Shipping a Car from Texas to California
Cars flow west on this lane every day: dealer purchases heading to California buyers, families moving back, and company transfers to the coast. Because the eastbound relocation wave keeps so many trucks on this corridor, the westbound return trip is a lane carriers actively want to fill.
How much is it to ship a car from Texas to California?
Houston to Los Angeles runs most sedans about $1,350 to $1,650 on an open carrier, Dallas to LA closer to $1,050 to $1,300, and Austin or San Antonio land between. SUVs add a little, enclosed adds roughly 45 percent. Get your exact ZIP-to-ZIP number in ten seconds in our instant calculator, no email or phone number required.
Is the westbound direction priced differently?
Not by us. Our pricing runs on distance, so the same ZIP pair costs the same in either direction, no direction-of-the-week games. Market truck supply shifts week to week, but that is our problem to solve when we assign your carrier, not a surcharge on your quote. The eastbound story is in our California to Texas guide.
Where in Texas do carriers pick up fastest?
The Triangle: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and everything on the highways between them. That footprint holds most of Texas and loads within days. El Paso sits right on the I-10 corridor and loads quickly too, while Panhandle and rural pickups just need a slightly wider window.
Bought a car in Texas from your couch in California?
Texas dealer inventory is deep and priced well, so Californians shop it constantly. We coordinate directly with the dealership or private seller, verify the vehicle at pickup, and run it west. The full order of operations, deposits, releases, and handoffs, is in our guide to shipping a car you bought online.
How long until the car is in California?
Pickup within one to five days of booking, then two to four days on the road along I-10 or I-40. Most Texas to California shipments finish inside a week door to door, all year, because the desert corridor does not do winter.
Common questions on this route
Does Texas to California cost the same as California to Texas?
With us, yes for the same ZIP pair, because our pricing is built on distance, not direction games. Some brokers pad whichever direction has tighter truck supply that week. Your quote here is the same math both ways.
Do you cover all of the Texas Triangle for pickup?
Yes. Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are all dense carrier territory with fast pickups, and everything between them loads easily. West Texas pickups work too with a slightly longer window.
Can you ship a car I bought from a Texas dealer to California?
All the time. Texas has huge dealer inventory and trucks, and Californians buy there constantly. We coordinate pickup directly with the dealership, and our guide on shipping a car you bought online walks the whole handoff.
Will a lifted truck or dually cost more to ship to California?
Oversized vehicles take more deck space and sometimes a specific trailer, so yes, they price above a sedan. Texas ships more big trucks than anywhere, and carriers on this lane are used to them. Email us the specs if it is heavily modified.