How to plan a coast-to-coast vehicle shipment around your move, with realistic timelines and money-saving tips.
Why ship instead of drive across the country
A cross-country drive sounds romantic until you are on day three of five, paying for hotels and adding a thousand-plus miles to your odometer. Shipping the car lets you fly and arrive to a vehicle that is already there.
Long-distance routes are also where shipping offers the best value per mile.
Realistic timelines
Coast-to-coast shipments typically take 7–10 days in transit once picked up, depending on route, weather and the carrier's schedule. Build a little buffer into your plans rather than scheduling the car to arrive the same hour you do.
If your timeline is tight, expedited service can compress it.
Open or enclosed for the long haul
Most standard vehicles ship open even cross-country, for the best value. For luxury, exotic or classic cars, enclosed transport is worth considering on a long trip to protect against cumulative road exposure.
Your specialist will help you weigh value against protection for your specific vehicle.
Plan and save
Book a week or two ahead, keep pickup dates flexible, and provide accessible addresses near main routes to get the best rate. Remember the per-mile cost actually drops on long routes, so coast-to-coast is more efficient than it sounds.
Tell Neptune your route and dates and we will handle thousands of miles so you do not have to.