While many aspects of shipping a pickup truck or heavy-duty truck are the same as those of shipping a sedan, there may be more factors you need to consider.
Many car shipping companies – including Sherpa Auto Transport – will be able to accommodate your pickup truck. Read our guide to learn how truck shipping is similar to and different from car shipping.
Key Takeaways:
- Truck transport involves shipping your vehicle through an auto transport service.
- You can expect to pay at least $1,000 for a long-distance pickup truck shipment. Factors such as your route, vehicle size, and transport trailer (open vs enclosed) will impact the price.
- Truck transporters can help save you time and money rather than driving a pickup truck yourself.
In This Review:
- What is Truck Shipping?
- How Does Truck Shipping Work?
- What Are The Main Types of Trucks Commonly Shipped?
- Best Shipping Methods for Trucks
- Preparing Trucks for Shipping
- What Affects Truck Shipping Costs
- How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Truck?
- Popular Auto Transport Routes
- How Long Does it Take to Ship a Truck?
- Truck Shipping FAQs
What Is Truck Shipping?
Truck shipping involves transporting large vehicles—such as pickup trucks, heavy-duty trucks, and utility vehicles—from one location to another. Truck transporters will load your vehicle onto a trailer and ship it to your final destination. It’s a reliable solution for individuals and businesses moving trucks for job relocations, cross-country moves, or recent purchases.
Truck transportation services handle a range of needs, from delivering personal vehicles like a Ford F-150 to sending work trucks to job sites. Many companies also specialize in shipping oversized vehicles, making them a good choice for transporting commercial trucks, work vans, and heavy equipment.
At Sherpa Auto Transport, we offer nationwide, door-to-door truck transport, ensuring a straightforward and stress-free experience. With various options tailored to your schedule and vehicle, we make it easy to transport your truck confidently, no matter the destination.
How Does Truck Shipping Work?
The truck shipping process is similar to car shipping, but you may need to provide more details.
Here are the key steps:
- Determine Your Shipping Needs: Decide if you prefer an open or enclosed trailer for your truck transport based on your needs and budget.
- Get Free Quotes: Use online shipping calculators to get truck shipping quotes. At Sherpa, we provide free instant quotes online or you can give our team of truck transport experts a call.
- Provide Truck Details: Share specifics like oversized tires or lift kits with your provider so they can source the right carrier. Larger trucks may need a specialized trailer.
- Choose a Provider: Select a truck transport company that fits your budget and shipping needs. Book your shipment to lock in your truck transport quote.
- Prepare Your Truck: Limit personal items to 100 lbs or less, remove valuables, accessories, and toll responders.
- Inspect for Existing Damage: When the carrier arrives, inspect your truck for any damage and document its condition with photos.
- Track the Transport: Many companies offer tracking updates. Sherpa customer support can keep you informed throughout the journey.
- Meet at Delivery: Upon delivery, inspect your truck again for any damage and sign the bill of lading to complete the transaction.
What Are The Main Types of Trucks Commonly Shipped?
Truck shipping services accommodate various vehicle types, from light-duty pickups to larger heavy-duty vehicles.
Here are some of the most commonly shipped trucks:
- Light-Duty Pickup Trucks: Smaller trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado are known for their maneuverability. They are often shipped when individuals relocate for work, move homes, or transport vehicles purchased online.
- Full-Size Pickup Trucks: The Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and RAM 1500 are the most frequently shipped trucks. Their balance of power and size makes them ideal for everyday driving and heavy tasks. People typically ship these trucks for work relocations or long vacations.
- Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks: Designed for towing and carrying substantial loads, trucks like the Ford F-250, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, and RAM 2500 are popular among those needing extra strength. They are often shipped for commercial purposes or personal cross-country moves, with higher shipping costs due to their size.
- Dually Vehicles: Dually trucks, equipped with dual rear wheels, offer enhanced stability and towing capacity. Popular models include the Ford F-350 and RAM 3500. These trucks are frequently shipped for commercial use or heavy-duty applications, requiring special consideration during transport due to their wider stance and weight.
Sherpa Auto Transport can transport all these truck types, offering customized shipping options to accommodate their unique dimensions and weight. Whether you’re moving a compact light-duty truck or a powerful heavy-duty model, we provide a secure, reliable solution for shipping popular vehicles nationwide.
Shipping Heavy Duty Trucks
Sherpa Auto Transport and other leading vehicle shipping companies can help transport your heavy duty truck. When you request a quote, provide additional information about your vehicle, including any after-market modifications.
The size of your pickup truck will affect the truck shipping price. Larger vehicles with more weight, such as a heavy duty truck, will cost more to ship than a smaller vehicle.
Best Shipping Methods for Trucks
When shipping a truck, open and enclosed trailers are the most popular methods. Each has unique benefits based on your needs, vehicle type, and budget.
Open Trailer Transport
Open trailers are the most cost-effective option, loading your truck alongside other vehicles on an open carrier.
This method is:
- Affordable: Costs are shared among multiple customers, making it budget-friendly.
- Widely Available: More scheduling flexibility due to the high availability of open carriers.
- Easy to Inspect: Offers good visibility for inspecting your truck during loading and unloading.
Open trailers expose vehicles to the elements, but they’re safe and reliable for many trucks, especially for short-distance moves.
Enclosed Trailer Transport
Enclosed transport provides premium protection, ideal for valuable, classic, or customized trucks.
Key benefits include:
- Protection: Shields your truck from weather and road debris.
