Virginia Car Shipping

For a standard sedan on an open carrier, the table shows $800 to $1,150 between Arlington and Orlando, $1,200 to $1,650 from Norfolk to San Diego, $950 to $1,100 from Richmond to Dallas, $550 to $850 between New York and Richmond, $800 to $1,150 between Chicago and Virginia Beach, and $350 to $550 between Arlington and Norfolk. The San Diego and Dallas figures apply only to cars leaving the state in that direction, and every figure is a range, not a quote. For routes beyond these six, our car shipping cost guide sets out what customers paid by distance.

Once loaded, Arlington to Orlando takes 2-3 days, Norfolk to San Diego 5-7 days, Richmond to Dallas 3-4 days, New York to Richmond 1-2 days, Chicago to Virginia Beach 2-3 days, and Arlington to Norfolk a day. Before loading, allow a pickup window of a few days while a carrier is assigned; with PCS orders, we aim that window at your detach date.

Book as soon as orders are in hand, especially for report dates from May through August, the heavy PCS months in Hampton Roads. We time the pickup window to your detach date, arrange a handoff spot that works with the gate rules and has room for a 75-foot rig, and schedule delivery for a day when you, or someone you name, can sign for the car at the new duty station.

Yes. We verify the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance and operating authority before the car loads, and damage in transit is the carrier’s responsibility, measured against the bill of lading. Walk around the car with the driver at both ends, photograph it, and keep your copy, because that signed record is what settles a claim.

No, beyond the customary single soft bag under about 100 pounds in the trunk. Your PCS movers or household shipment should carry everything else: the carrier’s cargo policy insures the vehicle alone, and a cabin full of boxes at an overnight stop is an invitation. Empty car, clear windows, quick inspections at both ends.

Open transport is the standard, the lower price and the right call for an everyday car. Enclosed costs about a third more and earns it for a collector car or a low-clearance build, and on a deep-winter trip over the Blue Ridge or down I-81 it also keeps road treatment off the paint.

If the whole family is heading to central Florida with the car, it is worth a look; the Auto Train leaves from Lorton in Northern Virginia and runs overnight to Sanford, near Orlando. You pay a fare for each passenger plus one for the vehicle, and you ride along. Door-to-door transport picks the car up at your driveway and leaves you free to fly or drive on another day, so compare the two totals for your own dates.

Take everything out of the car before the driver arrives: boxes from the move, uniforms and gear, electronics, and paperwork. Carrier cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not what is inside it, and loose items slide on the I-95 run. A soft bag in the trunk rides only with your coordinator’s approval.

Tidewater salt air and Northern Virginia road brine both hide small marks, so wash the car and photograph every panel, the wheels, the glass, and the roof in daylight the day before pickup. Dated photos are the baseline for the inspection at the next duty station or wherever the car is going.

Remove or bag your E-ZPass before loading. A live transponder riding an open carrier can rack up express-lane charges on the Beltway and I-95 corridors and tolls in every state the truck crosses.

Leave the tank near a quarter full: enough to load, unload, and reach a station in Norfolk, Richmond, or Arlington, and nothing more. The hauler crosses Beltway express lanes and the corridor’s weigh stations within the hour, and extra fuel is dead weight.

Carriers may refuse a car with an active oil or coolant leak, since the fluid drips onto the vehicle stacked beneath it. Have it repaired first. Humid summers and a year in storage both wear out batteries, so test one that has been sitting, and warn your coordinator about a sticky parking brake, a sensitive alarm, or a manual gearbox.

A loaded hauler runs 75 to 80 feet, too long for base housing streets, the tight townhouse rows of Arlington and Fairfax or most gated communities. Agree on a wide lot nearby, such as a shopping center off the main road, and the handoff takes a few minutes.

An adult must be on hand to release the keys and sign the bill of lading at pickup, and an adult inspects and signs at delivery. Sailors, soldiers, and Marines rotating through Hampton Roads, Quantico, and Belvoir often detach before the car ships, so name a sponsor, spouse, or friend for either end when you book.