If you’re planning a cross-country move, you’ve probably stared at a map and thought: should I just drive? It’s a fair question. I’ve been answering it since 1999, and the answer has gotten more clear over the years, not less. Let me walk you through the real math so you can make the call that actually makes sense for your situation.
Let’s start with driving costs, because most people underestimate them badly. Say you’re moving from Los Angeles to New York — roughly 2,800 miles. If your car gets 28 miles per gallon and gas averages $3.50 a gallon, that’s 100 gallons of fuel, or about $350. Sounds reasonable, right? But that’s just the gas. A trip like that takes 40+ hours of driving. Unless you’re a road warrior, you’re looking at 4–5 days on the road. That means 3–4 hotel nights at $120–$180 per night. Call it $500 on the low end. Add meals — $40–$60 a day for road food — and you’re at another $200–$250. We’re already over $1,000 and we haven’t even talked about the real killer.
The real killer is wear and tear on your vehicle. Adding 2,800 miles to your odometer isn’t free. The IRS mileage rate for 2025 is 70 cents per mile, and while that includes some overhead, even a conservative estimate of direct vehicle costs — tire wear, oil life, brake wear, depreciation — puts you at 15–20 cents per mile. That’s another $420–$560 in real vehicle costs that most people completely ignore. Your car is worth less with 2,800 extra miles on it. That’s just a fact.
Now add the cost of your time. If you’re taking 4–5 days off work for a drive, what’s that worth? Even at a modest $200 per day in lost income, that’s $800–$1,000. For many professionals, it’s significantly more. And those are days you could be spending setting up your new home, starting your new job, or just not being exhausted from sitting in a car for 10 hours a day.
So let’s add it up for the LA-to-NY drive: $350 gas + $500 hotels + $225 food + $490 wear and tear + $800 lost time = roughly $2,365. And that’s conservative. I didn’t factor in tolls, which can run $50–$100 on that route, or the risk of a breakdown, a speeding ticket, or bad weather adding an extra day.
Now let’s look at shipping. A standard open transport from Los Angeles to New York typically runs $1,100–$1,400 in 2025, depending on the time of year and how quickly you need it. Enclosed transport for a nicer vehicle might be $1,800–$2,200. Your car arrives with zero additional miles, no road wear, and you don’t lose a single day of work. You fly to your new city for $150–$300 on a one-way ticket, and you’re there in five hours instead of five days.
The math gets even more lopsided when you factor in two-car households. If you and your partner are both driving cross-country, you’re doubling the gas, food, hotels, and time costs. Shipping one car and driving the other is almost always the smart play. Ship both and fly? Even better if you value your time at all.
Now, I’ll be honest — there are situations where driving makes sense. If you’re moving under 500 miles, driving is almost always cheaper and easier. If you’re moving 500–1,000 miles, it’s a toss-up depending on your circumstances. But once you cross that 1,000-mile threshold, shipping wins for most people, and it’s not even close. The savings in time, stress, and vehicle wear add up fast.
There’s also the road trip fantasy factor. Some people genuinely want the drive — they want to see the country, make stops, enjoy the journey. I respect that completely. If the drive itself is the point, then drive. But if the drive is just something you’re doing because you assume it’s cheaper, do the math first. Nine times out of ten, people are surprised at how close the costs are — and when you factor in time and wear, shipping usually comes out ahead.
At American Auto Shipping, we handle cross-country moves every single day. It’s probably our most common request. My advice is simple: get a real quote, do the math honestly, and make the decision based on numbers, not assumptions. And if you do decide to ship, book early — especially if you’re moving in the summer. That’s peak season, and carriers fill up fast.