Quick answer: When you accept a job in another state, the simplest way to move your car is to have a licensed auto transport company pick it up at your home and deliver it near your new address. Book 7 to 30 days ahead, allow a 4 to 5 day pickup window plus up to 10 days on the road coast to coast, and ask HR early whether your relocation package covers it. Open transport usually costs $400 to $1,700 depending on distance. Our guide to the ways to ship a car to another state compares your options.
A new job comes with a start date, and that date has a way of arriving faster than expected. Between packing, house hunting and wrapping things up at your old job, a multi-day drive across several states is often the last thing you have time for. This guide covers whether to ship or drive, how the process works, how to time it around your start date, whether your employer will pay, what it costs and what to sort out when you arrive.
Should You Ship Your Car or Drive It Yourself?
Driving across one or more states takes days you may not have, and it adds miles, fuel, hotels and the risk of a breakdown somewhere unfamiliar. Shipping your car lets you fly, drive a second car or travel with family while your vehicle takes its own route on a carrier. It also keeps miles off the odometer, which matters if your car is leased or you plan to sell it.
Cost is closer than many people expect. For trips under about 1,000 miles, driving is usually cheaper. On longer moves, the costs of driving and shipping get close, and shipping saves you several days on the road. Our drive or ship guide puts numbers on both.
Will My Employer Pay to Ship My Car?
Often, if your offer includes relocation help. Ask HR before you book, because how the benefit is set up decides who books and who pays. Companies usually handle it one of two ways:
- Lump-sum benefit. You receive a fixed amount and arrange your own moving, including the car. You book the shipment yourself and keep the invoice.
- Managed relocation. HR or a relocation company books approved carriers and pays them directly, so you have nothing to pay up front. Your role is to give the dates, addresses and vehicle details and to be available at pickup.
Questions to ask HR:
- Is car shipping covered, and for how many vehicles?
- Is there a spending cap, and does it cover enclosed transport?
- Do I book it, or does the company or its relocation provider?
- What paperwork do you need for reimbursement, such as the invoice and bill of lading?
- For a temporary assignment, is the return trip covered too?
Employer-paid moving costs are usually taxable. Under federal law, moving expense reimbursements count as taxable wages for most employees, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 made that permanent from 2026. Active-duty service members moving on military orders are the main exception. Some employers add a “gross-up” to cover the tax, so ask how your package handles it, and check with a tax adviser for your own situation.
Temporary Assignments and Moving Back
If the new role is a fixed-term assignment, plan both legs at once. A round trip can be arranged so the car returns when the assignment ends, and knowing the return date early makes it easier to fit into a carrier’s schedule. Ask HR whether the return leg is covered as well, and keep the invoices for both trips. If your plans change, tell your coordinator as soon as you know: an address change is easy before the carrier is dispatched, and because ABC takes no deposit, you have nothing to lose if you cancel before then.
How Does Shipping a Car to Another State Work?
- Get a quote with your pickup and delivery addresses, your vehicle and your first available date.
- Book. At ABC there is no deposit, and you pay only once a carrier is secured. Carrier matching starts the next business day.
- Pickup window. ABC asks for a 4 to 5 day window (minimum 3 to 4 days), narrowed to 1 to 2 days once a carrier is secured.
- Pickup. The driver inspects the car with you, records its condition on the bill of lading and loads it onto an open or enclosed trailer.
- Delivery. With door-to-door service, the carrier delivers as close to your new address as a 75 to 80 foot truck can safely get. You inspect the car against the bill of lading before you sign.
Most cars ship on open transport. For a valuable or classic car, enclosed transport keeps it out of the weather and road debris for 40 to 60% more.
How to Time Car Shipping Around Your Start Date
Count backward from the day you need the car in your new city, and build in a few days of buffer.
| Step | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Book ahead | 7 to 30 days before your first available date; 10 to 20 days ahead usually gives the most accurate rate |
| Pickup window | 4 to 5 days, narrowed to 1 to 2 days once a carrier is secured |
| Transit to a neighboring state | 1 to 3 days |
| Transit a few states away | 3 to 5 days |
| Transit coast to coast | 7 to 10 days |
For a cross-country move, that means the car should be ready for pickup about two weeks before you need it. Summer is the busiest season for carriers, so book toward the early end of the range if you move between May and September. If you need the car collected or delivered on one specific day, ABC can guarantee a date by using a secure terminal near you, which generally adds $150 to $300 per vehicle. See the transit time guide for more.
