Colorado Car Shipping

For a standard sedan on an open carrier, the six sample routes run $900 to $1,500 from Los Angeles to Denver and $600 to $900 from Dallas to Denver, two rows that cover cars coming into the state only. The distance rows run $950 to $1,300 between Chicago and Denver, $1,200 to $1,550 between New York and Denver, $800 to $1,150 between Phoenix and Denver and $350 to $550 between Denver and Colorado Springs, and our car shipping cost guide explains how the miles add up.

Counted from loading, Denver to Colorado Springs is a 1 day trip and Phoenix to Denver takes 1-2 days. Los Angeles to Denver and Dallas to Denver take 2-3 days, as does Chicago to Denver, and New York to Denver takes 3-5 days. In winter a storm or a traction-law closure on I-70 can push a mountain pickup back, so leave room in the schedule; Front Range pickups are less exposed to it.

Yes, with a plan made at booking. Steep grades, tight switchbacks and winter chain rules keep full-size rigs off many resort roads, so a high-country delivery often finishes with a smaller truck or a meeting point in Frisco, Glenwood Springs or Gypsum. Arranged that way, Vail and Aspen moves work in any season.

Yes. The assigned carrier’s cargo policy covers the car on I-70 or anywhere else on the route, and we check that policy and the carrier’s authority before the move is assigned. Mag chloride grime from a winter crossing can hide a fresh scratch, so wash the car before pickup, photograph it at both ends and note anything on the bill of lading.

Most carriers tolerate a small amount of soft goods, usually up to about 100 pounds kept in the trunk, but nothing personal is covered by carrier cargo insurance. Ski gear is the classic Colorado temptation; send it with your household shipment instead, keep the cabin empty, and the inspection stays quick at both ends.

For a Colorado move an open trailer is the standard and costs less. Enclosed runs roughly a third more and makes sense for collector cars, low builds or anyone who wants no exposure to Front Range hail in late spring and summer. A commuter car or a ski-trip Subaru rides open.

Door to door anywhere a truck can reach. The I-25 cities from Fort Collins to Pueblo take curbside service on most streets, Grand Junction is reached on I-70, and high-country addresses meet the hauler where a 75-foot rig can work. Gated communities in Highlands Ranch and tight blocks in central Denver usually hand off at a wide lot a few minutes away.

Take the skis, bike racks, roof boxes, and camping gear out before the driver arrives. Carrier cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not what rides inside or on it, and a loaded roof box also changes the height the carrier has to plan for. Your coordinator can sometimes approve one light bag of soft goods in the trunk, so ask before packing it.

Wash off the mag chloride and road grit, then photograph every panel, the windshield, the wheels, and the roof in flat light. Front Range hail leaves marks that look like transit damage, so a dated set of pictures from the day before pickup is the record that keeps the delivery inspection honest.

Remove or bag your ExpressToll transponder before loading so E-470 and express-lane gantries cannot bill a car that is riding a truck. And test the battery: mountain cold finishes off weak ones, usually at delivery.

Aim for a quarter tank. That is enough to load, unload, and reach a station in Denver, Colorado Springs, or Grand Junction, and it keeps weight off a trailer that will climb grades and cross scales on I-70 and I-25. Fill up after delivery instead.

A vehicle that leaks oil or coolant can be refused at pickup, because the fluid drips onto the car below on the trailer. Fix it first. Mountain cold finishes off marginal batteries, so test yours before pickup week, and tell your coordinator about a roof rack, a lift, oversize tires, or a parking brake that sticks so the right trailer height and driver show up.

A loaded hauler is 75 to 80 feet long, too much rig for a Boulder County switchback, a steep resort driveway or a gated community. Choose a big lot nearby, a park-and-ride along I-25 or a supermarket lot works well, and the handoff takes minutes.

At both ends of a Front Range or mountain move, an adult has to be on hand: one to release the keys and sign the bill of lading at pickup, and one to inspect the car and sign at delivery. Ski-season and Fort Carson moves often reach the destination before the owner, so name a spouse, property manager or friend for that end, and plan a mountain delivery in daylight.