Texas Car Shipping
Ship your vehicle to or from Texas with transparent pricing and vetted, fully insured carriers. See your exact price online in seconds, with no phone calls and no contact information required.
Recent Texas shipping prices
These are real vehicles we recently moved to and from Texas, all on open transport. Most car shipping sites publish wide estimated ranges. These are actual prices customers paid.
| Route | Vehicle | Transit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TX → Kearny, NJ | SUV | 8 days | $1,541 |
| Santa Monica, CA → Houston, TX | Sedan | 3 days | $1,563 |
| Santa Clara, CA → Austin, TX | Sedan | 3 days | $1,553 |
| Dallas, TX → Durham, NC | Sedan | 3 days | $1,054 |
Prices shown are what these customers actually paid, including the carrier fee and the HippoHaul fee. Your price will differ based on your exact pickup and delivery locations, vehicle size, timing, and carrier availability. Check your own route below for a live price.
Texas is big enough that shipping within it is a long haul
El Paso to Beaumont is roughly 830 miles. That is further than New York City to Chicago, and it happens entirely inside one state. El Paso is closer to San Diego than it is to Houston.
This catches people out. A move from Houston to El Paso is not a local job for a carrier, and it will not price like one. On the other hand, the four big metros sit close enough together that Dallas to Houston or Austin to San Antonio are genuinely short, cheap moves with quick pickup.
The practical upshot: in Texas, the honest answer to "what does it cost" depends more on which corner of the state you are in than it does almost anywhere else.
What affects the cost of shipping a car in Texas
Where in Texas
The Dallas–Houston–San Antonio–Austin block prices well. West Texas, the Panhandle, and the far south cost more, because carriers cover long distances with few pickups along the way.
Distance and route
Long hauls cost more overall but less per mile. Lanes along I-10, I-35, I-45, and I-20 usually price better than routes that pull carriers off them.
Vehicle size and condition
Texas skews toward full-size trucks and SUVs, which take more space on the trailer than a sedan. Vehicles that don't run need special loading equipment.
Open or enclosed
Open transport carries most vehicles and costs less. Enclosed is worth considering for classic, exotic, or high-value cars.
Time of year
Winter Texan traffic peaks southbound in autumn and northbound in spring. Gulf hurricanes and winter ice storms can both disrupt routes.
Schedule flexibility
A flexible pickup window gives carriers more options, which usually means a better price than a fixed date.
The Texas Triangle: Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin
Most of the state's population lives inside the triangle formed by I-45, I-35, and I-10, and that is where the carrier market is. Trucks run these corridors constantly, so pickup windows in the metros are typically the shortest in Texas and pricing is as competitive as anywhere in the country.
Pickup can usually be arranged from a home, dealership, business, or auction lot. Texas has one of the densest concentrations of salvage and dealer auctions in the country, and we handle auction pickups routinely.
In newer master-planned suburbs around Frisco, Katy, and Round Rock, narrow streets and tight cul-de-sacs sometimes mean the driver asks to meet at a nearby retail lot instead. A full-size carrier is around 75 feet long.
West Texas, the Permian Basin, and El Paso
West of the triangle, the distances change everything. Midland and Odessa see steady vehicle movement tied to the oil and gas industry, and they sit on I-20, which helps. El Paso is served by I-10 but is more than 550 miles from the nearest big Texas metro, so it often prices and schedules more like a New Mexico or Arizona destination than a Texas one.
The Panhandle around Amarillo and Lubbock is reached mainly via I-27 and I-40, and works reliably but with wider pickup windows than the metros.
If you are shipping to or from a small town in West Texas or the Panhandle, meeting the carrier in Midland, Lubbock, Amarillo, or El Paso will usually cut both your price and your wait. Ask us and we will tell you what the difference actually is before you decide.
The Rio Grande Valley and Winter Texans
Every autumn, retirees from the Midwest and the Plains move south to McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville, and the surrounding valley for the winter, then head back north in spring. The seasonal population swing is large enough to tighten carrier capacity on the I-35 and US-281 corridors twice a year.
If you ship on that pattern, booking two to three weeks ahead of the October–November southbound rush or the March–April northbound return makes a real difference to both price and pickup window. Shipping against the flow, in either direction, is usually cheaper.
Hurricanes, ice storms, and Texas transit times
Texas has two weather disruptions worth planning around, and the second surprises people.
Gulf hurricane season, June through November. The highest risk to the Texas coast runs from August into September. When a storm approaches Houston, Corpus Christi, or the Golden Triangle, carriers stop running coastal routes until roads reopen.
Winter ice, roughly December through February. Texas gets less winter weather than northern states, but it also has far less equipment for clearing it. An ice event can close I-35 or I-45 for a day or more, and freezing rain across the Hill Country and North Texas will stop carrier movement statewide when it hits.