- Security: Adds privacy, reducing the risk of theft or tampering.
- Peace of Mind: Extra care for high-value or rare trucks.
Keep in mind that enclosed transport will increase the cost of your truck shipment since there is limited carrier availability.
Sherpa Auto Transport offers both options nationwide to have your truck delivered safely.
Preparing Trucks for Shipping
Properly preparing for a truck transport helps ensure a smooth transport process and minimizes the risk of damage.
Follow these steps to get your truck ready:
- Clean the Exterior and Interior: Wash your truck thoroughly inside and out. A clean vehicle makes it easier to spot any existing scratches, dents, or other damage before shipping.
- Document Existing Damage: Take detailed photos of your truck from multiple angles to document its condition. Note any existing dents, scratches, or other marks, and share this with your transporter for reference.
- Limit Personal Items: Clear out all valuables from your truck, including any items in the glove compartment, truck bed, and storage compartments. Your shipment includes up to 100lbs of personal items stored below the window line.
- Secure or Remove Accessories: Remove or secure any external accessories, such as roof racks, bike racks, or custom antennae. Fold in side mirrors and retract antennas to prevent damage during transport.
- Check Fluid Levels and Battery: Ensure your truck’s battery is fully charged, and check fluid levels, including engine oil, coolant, and brake fluid. Look for any leaks and fix them beforehand, as leaks can lead to transport delays.
- Disable Alarms and Toll Tags: Turn off any vehicle alarms to prevent them from going off during transit. Also, remove or deactivate toll tags to avoid accidental charges along the route.
Following these steps can help ensure your truck is safely prepared for its journey and make the transport process as seamless as possible.
What Affects Truck Shipping Costs
While it’s helpful to understand the basics of truck transport ahead of time, we recommend getting car shipping quotes online based on your specific needs. That way, the specifics of your truck transport and market conditions will be taken into account.
In addition, a vehicle shipping expert can help provide recommendations to save on your truck transport. Give our team a call at (877) 850-1231.
Factors That Affect Truck Shipping Costs
There are several factors that affect how much truck shipping will cost.
These include:
- Shipping distance: Long-distance shipments cost less per mile but more overall.
- Pickup truck size: Shipping a heavy duty truck will typically cost more than a standard truck. If you are shipping an oversized vehicle, a flatbed truck
- Transport type: Open auto transport is the cheapest way to ship a vehicle. Enclosed auto transport can be over 50% more expensive and is generally used to ship classic cars and luxury vehicles.
- Vehicle operability: If your truck isn’t driveable, it may require a winch or crane to load, adding to the cost of your transport.
- Pickup and drop-off locations: Shipments to and from rural areas take more time and fuel to complete, so they cost more than shipments to and from urban locations.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Truck?
To get a base estimate for your truck transport, use the cost-per-mile tables below and multiply the mileage of your transport by the price ranges listed. Note that these prices are based on shipping an operable vehicle on an open carrier, and your cost will vary based on shipment details and market conditions.
| Shipment Mileage | Price per Mile |
|---|---|
| 0 to 500 miles | $1.55 to $2.50 |
| 501 to 1,000 miles | $1.00 to $1.45 |
| 1,001 to 1,500 miles | $0.80 to $1.10 |
| 1,501 to 2,000 miles | $0.65 to $0.90 |
| 2,001 to 2,500 miles | $0.55 to $0.75 |
| 2,500+ miles | $0.50 to $0.65 |
Popular Auto Transport Routes
For estimates based on popular routes, especially for long-distance transports, use the table below. Again, it’s important to note that these price ranges are for open transport of an operable vehicle, and your cost for truck shipping will likely be different.
| Route | Est. Price |
|---|---|
| New York City to Miami | $1,100 to $1,400 |
| New York City to Los Angeles | $1,325 to $1,625 |
| Los Angeles to New York City | $1,350 to $1,925 |
| Miami to New York City | $1,000 to $1,525 |
| Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles | $1,225 to $1,475 |
| Los Angeles to Dallas | $1,025 to $1,375 |
| San Francisco to New York City | $1,425 to $1,875 |
| Chicago to Phoenix | $1,050 to $1,225 |
| Atlanta to Los Angeles | $1,100 to $1,475 |
| San Francisco to Washington, D.C. | $1,225 to $1,650 |
How Long Does it Take to Ship a Truck?
Factors such as your specific route and your trailer type (open vs enclosed transport) will impact the time it takes to ship a truck. In general, truck shipping can take anywhere from one day for short trips to a week or longer for cross-country shipments. Ocean transport and specialized vehicle shipments will add on more time.
When you receive a quote for your truck shipment, Sherpa provides the estimated transit time. While your vehicle is in transit, we provide frequent status updates and you can always contact our team. We’re here to help!
Truck Shipping FAQs
How much does truck shipping cost?
Your cost for truck shipping will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your truck and the distance of your shipment. For a base estimate, truck shipping usually costs between 50 cents and $1.50 per mile for a cross-country shipment.
Is there a way to track my truck's progress?
During your truck transport, our Sherpa team provides frequent updates on the progress of your shipment. You can always call or email our team for an update.
Can I pack items in my truck to ship?
Your Sherpa pickup truck shipment includes up to 100 lbs of personal items stored in the vehicle. However, all valuables should be removed as Sherpa and the carrier are not responsible for items stored during transport.
Should I drive my truck across the country or ship it?
For shipments of 1,000 miles or more, its typically more cost-effective to ship your truck rather than drive it.