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Truck Shipping Costs and Procedures

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Crash Course:

  • While it’s easy to ship a pickup truck, fewer companies transport heavy-duty models.
  • Comparing truck transport quotes is the best way to find low rates and efficient services.
  • Montway Auto Transport, American Auto Shipping, AmeriFreight, and uShip are top choices for truck shipping.

Featured Car Shipping Companies

We reviewed the industry’s top car shipping providers. Here are our featured picks:

Best Service Options
Montway

Our Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0

See Plans

On Montway’s Website

(844) 601-0286

Or Call Montway Directly

Best Customer Experience
SGT

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

See Plans

On SGT’s Website

(864) 635-4879

Or Call SGT Directly

Best Value
Sherpa

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

See Plans

On Sherpa’s Website

(888) 916-6358

Or Call Sherpa Directly

Easy Online Quotes
Nexus

Our Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0

See Plans

On Nexus’ Website

(224) 286-8173

Or Call Nexus Directly

Truck shipping is often easy for those looking to move a standard pickup truck, but drivers may face more challenges with larger vehicles. That’s because bigger models can be unwieldy to handle and carry extra weight that could increase your overall costs.

Regardless, our research team found four of the best car shipping companies that can handle nearly any truck shipping needs. Whether you’ve got a Ford F-150 or a heavy-duty truck with a lift kit, these providers should be able to quickly cover your auto transportation needs at reasonable rates.

How To Ship a Truck

The ease of transporting a truck depends largely on the type that you’re hoping to move. While it’s routine for auto shippers to haul a Chevrolet Silverado or a Ram 1500, that’s not necessarily true of very large trucks and more specialized models.

Below, we’ll explain the truck shipping process for both standard pickup trucks and heavy-duty models. Whether you’re moving a truck across the country or just a state over, we will run through some steps that could make the move easier.

Pick Your Truck Shipping Provider

The best first step in truck shipping is to compare car shipping quotes online from various providers. By doing so, you’ll discover the best rates available for your vehicle. In the case of less standard models, you may also be able to find out which providers will be able to serve your needs.

Compare instant quotes, per-mile rates, and truck shipping services to make the best decision. Most providers offer free truck transport quotes online that can then be discussed with a representative over the phone or through a live chat.

Immediately picking the company that offers you the lowest rate isn’t always the best move. Trucks are significant investments, so it’s worth opting for a slightly more expensive but more reputable provider that will protect your vehicle during transport.

Choose From Truck Shipping Services

Many of the auto transport options offered by truck moving companies are worth consideration, even if they could slightly boost your overall shipping cost. Here are a few of the most common services available to those who are looking at truck shipping:

  • Open vehicle transport: While your truck will be exposed to the elements and to potential road hazards, open auto transport is the cheapest and most common service. It’s best for budget-conscious movers who are willing to risk potential damages.
  • Enclosed vehicle transport: This service is better for truck owners who want to make sure that their vehicles are safe while on the road. You’ll pay far more than for open transport but could gain peace of mind and significantly reduce risks to your truck.
  • Door-to-door shipping: Those who are moving may prefer door-to-door transport, when the truck is picked up and dropped off as close to a customer’s address as possible.
  • Terminal-to-terminal shipping: On the other hand, truck owners can save money by opting for terminal-to-terminal transport. This means your vehicle’s pickup and dropoff points will be at predetermined locations that may not be quite as convenient for you.
  • Expedited shipping: Rather than waiting one to two weeks for carrier availability, drivers with time constraints can pay extra for vehicles to ship within a few days.
  • Single-car transport: If you don’t want your truck to be shipped alongside other cars, you can have it shipped by itself in a closed container. While this method could greatly increase your truck shipping costs, it will also keep your truck extremely safe. A similar but cheaper type of transport is less than truckload (LTL) shipping, when your truck gets shipped alongside a smaller amount of freight but not completely alone.

You may need to check out nonstandard shipping choices if you’re moving an inoperable truck, if your pickup truck has a lift kit, or if you own a lowrider truck.

