Boat Trailer Shipping

Low Cost, Coast to Coast Transport for Boat Trailers, Empty or with the Boat Aboard

Calculate your boat trailer shipping rate in 3 easy steps!

Get your free boat trailer transport quote now by completing the form below

Origin & Destination

Pickup Location

Delivery Location

boat trailer details

Equipment

Description

Ship Via

Shipment Details

Continue We respect your privacy and do not distribute any personal information

How an Empty Boat Trailer Ships

An empty trailer is deck freight, and there are three sensible ways to move it. Most ride a flatbed or a step deck, strapped at the frame with the tongue jack blocked; a small trailer often shares the deck with other freight, which is the cheapest option when your dates are flexible. Dealers and manufacturers nest several trailers into one stacked load, which cuts the per unit cost sharply. And when the trailer is fully road legal, with working lights, brakes, sound tires, and good bearings, tow away service puts an insured driver on the ball hitch and the trailer travels on its own wheels. For other trailer types, from utility to gooseneck, see our trailer shipping service.

Shipping the Boat and Trailer Together

When the boat stays on its bunks, the trailer becomes the shipping cradle and the numbers change. Overall height is the figure to watch: a boat on its trailer on a deck can pass 13 feet 6 inches quickly, which is why we measure to the highest hard point, the windshield frame, the tower, or the hardtop, before dispatch and not at the loading ramp. Beam matters too: a hull over 8 feet 6 inches wide makes the move a permitted load whether it is decked or towed. For the vessel itself, including haul out coordination and permits on larger hulls, our boat and yacht shipping service covers the marine side in full.

Here’s Why SAC is the Smart Choice for Boat Trailer Shipping Services

Empty Trailer, Right Method

A single axle jet ski trailer and a 40 foot triple axle yacht trailer are different jobs. We match the method to the trailer: strapped on a flatbed deck, nested with other trailers on a dealer move, or towed on its own wheels by an insured driver, whichever prices best for your lane.

Boat on the Trailer? Planned Too

If the vessel rides along, the move is planned around the boat: overall height is measured before dispatch, bunks and straps are inspected, and the load goes to a carrier who handles marine freight routinely.

Firm Quotes, No Deposit

Your boat trailer quote is priced for the exact trailer, lane, and loading method, then locked before dispatch. No deposit is taken until a carrier is assigned to your move, and the trailer condition is documented at pickup and delivery.

Why Clients Trust Ship A Car Inc.

Preparing a Trailer for Transport

Ten minutes of preparation prevents most transit claims. Remove or tie down everything that can leave the trailer at 65 miles per hour: the spare tire, the winch strap and crank handle, guide poles, and loose bunks or pads. Lock or pin the coupler, raise and secure the tongue jack, and check the tire pressure and the lights if the trailer will be towed rather than decked. On a boat and trailer move, pull the drain plug, empty the live wells and the water tank, tie down or remove the bimini and the canvas, secure the outboard in the trailering position, and lock the cabin. Photograph the trailer from all four corners, including the VIN plate and the tires, before pickup; condition goes on the bill of lading at both ends so the paper trail is complete from day one.

Dealers, Manufacturers, and Seasonal Moves

Boat trailer freight follows the water. Dealers restock from late winter into spring, manufacturers ship new trailers to the coasts all year, and private owners reposition ahead of the season, north in early summer and south before the first freeze. Florida, the Great Lakes states, Texas, and the Carolinas generate most of what we see, with the snowbird pattern moving boats and trailers alongside the cars in the same weeks. Booking two or three weeks ahead of those peaks holds a better rate and a firmer date; a trailer booked the week the marina closes competes with everyone else who waited.

What Moves the Price of a Trailer Shipment

Length with the tongue, width, weight, and axle count set the footprint; the lane and the season set the market; and the method, shared deck space, a dedicated truck, or tow away, sets the structure of the cost. A short single axle trailer that shares a flatbed on a busy lane is a routine, inexpensive move. A long triple axle trailer that fills a deck by itself, or a boat and trailer package that needs a step deck for height, is priced as its own load. A road legal trailer that can be towed usually beats both on a long lane. Your coordinator prices the options and says which one wins, and the quote is firm before dispatch.

Height, Beam, and the Permit Line

The two numbers that decide whether a loaded boat trailer is a routine move or a permitted one are the height and the beam. Height over 13 feet 6 inches on the deck, or 14 feet in some western states, needs a permit and sometimes a route survey; beam over 8 feet 6 inches needs a permit everywhere, and past about 12 feet escort vehicles appear. Most trailerable boats under 26 feet stay legal on a step deck or on their own wheels; center consoles with towers, cabin cruisers, and anything with a hardtop are the ones to measure carefully. If the boat is close to a limit, removing the tower or the radar arch for the trip is often cheaper than the permit, and your coordinator will run it both ways.

Tow Away: When It Works and When It Does Not

Tow away is the cheapest way to move a road legal trailer a long distance, because there is no deck to pay for. It only works when the trailer can pass a roadside inspection: a current registration or a transport tag, lights and brakes that function, tires with real tread and a date code the driver will accept, bearings that have been serviced, and a coupler that matches a standard ball. A trailer that has sat in a marina yard for two seasons usually fails at least one of those, and the driver will refuse it at pickup. If you are not sure, send photographs of the tires and the coupler with the booking and your coordinator will say which method to plan for. A trailer with the boat aboard can be towed as well, subject to the same checks plus the height and beam limits.

Who Ships Boat Trailers With Us

Dealers restocking trailers for the spring and moving inventory between stores, manufacturers pushing new trailers to the coasts, buyers who found the right used trailer or the right boat and trailer package several states away, private owners repositioning between a northern lake and a southern coast, and marinas and storage yards clearing trailers at the end of a season. Multi trailer dealer loads and single moves for a private owner price very differently, and telling your coordinator which one you are books the right truck the first time.

Boat Trailer Questions We Answer Every Week

Can the boat stay on the trailer? Yes, once the height and the beam are measured and the hull is strapped at the tie points. Does the trailer have to be road legal to ship? Only for tow away; on a deck, the running gear does not matter. Can two trailers ship together? Yes, nested or side by side on one deck, and dealer loads are priced that way. Do I need to be there? An adult who can sign the bill of lading has to be at both ends. What about a trailer with bad tires? It ships on a deck, not under tow. What does it cost? Footprint, lane, season, and method set the price, so the calculator gives a starting figure and the coordinator firms it before dispatch. Is it insured? Every carrier carries active cargo insurance that we verify before assignment.

Book Boat Trailer Shipping with Ship A Car, Inc.

Measure the trailer before you call: overall length including the tongue, width at the fenders, height as it sits, with the boat on it if the boat is going, weight, and axle count, plus both ZIP codes. Then start with the freight shipping cost calculator or call (866) 452-3657. A dedicated coordinator confirms the method, dispatches a vetted carrier, and stays your single point of contact from pickup to delivery. If a car or a truck is moving in the same week, say so and one coordinator holds both bookings.

From the quote to your driveway.

Lock in your price today

CALCULATE YOUR SHIPPING RATE IN 3 EASY STEPS!

Ready to transport your boat trailer with SAC?

Pickup Location

Delivery Location

Shipment Details

Continue

Ready to set up your transport with SAC Today?

Our transport representatives are available by calling (866) 452-3657 to answer all your questions.

Get an instant quote NOW

All Alaska & Hawaii Classic Cars Heavy Haul Industry News Luxury Cars Military Specialty Transport Tips-Tricks Useful