Coast-to-coast lane
From $1,450 · 7–10 days · Door-to-door on I-40 and I-70 and I-80
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the California to New York lane, last checked September 12, 2026. Your firm price depends on the exact addresses and dates.
No deposit until a carrier is assigned.
| Vehicle | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan / coupe | $1,450 – $2,000 | $2,050 – $2,950 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,625 – $2,250 | $2,300 – $3,300 |
| Pickup truck | $1,750 – $2,400 | $2,450 – $3,550 |
| Van / minivan | $1,825 – $2,500 | $2,575 – $3,700 |
| Motorcycle | $1,150 – $1,600 | $1,650 – $2,350 |
What moves the price: the season (peak months run 5–10% higher), whether the vehicle runs (winch loading adds about $150), how flexible your pickup window is (a 3–5 day window beats a fixed date), and modifications such as lift kits or oversized tires.
Los Angeles to New York is the trip people picture when they think of shipping a car across the country, and it is one of the best-served long lanes for exactly that reason. Relocations in both directions, Hollywood-to-Broadway and back, students, retirees, corporate transfers and buyers collecting a rust-free California car for a New York garage keep trucks running the corridor every week of the year. At about 2,790 miles, it is a seven-to-ten-day trip and priced at $1,450 to $2,000 for a running sedan on an open carrier.
Distance is the story here. A week on a truck means the route, the weather across the middle of the country and the driver's other stops all shape the delivery window, and a little flexibility at each end makes the whole thing easier. The quote form above is set to the lane; add your vehicle and a specialist calls with a firm carrier price within business hours.
Timeline
Most shipments on this lane are complete 8–13 days after booking. Expedited pickup shortens the front end.
Day 0
Confirm your route, vehicle and first available pickup date.
1–3 days
A licensed carrier accepts the load; you get the name, DOT number and insurance certificate.
Agreed window
Driver inspects the car with you and both of you sign the bill of lading.
7–10 days
About 2,790 miles at 400–500 miles per driving day, with stops for other customers.
Driver calls ahead
Inspect against the pickup report, sign, and pay the carrier the balance.
On the ground
Carriers pick up and deliver anywhere in these regions; addresses outside them are quoted on request.
A truck loads across the Los Angeles basin and heads out I-15 to Barstow and I-40 east: Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Memphis and Nashville. From Nashville the road turns northeast on I-81 through Knoxville and the Shenandoah Valley to Harrisburg, then I-78 or I-80 into New Jersey and across to New York. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day with stops for other customers in Phoenix, the Texas Panhandle, the Mid-South and Pennsylvania, so the New York area is reached around day seven.
From May to October some drivers, especially those with Bay Area or Sacramento loads, run I-80 through Reno, Salt Lake City, Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa to Chicago and across Ohio and Pennsylvania, or I-70 through Denver and Kansas City. Both are similar in distance and faster when the passes are clear. In winter, I-40 is the reliable choice.
The truck works New Jersey and the New York suburbs in whatever order the load dictates: Westchester and Long Island are direct to the door, the outer boroughs are meeting points, and Manhattan is always a handover in Fort Lee, Long Island City or a lot near the bridges. Upstate deliveries, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, are handled from I-80 and I-90 and add a day.
Open vs enclosed
A week on an open deck across the plains means road dust and, in winter, salt from Tennessee onward; in spring, the possibility of hail in the Panhandle. For a daily driver it is nothing a wash does not fix, and the 40 to 60 percent saving on a $1,450 to $2,000 trip is several hundred dollars. For a classic, an exotic, fresh paint or a low car, enclosed with a liftgate is the answer.
Most popularSedan on this route · Baseline price
PremiumSedan on this route · 40–60% more than open
Seasonality
Peak demand runs June–August. Booking ahead of the peak keeps your price at the lower end of the range.
Outlined bar is the current month. Amber months are when carrier space sells out first.
June through August is the busy season, driven by relocations and school calendars; prices then sit at the top of the range and a fixed pickup date adds to them. Two to three weeks of lead time with a three-day window keeps most customers in the lower half. November through February is the cheapest, except for the two holiday weeks when drivers are off the road and windows widen.
Winter also changes the route. Storms close I-40 over the Flagstaff plateau and I-80 and I-70 through the Rockies for a day at a time, and carriers wait rather than drive into them. A nor'easter at the New York end can hold a delivery by a day. None of it is charged, and your specialist keeps you updated as the truck moves.