Drop Off and Pick Up Your Truck

Once you’ve set up the truck shipping process, you must prepare the vehicle for transport. Remove all personal belongings from the truck on moving day and empty it of anything more than a quarter tank of gas. You’ll also need to inspect your car for damages prior to shipment and should also do so alongside the truck hauler.

When picking up the truck at your final destination, it’s important to perform another inspection. That’s because any new damages must be mentioned before you sign the bill of lading if you’d like to file a claim against the truck shipping company. If your vehicle arrives in perfect condition, you’ll be able to quickly sign off on the bill of lading and drive away with your truck.

Heavy-Duty Trucks Require Different Trailers

Heavy-duty truck shipping requires nonstandard services compared to regular pickup trucks. That’s because semi trucks, dump trucks, and other large trucks are often heavier and more difficult to handle than other forms of freight.

While your hauler will likely know which type of trailer your truck requires, you can reach out to customer support to learn more. A few common truck shipping options include flatbed trailers, flatbed trucks, lowboy trailers, and step deck trailers.

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How Much Does Truck Shipping Cost?

Truck transportation costs vary based on which company you choose, the size and year of your truck, and where you’re transporting the truck to. Truck shipping companies often change prices based on mileage, so per-mile rates may be less for cross-country moves. If you’re transporting an oversized vehicle or a larger truck, prices will likely be higher than average.

Full-size pickups are more expensive to ship than sedans or crossovers, and prices climb quickly for larger models due to increased weight and the hassle of dealing with bulky vehicles.

Truck Shipping Quotes

Whether you’re moving an oversized model or a typical truck, you’ll find your best prices by getting personalized quotes from multiple companies. We did so for a 2016 Ford F-150 regular cab, long-bed truck and have listed out the quotes we received below. Keep in mind that these are just rate estimates and that your top choices for cheap truck shipping may vary.

Truck Shipping Cost: Montway Auto Transport

Here are the prices we received for shipping the Ford F-150 over a few different distances using Montway Auto Transport:

Miles TraveledType of TransportMontway Auto Transport Estimate
400 milesEnclosed$1,089
1,200 milesOpen$1,419
2,800 milesOpen$2,129

While Montway Auto Transport is known for offering affordable rates to car owners, its truck shipping rates weren’t particularly great here. Remember that prices vary based on location, make and model, and transport type among other factors. In other words, Montway’s rates weren’t very competitive this time but could be among the lowest for other drivers.

Truck Shipping Cost: AmeriFreight

Below are some rate estimates given by AmeriFreight for shipping the same Ford F-150 model:

Miles TraveledType of TransportAmeriFreight Estimate
400 milesOpen$894
1,200 milesEnclosed$2,067
2,800 milesEnclosed$2,525

While over $2,000 may seem high for your truck shipping needs, it’s important to note that those quotes are for enclosed auto transport. That vehicle shipping method will keep your truck safe throughout the move but is also known to be far more expensive than open transport.

Truck Shipping Cost: uShip

Here are the prices we were given when we reached out for instant quotes from uShip:

Miles TraveledType of TransportuShip Estimate
400 milesOpen$657
1,200 milesOpen$1,018
2,800 milesOpen$1,649

uShip had extremely competitive rates for our truck shipping needs. Note that while we got instant quotes from uShip, most drivers find lower prices through the provider’s marketplace.

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Best Truck Shipping Companies

The industry’s best truck shipping companies include Montway Auto Transport, American Auto Shipping, AmeriFreight, and uShip. These providers offer free quotes, various shipping options, and competitive pricing for trucks of all sizes.

Montway Auto Transport: Best Service Options

  • Founded: 2006
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+
  • Availability: All 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii

As a leading car shipping company, Montway Auto Transport has plenty of options to efficiently and affordably move trucks. The company offers door-to-door service, expedited truck deliveries, both open and enclosed shipments, and services to Hawaii and Alaska. Montway Auto Transport is generally known as a provider with low rates, and that claim is backed up by many shippers who use its truck transport services.

