Louisiana Car Shipping

On an open carrier, a running sedan costs $550 to $850 between Houston and New Orleans or between Shreveport and New Orleans, $800 to $1,150 between New Orleans and Orlando, $950 to $1,300 between Chicago and Baton Rouge, $1,000 to $1,400 between New York and New Orleans, and $1,200 to $1,550 between Los Angeles and New Orleans. Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and other Louisiana pickups are figured the same way, by the distance of the trip. For distances beyond the Houston and Los Angeles runs, see the car shipping cost guide.

Counted from loading, New Orleans is 1-2 days from Houston or Shreveport and 1-2 days from Orlando, Baton Rouge is 2-3 days from Chicago, and New Orleans is 3-4 days from New York and 3-5 from Los Angeles. Pickup along I-10 usually comes a few days after the car is ready, and from June through November a storm in the Gulf can push that back, so leave some slack in the schedule.

Shipping runs normally almost all season; what changes is planning discipline. When a named storm approaches the Gulf, carriers reroute or pause for a few days and pickups compress before landfall windows. If you are moving between June and November, build a little slack into the schedule, and if a storm is forecast, call early; capacity out of the coast goes first.

Yes. The assigned carrier’s cargo policy covers the car from pickup to delivery, whether it leaves Lafayette or Shreveport, and we confirm the policy and the carrier’s operating authority before it is assigned. Inspect the car with the driver at pickup and again at delivery, photograph it in good light both times since Gulf humidity hides scratches, and keep the signed bill of lading, the record any claim relies on.

The customary allowance is one soft bag under about 100 pounds in the trunk, with the cabin empty. Contents fall outside the carrier’s policy, and loaded cars draw attention at overnight stops on the I-10 corridor. Household goods belong with the movers.

Open is the standard here and the lower price, and it stands up to Gulf weather. Enclosed earns its premium, about a third more, for collector metal, restored classics headed to car shows and anything with paint you treat as an investment; if the car is simply your commute, ship it open.

Door-to-door service reaches the whole state. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Shreveport addresses usually take the truck at or near the door, while bayou and back-road addresses meet it at the nearest highway town. In the French Quarter and Uptown a 75-foot rig cannot work the streets, so the handoff moves to a wide lot nearby.

Empty the cabin and trunk before the driver arrives: boxes from the move, fishing and hunting gear, electronics, and paperwork. Carrier cargo insurance protects the vehicle only, and loose items slide around on the long I-10 run between Texas and Florida. A small bag of soft goods in the trunk is sometimes fine; ask your coordinator first.

Gulf humidity, pollen, and river grime hide scratches, so wash the car and photograph every panel, the wheels, the glass, and the roof in daylight the day before pickup. Dated pictures are the record that settles any question at delivery, and they speed the driver’s report at a Baton Rouge or Metairie curb.

Bag any toll transponder before loading; the truck may cross tolled bridges and neighboring states’ gantries. If your street floods easily or sits deep in a parish, set the meet-up spot at booking so pickup day has no surprises.

Aim for a quarter tank: enough to load, unload, and reach a station in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or Lafayette, and no more. The hauler crosses scales at the Texas and Mississippi lines, and extra fuel is weight it does not need on the Atchafalaya causeway.

A car with an active oil or coolant leak may be refused at pickup, since it drips onto the vehicle racked below. Have leaks fixed first. Louisiana heat and humidity shorten battery life, so test one that has been sitting, and tell your coordinator about a lifted truck, a sticky parking brake, or an alarm that trips easily.

A 75 to 80 foot hauler cannot get into the French Quarter, down a bayou lane or through a gated subdivision. Choose a wide, firm lot close by, such as a supermarket or big-box parking area off I-10 or the nearest highway, and the handoff takes only a few minutes.

At pickup an adult signs the bill of lading and hands over the keys; at delivery an adult inspects the car and signs again. Fort Polk and Barksdale families, and offshore workers on rotation, often cannot be there in person, so name a spouse, sponsor, or neighbor for either end when you book.