Seasonal lane
From $1,100 · 4–7 days · Door-to-door on I-55 and I-44 and I-40 and I-17
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the Chicago to Phoenix 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 | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,225 – $1,725 | $1,800 – $2,525 |
| Pickup truck | $1,325 – $1,850 | $1,925 – $2,700 |
| Van / minivan | $1,375 – $1,950 | $2,000 – $2,825 |
| Motorcycle | $875 – $1,250 | $1,275 – $1,800 |
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.
Chicagoans have two winters, Florida's and Arizona's, and the Arizona one runs through this lane. Scottsdale golf, Mesa's park-model resorts, Sun City and Sun City West, Chandler and Gilbert's newer developments, and the Cubs' spring-training complex in Mesa all draw a Chicago crowd from October to April. Add relocations to the Valley's tech and health-care employers, students at Arizona State, and cars bought at Chicagoland auctions for Phoenix dealers, and it is one of the busiest Midwest-to-Southwest city pairs there is.
At about 1,750 miles it is a four-to-seven-day trip across six states and one high plateau, priced at $1,100 to $1,550 for a running sedan on an open carrier. The quote form above is set to the lane; add your vehicle and a specialist calls with a firm carrier price within business hours.
Seasonality
Peak demand runs October–January. 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.
October through December is peak, with the largest wave after Thanksgiving, and prices then sit at the top of the range with a fixed date adding to them. Two to three weeks of lead time and a three-day pickup window keep most customers in the lower half. February brings a second, shorter surge for spring training, and the return north runs late March through May.
February and March are otherwise the cheapest southbound months, and September is a second quiet window before the season starts, when the Valley is still too hot for most snowbirds. Weather works on both ends: a Chicago snowstorm holds the pickup, and the I-40 plateau between Albuquerque and Flagstaff closes in a blizzard. Carriers wait rather than drive into either, and nothing is charged for the delay.
On the ground
Carriers pick up and deliver anywhere in these regions; addresses outside them are quoted on request.
From the Chicago suburbs the truck runs I-55 to St. Louis, then I-44 through Springfield, Missouri, Tulsa and Oklahoma City, where it joins I-40 for the long run through Amarillo, Albuquerque and Gallup to Flagstaff. From there it drops 5,000 feet on I-17 into the Valley. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day and reach Phoenix on the fourth day.
The suburbs are direct to the door from Naperville and Schaumburg to Orland Park and the North Shore. In the city the driver names a meeting point: the big-box lots along the Kennedy and the Edens, off the Stevenson near Midway, or on Cicero Avenue. O'Hare and Midway hotel lots work for anyone flying the same day.
Phoenix is the easiest big-city delivery in the country: wide streets, no weather, and neighborhoods built around cars. The driver works the East Valley, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert and Scottsdale, and the West Valley, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise and the Sun Cities, in whatever order the load dictates. Gated communities admit the truck with a call to the gate or the driver meets you at the nearest plaza. Tucson is a day later down I-10.
Timeline
Most shipments on this lane are complete 5–10 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.
4–7 days
About 1,750 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.
Open vs enclosed
This lane crosses salted Midwest roads in winter and the open plains of Oklahoma and the Panhandle, where a spring hailstorm or a summer dust storm is possible, and that is the argument for enclosed transport on a car with paint you care about. For a daily driver, open is the answer and the 40 to 60 percent saving is considerable on a lane this long.
Most popularSedan on this route · Baseline price
PremiumSedan on this route · 40–60% more than open
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Scottsdale | 1,761 mi | $1,100 – $1,575 | $1,600 – $2,275 | 4–7 days |
| Chicago to Tucson | 1,761 mi | $1,100 – $1,575 | $1,600 – $2,275 | 4–7 days |
| Chicago to Mesa | 1,758 mi | $1,100 – $1,575 | $1,600 – $2,275 | 4–7 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 winter pickup is the thing to get right. A car that has sat through a cold snap may not start on the morning the truck arrives; start it early, and if it needs a jump do that first, because a car that has to be winched aboard is a surcharge and sometimes a different truck. Clear the driveway. Take the I-PASS out of the windshield, since the truck passes toll gantries from the Tri-State to Oklahoma.
At the Arizona end, two desert notes. A car that will sit outside for the season wants a windshield shade and a tire-pressure check after the first hot week. A car left in the Valley through the summer while you are back in Chicago should be under cover with the battery on a tender, and insurance kept active.
Belongings stay under about 100 pounds, below the window line, uninsured. Photograph every panel and the odometer before the driver arrives; four to seven days on an open deck across the plains means road dust, and the photos make the delivery inspection quick. The driver takes a key and looks at a photo ID; the title stays with you and a financed or leased car needs no lender approval to cross state lines. If the car came from a Chicagoland auction, book the day the sale closes and give your specialist the lot's release process.
After delivery
Shipping to Phoenix: the paperwork Arizona 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 as soon as you establish residency or take a job in Arizona; the state gives no fixed grace period.
A Level I VIN inspection (free at an MVD office) is required for some out-of-state vehicles, typically when the title or registration cannot be presented.
Emissions testing is required in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas for most vehicles more than five years old, and must be passed before the first Arizona registration. Out-of-state emissions certificates are not accepted.
Fully electric vehicles are exempt from emissions testing.
Source: Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) . Checked September 15, 2026. Deadlines and inspection rules change; confirm on the official page before you go.
Related
Pickup state
Chicago is the Midwest’s carrier crossroads: southbound to Florida on I-65, southwest to Arizona on I-55 and I-40.
State guideQuestions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$1,100–$1,550 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $1,600–$2,250 enclosed for about 1,750 miles. Scottsdale, Mesa and the Sun Cities are the same price as Phoenix; Tucson adds $50–$100. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Four to seven days on the truck. A Chicago pickup is usually in Oklahoma on day two, New Mexico on day three and the Valley on day four. Add one to five days for pickup.
I-55 to St. Louis, I-44 across Missouri and Oklahoma, I-40 through the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico to Flagstaff, then down I-17 into Phoenix.
Yes, and February is a popular month for it. Book three weeks ahead; Cubs and White Sox fans and the regular snowbird return overlap in the same fortnight.
February and March before the spring return, and September before the season. October through December is peak.
At both ends. Chicago snow holds a pickup; I-40 over the Flagstaff plateau closes in a storm. Carriers wait at no charge. Start the car the morning of pickup so it loads without a winch.
Suburbs are direct to the door. The Loop, River North, Lincoln Park and the lakefront neighborhoods mean a big-box lot off the Kennedy, the Stevenson or Cicero Avenue.
Guides
10 min read
Book southbound shipments 2–3 weeks before you fly, ideally before mid-October. Expect $900–$1,450 open from the Northeast or Midwest to Florida and 3–6 days in transit. Reverse the plan in late March.
Read the guide
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
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 $1,100–$1,550 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