Read more: Montway Auto Transport review

American Auto Shipping

  • Founded: 1999
  • BBB rating: A+
  • Availability: All 50 states and the U.S. territories

There’s very little that American Auto Shipping can’t provide car shipping services for. From motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to heavy-duty trucks and heavy equipment, the company can cover most all freight shipping needs. American Auto Shipping has over 20 years of experience and industry know-how, and this is reflected by its 4.7-star rating with the BBB.

AmeriFreight: Best Overall

  • Founded: 2004
  • BBB rating: A+
  • Availability: All 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii

AmeriFreight receives an excellent 4.9-star average score on the BBB, showing that customers appreciate the company’s services. With AmeriFreight, owners looking for extra protection can opt for gap insurance through the company’s AFta plan. AmeriFreight is known to offer discounts for older adults, students, military members, medical personnel, and first responders.

Read more: AmeriFreight review

uShip

  • Founded: 2003
  • BBB rating: A+
  • Availability: All 50 states and international locations

The process with uShip is different from other truck shipping providers. Instead of acting as a transport broker that connects you with available truckers, uShip is a marketplace that lets you select haulers on your own. While listing a truck shipment on uShip could lead to low prices, it could also connect you with less reputable haulers unless you perform careful research before accepting a bid.

Read more: uShip review

Truck Shipping: Conclusion

We found that Montway Auto Transport, American Auto Shipping, AmeriFreight, and uShip are exceptional providers for truck shipping services. Each of these companies is known for low rates and they all offer plenty of auto transport options. We recommend that you compare quotes from these and other legitimate truck shippers to find your lowest rates. Whether you’ve got a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck or a commercial truck, you’ll likely find whatever auto moving services you need.

Featured Car Shipping Companies

We reviewed the industry’s top car shipping providers. Here are our featured picks:

Best Service Options
Montway

Our Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0

See Plans

On Montway’s Website

(844) 601-0286

Or Call Montway Directly

Best Customer Experience
SGT

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

See Plans

On SGT’s Website

(864) 635-4879

Or Call SGT Directly

Best Value
Sherpa

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

See Plans

On Sherpa’s Website

(888) 916-6358

Or Call Sherpa Directly

Easy Online Quotes
Nexus

Our Rating: 4.6 out of 5.0

See Plans

On Nexus’ Website

(224) 286-8173

Or Call Nexus Directly

Truck Shipping: FAQ

Can I put stuff in my truck when I ship it?

Whether you can put stuff in your truck during the shipment depends on your chosen provider. Companies like Montway Auto Transport allow up to 100 pounds of personal items during transport, but many others don’t. That’s because packing your truck full of personal belongings will increase its weight, making transport more expensive.

Is it better to ship or drive my truck?

While driving your vehicle is almost always going to be cheaper, shipping could be the right choice if you’re looking for peace of mind and want to avoid the hassle of a long-distance drive. You’ll also avoid putting extra wear and tear on your vehicle if you opt for truck shipping.

How should I secure my truck before it is shipped?

Immobilization is the best way to secure your vehicle before the shipment begins. Once the truck has been loaded onto its trailer, it should also be kept in place by a series of straps.

Our Methodology

Our expert review team takes satisfaction in providing accurate and unbiased information. We identified the following rating categories based on consumer survey data and conducted extensive research to formulate rankings of the best car shipping companies.

  • Prices: A variety of factors influence cost, so it can be difficult to compare quotes between providers. Our team performs ongoing secret shopper analyses for different vehicles, services, and shipping routes to give this rating.
  • Services: Because each consumer has unique needs, it’s essential that an auto transport company offers an array of services. We take into account the availability of services, ability to guarantee pickup and drop-off dates, and insurance coverage options.
  • Reputation: Our team considers Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings, a company’s history of service, and years in business when giving this score.
  • Customer Service: Reputable car shippers operate with a certain degree of care for consumers. We take into account customer reviews, BBB complaints, and the responsiveness of the customer service team.

*Data accurate at time of publication.