Portsmouth Auto Transport & Car Shipping

Neptune Auto Transport arranges auto transport and car shipping to and from Portsmouth on open and enclosed carriers, door to door. We move cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles between Portsmouth and the other 47 contiguous states, with the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance verified before loading and one all-inclusive price agreed up front. Portsmouth is separated from Norfolk by the Elizabeth River, and how a driver crosses it is the first thing that gets decided on any booking here.

The tunnels, and why they matter to your quote

Portsmouth connects to Norfolk through the Downtown Tunnel and the Midtown Tunnel, both of which are tolled, and to Chesapeake and Suffolk by surface roads and I-664. For a carrier, a tolled tunnel crossing is a cost and a delay, and the alternative is a longer surface route around the south. Neither is dramatic, but it is one reason drivers like to group Portsmouth work with Chesapeake or Suffolk rather than treating it as an appendage of Norfolk.

It also means the time of day a driver proposes is rarely arbitrary. The tunnels congest at shift change and at rush hour, and an experienced driver will pick a window that avoids both.

The shipyard that is not in Norfolk

Norfolk Naval Shipyard is in Portsmouth, not Norfolk, which confuses a great many customers and occasionally confuses navigation software. If you are arranging a pickup connected to the shipyard, give the Portsmouth address and ZIP rather than relying on the name. Carriers cannot enter the yard, so the pickup is arranged at a public location nearby, and the driver will confirm the exact spot in advance. Military vehicle transport includes a military discount applied at quote time when you mention your service, and we can release or receive a vehicle to an authorized adult if you have already deployed.

Neighborhoods and access

• Olde Towne. One of the larger concentrations of historic homes in the region, with narrow streets, brick surfaces in places and continuous on-street parking. A full-size carrier does not work in it. A meet on a wider street nearby is standard.
• Port Norfolk and Cradock. Early twentieth-century planned neighborhoods with compact street grids. Usually a short meet rather than a door pickup.
• Churchland. Suburban western Portsmouth with wide roads and driveways, oriented toward Chesapeake and Suffolk. The easiest access in the city.
• Victory Boulevard and the commercial corridors. Large lots and good turning room, and the usual fallback meeting area for customers from the older neighborhoods.
• Near the marine terminal. The industrial roads around Portsmouth Marine Terminal are built for heavy trucks, so access is excellent, though drayage traffic is heavy on weekdays.

How car shipping to or from Portsmouth works

You request a quote with both ZIP codes, the vehicle and a rough date, and a specialist calls you back with an all-inclusive price. Once you accept, we dispatch into our vetted carrier network. A reservation fee is collected only after a driver has been assigned, and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery. At pickup and again at delivery you and the driver walk the vehicle and sign a bill of lading recording its condition.

Open or enclosed from Portsmouth

Open carrier transport is the standard choice. Enclosed auto transport is available, with the same regional caveat that applies across Hampton Roads: tall trailers and height-restricted tunnels do not mix well, so the driver may route around via I-664 rather than through the river crossings. Allow extra lead time for enclosed and expect the driver to be specific about the route.

We do not arrange ocean freight. Portsmouth Marine Terminal is a Port of Virginia facility and the question comes up often, but Neptune handles road transport within the 48 contiguous states only.