unclaimed until your dates are close, then comes back higher.
Where these ranges come from
- FreightWaves Checkpoint — How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car?Checked August 30, 2026
A quote you can hold someone to, and one that gets revised
Compare these across your quotes rather than the headline numbers.
| What matters | A quote you can rely on | A number that gets revised |
|---|---|---|
| The trailer | Named as open or enclosed, and priced as that | Left open, or promised as whatever is available |
| Who is quoting | A named company with a USDOT number you can look up | A first name and a phone number |
| The dates | A pickup window and an estimated transit time for your lane | A date with nothing behind it, or none at all |
| The money | A total, the deposit, and when the deposit is refundable | A headline price, with the deposit terms discussed later |
| Cargo coverage | A limit you can read, and an insurer on file with FMCSA | Described as fully insured, with no limit attached |
A quote that names the trailer, the window, the coverage limit and the deposit terms is one you can hold someone to. A number that names none of them is a placeholder, and the cheapest placeholder is the likeliest to move.
Where these statements come from
Anything numeric or regulatory on this page carries the document it was read from and the date it was checked against it. A claim with no source is left off the page.
Published market data puts the average US car shipping cost between $1,000 and $1,500, and a vehicle that does not run typically adds about $150 to $300 to the quote.
FreightWaves Checkpoint — How Much Does It Cost To Ship a Car?Checked August 30, 2026
Under 49 U.S.C. 13901, a person may provide the service of arranging transportation by motor carrier for compensation only if registered with FMCSA to do so. InterCar Group is not registered, which is why nothing on this page is a quote or a booking.
49 U.S.C. 13901 — Requirements for registration (govinfo)Checked August 30, 2026
Federal law requires each registered arranger of transportation to provide financial security of $75,000, accessible to pay claims when it fails to pay the carriers it hired.
49 U.S.C. 13906 — Security of motor carriers, brokers and forwarders (govinfo)Checked August 30, 2026
That security is filed with FMCSA as a surety bond or trust fund, on Form BMC-84 or BMC-85, and registration is not granted until it is in place.
49 CFR 387.307 — Property broker surety bond or trust fund (eCFR)Checked August 30, 2026
Industry guidance is to look a company up in the FMCSA safety and licensing records, confirm it is both active and authorized, and trust the federal insurance filing over a certificate sent by email.
AmeriFreight — How to Check a Carrier’s MC and DOT NumbersChecked August 30, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does InterCar Group give me a car shipping quote?
No. InterCar Group holds no FMCSA operating authority, so we never quote a firm price, never take a deposit, never dispatch a truck and never hold your money. We take your route and vehicle details and pass them to licensed carriers, who quote you, contract with you and are paid by you, directly. We would rather you read that here than discover it three emails in.
How much of a deposit should a quote ask for?
Ask what it buys, when it stops being refundable and who holds it until a driver is assigned, and get that in writing before you pay. A deposit refundable until dispatch is a different thing from one non-refundable on payment. Federal law makes a registered arranger keep financial security of $75,000 on file precisely because money changes hands before a truck does.
Why is the cheapest quote usually the one that changes?
Because a low number does not move a vehicle. A price below what drivers on that lane accept sits unclaimed while your pickup date gets closer, then comes back higher, when you have least room to shop. Compare each quote against the published band for that distance before you treat the lowest as the right one.
How do I check a carrier’s MC and DOT numbers?
Ask for both, then look them up yourself in the FMCSA safety and licensing records rather than accepting a certificate by email. You want a company marked active and authorized, with an insurance filing made by the insurer. Contact details that do not match the federal record, or irritation at being asked, are reasons to stop.
What should a written quote list?
The legal name of the company and its USDOT number. Open or enclosed. The pickup window, the transit time for your lane and the delivery window. The cargo coverage limit and the insurer. The total, the deposit, when it becomes non-refundable, and what is due at delivery.
Is a quote the same as a booking?
No. A quote is a price offered for a lane; a booking is a contract with the company that moves the vehicle. Read what you sign: the contract and the Bill of Lading are what a damage claim is decided on, not the email the number arrived in.
Last updated
Send the route and the vehicle
Pickup and delivery ZIP codes, the vehicle, whether it runs, and the earliest date it can leave. Licensed carriers quote you directly. We do not quote transport, book it, or take payment for it.
Estimates only. The local operator confirms the final price before dispatch.