Published Oct 10, 2026 · free to cite
Car Shipping Cost Estimate Index, Q4 2026
What it is estimated to cost to ship a car on 24 common U.S. routes in October 2026, open and enclosed, from a sedan to a pickup. Every range comes from one published formula and public data, so anyone can check it. These are estimates, not prices paid or quotes.
This quarter at a glance
Diesel premium
+6.4%
EIA diesel was $6.199/gal (week of Oct 5, 2026), +31.1% above its 52-week average of $4.730. That adds +6.4% to every estimate, up from +1.6% in Q3 2026.
Snowbird season
+21%
New York → Miami (open sedan, 1,285 road miles) is estimated at $1,070 – $1,680; the same road the other way, Miami → New York, at $970 – $1,310. Southbound routes average +11.6% vs. Q3 2026 inputs; northbound -7.9%.
Distance and price per mile
$2.21 vs $0.71
Per mile, a short haul costs about three times as much as a cross-country one: Las Vegas → Los Angeles (276 mi) vs. New York → Los Angeles (2,801 mi), because loading, paperwork and dispatch cost the same on any trip.
Q4 2026 estimate ranges by route
| Route | Road miles | Sedan, open | SUV, open | Pickup, open | Sedan, enclosed | $/mile | vs Q3 2026 inputs | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY → Miami, FLOctober southbound: +15% | 1,285 | $1,070 – $1,680 | $1,200 – $1,880 | $1,340 – $2,100 | $1,610 – $2,520 | $1.07 | +12.2% | 4–6 days |
| Boston, MA → Miami, FLOctober southbound: +15% | 1,494 | $1,140 – $1,790 | $1,280 – $2,000 | $1,430 – $2,240 | $1,710 – $2,680 | $0.98 | +12.2% | 4–7 days |
| Chicago, IL → Miami, FLOctober southbound: +15% | 1,348 | $1,090 – $1,710 | $1,230 – $1,920 | $1,370 – $2,140 | $1,640 – $2,570 | $1.04 | +11.1% | 4–6 days |
| Detroit, MI → Miami, FLOctober southbound: +15% | 1,365 | $1,100 – $1,720 | $1,230 – $1,930 | $1,380 – $2,150 | $1,650 – $2,580 | $1.03 | +11.9% | 4–6 days |
| Minneapolis, MN → Phoenix, AZOctober southbound: +15% | 1,689 | $1,210 – $1,890 | $1,350 – $2,120 | $1,510 – $2,360 | $1,810 – $2,830 | $0.92 | +11.5% | 5–7 days |
| Seattle, WA → Phoenix, AZOctober southbound: +15% | 1,389 | $1,110 – $1,730 | $1,240 – $1,940 | $1,390 – $2,170 | $1,660 – $2,600 | $1.02 | +11.8% | 4–6 days |
| Denver, CO → Phoenix, AZOctober southbound: +15% | 822 | $880 – $1,380 | $990 – $1,550 | $1,110 – $1,730 | $1,330 – $2,080 | $1.37 | +10.8% | 3–5 days |
| Miami, FL → New York, NYOctober northbound: -5% | 1,285 | $970 – $1,310 | $1,080 – $1,460 | $1,210 – $1,630 | $1,450 – $1,960 | $0.89 | -7.3% | 4–6 days |
| Tampa, FL → New York, NYOctober northbound: -5% | 1,137 | $920 – $1,250 | $1,030 – $1,400 | $1,150 – $1,560 | $1,380 – $1,870 | $0.95 | -8.5% | 4–6 days |
| Orlando, FL → New York, NYOctober northbound: -5% | 1,081 | $910 – $1,220 | $1,010 – $1,370 | $1,130 – $1,530 | $1,360 – $1,840 | $0.98 | -8.6% | 4–6 days |
| New York, NY → Los Angeles, CAOctober southbound: +15% | 2,801 | $1,540 – $2,410 | $1,730 – $2,700 | $1,930 – $3,010 | $2,310 – $3,620 | $0.71 | +11.9% | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles, CA → New York, NYOctober northbound: -5% | 2,801 | $1,390 – $1,880 | $1,550 – $2,100 | $1,730 – $2,350 | $2,080 – $2,820 | $0.58 | -7.9% | 7–11 days |
| San Francisco, CA → New York, NYOctober: +5% | 2,914 | $1,570 – $2,120 | $1,750 – $2,370 | $1,960 – $2,650 | $2,350 – $3,180 | $0.63 | +1.7% | 7–11 days |
| Chicago, IL → Los Angeles, CAOctober southbound: +15% | 2,022 | $1,320 – $2,060 | $1,480 – $2,310 | $1,650 – $2,580 | $1,980 – $3,090 | $0.84 | +11.2% | 6–8 days |
| Seattle, WA → New York, NYOctober southbound: +15% | 2,866 | $1,560 – $2,440 | $1,750 – $2,730 | $1,950 – $3,050 | $2,340 – $3,660 | $0.70 | +11.7% | 7–11 days |
| Dallas, TX → Los Angeles, CAOctober: +5% | 1,445 | $1,120 – $1,520 | $1,260 – $1,700 | $1,400 – $1,900 | $1,680 – $2,280 | $0.91 | +1.5% | 4–7 days |
| Chicago, IL → Houston, TXOctober southbound: +15% | 1,094 | $1,010 – $1,580 | $1,130 – $1,770 | $1,260 – $1,970 | $1,510 – $2,370 | $1.18 | +11.2% | 4–6 days |