City pairs
The same lane priced to and from the individual metros. Each row links to the city guide with pickup notes for that area.
| City pair | Road miles | Open carrier | Enclosed | On the truck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to New York City | 2,790 mi | $1,450 – $2,000 | $2,100 – $2,950 | 7–10 days |
| Los Angeles to Long Island | 3,039 mi | $1,575 – $2,175 | $2,275 – $3,150 | 8–12 days |
| Los Angeles to Brooklyn | 2,988 mi | $1,550 – $2,125 | $2,225 – $3,100 | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles to Buffalo | 2,676 mi | $1,450 – $2,000 | $2,100 – $2,900 | 7–11 days |
| San Diego to New York City | 2,961 mi | $1,525 – $2,100 | $2,200 – $3,075 | 7–11 days |
| San Francisco to New York City | 3,130 mi | $1,625 – $2,225 | $2,325 – $3,250 | 8–12 days |
| San Jose to New York City | 3,110 mi | $1,600 – $2,225 | $2,325 – $3,225 | 8–12 days |
| Sacramento to New York City | 3,049 mi | $1,575 – $2,175 | $2,275 – $3,175 | 8–12 days |
Running sedan on a flexible pickup window. City rows are priced from road miles on the same curve as the lane range above; SUVs add about 12%, pickups 20%.
The Los Angeles pickup depends on the street. The Valley, the South Bay, Orange County and the Inland Empire are direct to the door; the Westside, Hollywood, the hills and downtown mean a big-box lot near the 405 or the 10. San Diego's suburbs are direct and the beach neighborhoods are meeting points. In the Bay Area, San Jose and the Peninsula are direct, San Francisco is always a handover, often near the ballpark or in Daly City, and the East Bay is direct outside the hills. LAX, SFO and San Diego airport hotel lots are common handovers for anyone flying the same day.
New York deliveries follow the same logic in reverse. Long Island from Nassau to the Hamptons, Westchester, Rockland and the New Jersey suburbs take a truck at the door where the street allows a 75-foot rig to turn. Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx are meeting points at big-box lots or park-and-rides; Manhattan is a lot in Fort Lee or Long Island City. High-rise buildings add a step, since a doorman usually cannot sign for a vehicle; name a friend or family member to meet the driver if you will not be there. Upstate, the driver comes to the door in the suburbs of Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.
The driver needs a key and a photo ID at pickup, nothing more. The California title stays with you; a financed or leased car ships domestically without lender approval; New York registration and inspection are your errand after delivery. Remove the FasTrak before pickup, because the truck passes dozens of toll gantries between Pennsylvania and the city.
After delivery
Shipping to New York: the paperwork New York asks of a new resident, so you can book the DMV visit for the week the car lands rather than discover it at the counter.
Register within 30 days of becoming a New York resident.
No separate VIN verification for a vehicle with an out-of-state title in your name.
A New York safety and emissions inspection is required within 10 days of registration (the DMV issues a 10-day inspection extension sticker). A valid out-of-state inspection can be used until it expires or for one year, whichever comes first.
New York insurance from a company licensed in the state is required before registration.
Source: New York State DMV . Checked September 15, 2026. Deadlines and inspection rules change; confirm on the official page before you go.
Related
Pickup state
The largest outbound state, with daily carrier departures east on I-10 and I-40.
State guideDelivery state
The single largest origin for southbound snowbird shipments on I-95.
State guideQuestions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$1,450–$2,000 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $2,050–$2,950 enclosed, for about 2,790 miles. Los Angeles to the New York suburbs is the middle of the range; the Bay Area to Long Island or upstate sits higher. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Seven to ten days on the truck. Los Angeles cars are typically in the Southwest on day two, across the Plains by day four, and in the New York area between day seven and day nine. Add one to five days for pickup.
I-40 through Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City and Memphis to Nashville, then I-81 up the Shenandoah Valley to I-78 or I-80 into New Jersey and New York. Some run I-70 or I-80 through the Rockies in summer.
It can. I-40 crosses 7,000-foot country in Arizona and New Mexico, and I-80 and I-70 cross the Rockies; storms close them for a day at a time. In winter most drivers stay on I-40 and accept a slightly longer route.
November through February, apart from the two holiday weeks. June through August is peak and the most expensive.
No; a 75-foot hauler cannot stop on Manhattan streets. The driver meets you in the outer boroughs, at a lot in Long Island City or Bay Ridge, or across the bridge in Fort Lee. Long Island and Westchester are direct to the door.
Yes. Expedited pickup within 24–48 hours costs about $200–$400 more and gets the car moving sooner; transit time itself is set by the driver's hours and the route.
Guides
7 min read
Most shipments deliver 1–3 days after pickup for under 500 miles, 3–5 days for 1,000–1,500 miles and 7–10 days coast to coast. Add 1–5 days for the carrier to be assigned and reach you.
Read the guide
8 min read
Confirm the seller or dealer will release the car to a carrier, get the pickup contact and hours, ship on an open carrier for most purchases, and inspect on delivery before the driver leaves. Expect $550–$2,000 depending on distance.
Read the guide
7 min read
Wash the car, photograph every panel, leave a quarter tank of fuel, remove personal items and toll tags, fold in mirrors, note existing damage on the Bill of Lading, and hand over one set of keys.
Read the guideCarriers on this lane are quoting $1,450–$2,000 for a running sedan. Lock in a pickup window in about a minute.
Average response time under 5 minutes during business hours (Mon–Sun 7am–9pm ET).
Last updated September 12, 2026 · Written by the AutoShippingUS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Christofer Whiteman, Editor · Industry review by Sarah Williams, Independent auto transport consultant, 20 years in the industry
