No black box. Here's the exact model behind every price on this site — so you can judge it for yourself.
Most "instant quote" tools hide their math behind an email form. We don't. Every estimate here is a transparent calculation from four inputs: distance, vehicle type, transport type and season. Here's each piece.
Auto transport is priced per mile, and the rate drops as distance grows — long hauls are more efficient for carriers. We use blended per-mile bands calibrated to published 2026 carrier rates:
| Route distance | Rate / mile |
|---|---|
| Under 500 mi | $1.30 |
| 500–1,000 mi | $0.92 |
| 1,000–1,500 mi | $0.78 |
| 1,500–2,000 mi | $0.64 |
| Over 2,000 mi | $0.53 |
When you enter cities instead of miles, we compute road distance from city coordinates (great-circle distance × a 1.18 road factor), a method we've checked against real routes to within about ±3%.
Bigger, heavier vehicles take more space on the trailer, so the base is multiplied:
| Vehicle | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedan | ×1.00 |
| SUV / minivan | ×1.08 |
| Pickup truck | ×1.25 |
| EV | ×1.12 |
| Motorcycle | ×0.72 |
Enclosed transport (a fully covered trailer) costs ×1.40 vs. open. Season nudges the price too: peak summer and snowbird months run ×1.10, quiet months ×0.94.
Real quotes vary with carrier availability, exact addresses and timing, so we publish a range (roughly −10% to +12% around the modeled point) rather than pretend to know the exact dollar. For example, a sedan on open transport over 1,435 miles lands at $1,005–$1,255 (typical $1,120).
Carrier rates drift with fuel prices and demand, so we review and refresh the rate bands regularly. These estimates are for planning — always confirm with a live quote before you book.