| Atlanta, GA → New York, NYOctober northbound: -5% | 884 | $830 – $1,120 | $920 – $1,250 | $1,030 – $1,400 | $1,240 – $1,680 | $1.10 | -7.6% | 3–5 days |
| Phoenix, AZ → Dallas, TXOctober: +5% | 1,081 | $1,000 – $1,350 | $1,120 – $1,520 | $1,250 – $1,690 | $1,500 – $2,030 | $1.09 | +1.7% | 4–6 days |
| Las Vegas, NV → Los Angeles, CAOctober: +5% | 276 | $480 – $750 | $530 – $840 | $600 – $930 | $720 – $1,120 | $2.21 | +1.7% | 2–3 days |
| Las Vegas, NV → Phoenix, AZOctober: +5% | 287 | $490 – $760 | $550 – $850 | $610 – $950 | $730 – $1,140 | $2.16 | +1.6% | 2–3 days |
| Las Vegas, NV → Denver, COOctober northbound: -5% | 751 | $760 – $1,030 | $850 – $1,160 | $950 – $1,290 | $1,140 – $1,550 | $1.20 | -7.2% | 3–5 days |
| Portland, OR → Los Angeles, CAOctober southbound: +15% | 962 | $960 – $1,500 | $1,070 – $1,680 | $1,200 – $1,870 | $1,440 – $2,250 | $1.28 | +11.8% | 3–5 days |
| Portland, OR → Denver, COOctober southbound: +15% | 1,243 | $1,060 – $1,660 | $1,190 – $1,860 | $1,320 – $2,070 | $1,590 – $2,490 | $1.09 | +11.5% | 4–6 days |
$/mile = sedan, open, range mid-point ÷ road miles. “vs Q3 2026 inputs” compares the sedan open mid-point with the same formula run on Q3 2026 inputs. Same formula and parameters applied to July 2026 inputs (EIA diesel for the week of July 6, 2026). The published method began in September 2026, so this is a back-calculation, not an earlier publication.
How the index is built
Each range is the output of the formula published on How We Estimate (parameters v2026.09.2): a fixed charge plus tiered per-mile rates on OpenStreetMap road miles, adjusted by the EIA weekly U.S. No. 2 diesel price against its trailing 52-week average, a season and direction factor, and multipliers for vehicle class and open or enclosed transport. Metro pickup and delivery, running vehicle, standard timing.
Inputs are frozen for each edition so the numbers can be cited: diesel $6.199/gal for the EIA survey week of Oct 5, 2026, 52-week average $4.730 (weeks of Oct 13, 2025 through Oct 5, 2026), and October season factors. A new edition is published each quarter.
What it is not: these are not prices paid or quotes. American Auto Shipping puts each shipment in front of licensed auto transport companies, they make their offers, and the customer chooses; actual offers vary with dates, exact addresses and carrier capacity.
Citing the index: “American Auto Shipping, Car Shipping Cost Estimate Index, Q4 2026” with a link to this page. Questions or a route that is not listed: outreach@americanautoshipping.com.
Questions about the index
No. Every figure is a formula-based estimate range from our published method, computed from public inputs: the U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly diesel price, OpenStreetMap road distances and our season, vehicle and trailer multipliers. Actual offers from licensed auto transport companies vary with timing, exact addresses and carrier capacity.
In October and November, demand to move cars south (snowbirds heading to Florida, Arizona and Texas) runs well ahead of demand northbound, so our formula applies a seasonal factor by direction of travel: southbound routes carry a premium and northbound routes a discount. In spring the pattern reverses. The factor is set by latitude (more than 3 degrees between the two ZIP codes), so some long east-west routes that also run south pick it up.
Fuel is about 20.6% of a truck's marginal cost per mile (ATRI 2026). The estimate moves by that share of the difference between the EIA weekly diesel price and its trailing 52-week average. In Q4 2026, diesel 31.1% above its yearly average adds 6.4% to every estimate.
Yes. Please cite "American Auto Shipping, Car Shipping Cost Estimate Index, Q4 2026" and link to this page. The full table is available as a CSV download. For a comment or a route that is not listed, email outreach@americanautoshipping.com.
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