What Does It Cost to Ship a Car for a Job Move?
| Distance | Open carrier |
|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | $400 to $700 |
| 500 to 1,000 miles | $550 to $900 |
| 1,000 to 1,500 miles | $700 to $1,100 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 miles | $850 to $1,300 |
| Over 2,000 miles | $1,000 to $1,700 |
These are typical prices for a running sedan with flexible dates. Larger vehicles, enclosed transport and busy seasons cost more. ABC quotes are flat-rate, so the quote you accept is the price you pay. If your household is moving two or more cars on the same route, a multi-car booking saves on each one; see how to ship multiple vehicles. Our car shipping cost guide has more detail.
Your Car Checklist for a Job Relocation
- Set your ship-by date by counting back from your start date, with a few days of buffer.
- Ask HR whether the move is covered and what paperwork they need.
- Get a quote and book 7 to 30 days ahead.
- If your car is leased or financed, check what your leasing company or lender needs before it moves to another state. See how to ship a leased car.
- Wash the car and take dated photos of every side and the interior.
- Remove valuables. ABC allows up to 100 pounds of personal items as a courtesy, but they are not insured.
- Leave about a quarter tank of fuel, turn off the alarm and remove toll tags.
- Make sure you, or an adult of 18 or over you name, can be there with photo ID at pickup and delivery.
- Plan how you will get around until the car arrives.
Our 10-step car shipping checklist covers preparation in more detail.
When You Arrive: Registering Your Car in a New State
Once you move, your new state will want you to get a driver’s license, register the car and meet its insurance rules within a set time. Deadlines vary. Texas, for example, gives new residents 30 days to register their vehicle. Some states also require a safety or emissions inspection, so check the motor vehicle office’s website for your new state soon after you arrive, and keep your title, registration and insurance documents handy.
Is It Safe to Trust an Auto Transport Company With Your Car?
It is when you work with a licensed company that uses insured carriers. Check the company’s USDOT and MC numbers on FMCSA’s SAFER site; ABC’s are USDOT 2340626 and MC-797279. Your car is insured for damage the driver causes from pickup to delivery, and the bill of lading signed at both ends documents its condition. Write any new damage on it at delivery and have the driver acknowledge it, because claims depend on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my employer pay to ship my car?
Often, if your offer includes relocation help. Some employers give a lump sum and you book the shipment yourself; others run a managed program that books and pays the carrier directly. Ask HR what is covered before you book.
Is employer-paid car shipping taxable?
Usually yes. Federal law treats moving expense reimbursements as taxable wages for most employees, and that became permanent from 2026. Active-duty military on orders are the main exception. Ask your employer about any gross-up and check with a tax adviser.
How much notice do I need to book car shipping for a new job?
Book 7 to 30 days before your first available pickup date. For a cross-country move, have the car ready about two weeks before you need it.
Can I still ship my car if my start date is very soon?
Yes. Expedited service is available, and being flexible on your pickup window and location helps a carrier fit your car in sooner. If you need a fixed date, a terminal-guaranteed date generally adds $150 to $300 per vehicle.
How much does it cost to ship a car to another state?
About $400 to $700 under 500 miles and $1,000 to $1,700 for 2,000 miles and up on an open carrier, for a running sedan with flexible dates. Enclosed transport adds 40 to 60%.
Do I need to be present for pickup and delivery?
You, or an adult of 18 or over you authorize, must be there with photo ID to inspect the car and sign the bill of lading at each end.
What documents do I need to ship my car?
The carrier needs the keys and someone with photo ID to sign the bill of lading. Keep your title, registration and insurance documents for registering the car in your new state, and check whether your lender or leasing company needs to be told.
Ship Your Car for Your New Job
ABC Auto Shipping is a licensed auto transport broker (USDOT 2340626, MC-797279) with over 20 years of experience and an A+ rating as a BBB Accredited Business. There is no deposit, you pay only once your carrier is secured, and the quote you accept is the price you pay. Get a free quote with your start date, or call 877-686-5611.
