New Hampshire Car Shipping

On an open carrier, a standard sedan runs $350 to $550 between Manchester and Boston or New York, $550 to $850 between Washington and Manchester, $950 to $1,300 between Chicago and Manchester, $1,000 to $1,400 between Orlando and Manchester, and $1,450 to $1,800 between Los Angeles and Manchester. A three-row SUV, an enclosed trailer or a Lakes Region or North Country address costs more, and our cost guide for car shipping covers New Hampshire trips of other lengths.

Once loaded, Manchester is a day from Boston or New York and 1-2 days from Washington. Chicago is 2-3 days away, Orlando 3-4 and Los Angeles 6-8. The pickup window, set when you book, comes first, and an address on I-93 or the seacoast fits a carrier’s route more easily than a North Country or ski-valley address, which needs extra positioning time.

Yes, in every season, lakes and mountains alike. Laconia, Wolfeboro and the Winnipesaukee towns take cars all year, with summer cottage openings and Motorcycle Week in June marking the busy weeks. North Conway, Lincoln, and the ski valleys take deliveries year-round, though a steep resort road usually means meeting the hauler at the base village or the nearest US-302 or I-93 exit, planned in advance.

On a New Hampshire move the carrier’s cargo policy covers the car, and we confirm that policy and the carrier’s federal operating authority before dispatch. Keep your own record as well: photos at pickup, a careful look at delivery, and every mark written on the bill of lading before you sign, with a second look in good light when winter salt film covers the paint.

One soft bag under roughly 100 pounds in the trunk is the accepted courtesy; the cabin stays empty. The carrier’s policy covers the car and not its contents, and weigh stations treat every extra pound the same. Send the ski boots and boxes with the household movers.

Open transport is the standard choice for a Granite State commuter car and the lower price. Enclosed runs about a third more and makes sense for a collector car headed to a summer show, a low car facing gravel lake roads, or a winter delivery you want kept clear of road brine.

Door to door statewide when the street allows it. Manchester, Nashua, Concord, and the seacoast towns generally take direct service. Narrow village centers, lake lanes under old maples, and mountain switchbacks move the handoff to a wide lot nearby, agreed with your coordinator before the truck rolls.

Clear the car before pickup: ski and hockey gear, boxes for the Florida place, electronics, and documents. The carrier’s cargo policy covers the vehicle and nothing inside it, and loose items bounce around on the run down I-93 and I-95. A soft bag in the trunk sometimes rides along, but ask your coordinator before packing it.

Wash off the road salt and sand, then photograph every panel, the wheels, the glass, the roof, and the odometer in daylight the day before pickup. New England winters leave chips and rust bloom that can be mistaken for transit damage, so a dated set of pictures protects everyone at delivery.

New Hampshire’s own turnpikes read E-ZPass, and the truck will pass plenty more gantries between here and anywhere, so foil-bag your transponder before loading. Test the battery as well; a New England cold snap at delivery is a bad time to learn it was marginal.

Aim for a quarter tank: enough to load, unload, and reach a station in Manchester, Nashua, or Portsmouth, without adding weight to a trailer that will cross the turnpike gantries and the Massachusetts scales within the hour. Fill up after delivery.

Drips of oil or coolant are grounds for refusal at pickup, because the fluid falls onto the car below on the trailer. Fix leaks first. A New England cold snap at delivery is the worst time to learn the battery was weak, so test it before pickup week, and tell your coordinator about a plow package, a sticky parking brake, or a manual transmission.

Loaded haulers stretch 75 to 80 feet and stay off narrow village greens, low-canopy lake lanes, and mountain switchbacks. Pick a wide, level meet spot near the highway, a park-and-ride or plaza lot is perfect, and the handoff takes minutes.

Someone over eighteen releases the keys and signs the bill of lading at pickup, and someone over eighteen inspects and signs at delivery. Seacoast and Lakes Region snowbirds usually fly south before the car arrives, so name a neighbor, community manager, or relative at the Florida end when you book, and forward your pickup photos to them.