Both are delays rather than cancellations. If a closure affects your shipment, we and your assigned carrier will contact you with a revised window.
Shipping a car to Houston or Galveston for export
The Texas Gulf ports are among the busiest vehicle export gateways in the country, and a share of our Texas volume is inland transport to a port warehouse rather than to a residence: vehicles bought at auction or from a dealer, then moved to Houston or Galveston to be loaded for overseas shipment.
These moves work like any other, with one difference that matters. Port and warehouse receiving windows are fixed, so tell us the deadline when you request your quote rather than after booking. We would rather build the schedule around it than discover it late.
Popular Texas routes
We ship between Texas and anywhere in the continental United States. Our most common Texas lanes, with links to each destination state:
- Texas ↔ California car shipping
- Texas ↔ Florida car shipping
- Texas ↔ New York car shipping
- Texas ↔ Colorado car shipping
- Texas ↔ North Carolina car shipping
- Texas ↔ Arizona car shipping
California to Texas is one of the highest-volume relocation lanes in the country, and heavily traveled routes generally have better carrier availability than remote pairings.
How long does Texas car shipping take?
Transit time depends mostly on distance. Rough estimates once your vehicle is picked up:
- Under 500 miles: about 1 to 3 days
- 500 to 1,000 miles: about 2 to 4 days
- 1,000 to 1,500 miles: about 2 to 5 days
- 1,500 to 2,000 miles: about 3 to 8 days
- Cross country: about 4 to 12 days
These are transit estimates after pickup, not guaranteed delivery dates. The spread within each band comes down mostly to whether a carrier is already running your lane. A truck with space on a route it was taking anyway moves quickly; a route that has to be built around your vehicle takes longer. Traffic, weather, other stops on the carrier's route, and road conditions all affect timing. Note that a Houston to El Paso move falls in the 500 to 1,000 mile band despite being a single-state trip.
Who ships cars to and from Texas
People relocating
Texas draws heavy in-migration, particularly from California and the Northeast. Shipping avoids putting 1,500 miles on a second vehicle.
Military families
Fort Hood, Fort Bliss, Joint Base San Antonio, Dyess and Sheppard Air Force Bases, and NAS Corpus Christi make Texas one of the busiest PCS states in the country.
Online and auction buyers
Texas has one of the largest concentrations of salvage and dealer auctions nationally. We arrange pickup from auction lots including Copart and IAA.
Exporters
Vehicles bound for overseas markets move inland to port warehouses in Houston and Galveston for loading.
Students
UT Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, the University of Houston, and Baylor move vehicles in and out each semester.
Winter Texans
Seasonal residents ship to the Rio Grande Valley in autumn and back north in spring.
Texas car shipping FAQs
What is the cheapest way to ship a car to Texas?
Open transport is usually the least expensive option for a standard vehicle. Flexible pickup dates and a location near a major route such as I-10, I-35, I-45, or I-20 also improve carrier availability and pricing.
Why does shipping within Texas cost more than I expected?
Texas is large enough that in-state moves are long hauls. El Paso to Beaumont is roughly 830 miles, further than New York City to Chicago. Moves between Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin are genuinely short and price accordingly, but anything reaching West Texas or the Panhandle covers serious distance.
Can you deliver to a port warehouse for export?
Yes. We move vehicles to port warehouses in Houston and Galveston regularly. Tell us the receiving deadline when you request your quote rather than after booking, so we can build the schedule around it.
Can my car be picked up from my house?
Usually yes. If your street can't safely accommodate a full-size car carrier, the driver arranges an accessible meeting point nearby. This is common in newer master-planned suburbs with narrow streets and cul-de-sacs.
Can you ship a full-size truck?
Yes. Full-size trucks and large SUVs take more room on the trailer than a sedan, so they cost more, and lifted or modified vehicles need to be declared when you request your quote so the carrier can plan the load.
Can you ship a car that doesn't run?
In most cases yes. Tell us when you request your quote, because the carrier may need a winch or additional equipment to load it, which affects the price.
Can I leave personal belongings in the vehicle?
Carrier policies vary. Ask before placing anything inside, and never use the vehicle in place of a household goods shipment. Items left inside are generally not covered by the carrier's insurance.
Is my vehicle insured during transport?
Carriers are required to carry cargo insurance. You can review your assigned carrier's insurance details and the vehicle inspection report before transport begins.
How far in advance should I book?
One to two weeks before your preferred pickup date usually gives the most flexibility, though shipments can often be arranged on shorter notice.
When do I pay?
Nothing is due when you book. The HippoHaul fee is charged once a carrier is assigned, and the carrier fee is paid directly to the driver on delivery.
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