Shipping a car out of Los Angeles, the Big Bear way
Every day, hundreds of car carriers load in Los Angeles County and head east on the 10, north on the 5, or down toward the border on the 405. That volume is the single biggest reason shipping a car from LA is cheaper and faster than from almost anywhere else in the West. A driver who drops a load in Pasadena rarely has to wait long to fill the empty slot, and that competition shows up in your price.
Big Bear Car Shipping puts that market to work for you. Enter your pickup and delivery ZIP codes above, tell us about the vehicle, and our pricing engine returns a live, all-in number built on what carriers are actually charging on your lane this week. If you prefer to talk it through, the Los Angeles desk at (323) 616-1695 is staffed by coordinators who know the difference between a pickup in the Hollywood Hills and one in a Torrance cul-de-sac.
Where we pick up in Los Angeles
We arrange door-to-door service across the city and the county. The "door" part has a practical limit: a loaded car hauler is around 75 to 80 feet long and 13.5 feet tall, so it can't make the hairpins on Mulholland or squeeze down a one-lane street in Silver Lake. In those cases the driver will ask to meet at the nearest wide, flat spot, which is often a supermarket lot or a cross street a few blocks away. Your coordinator confirms the exact meeting point before the truck arrives.
Neighborhoods and nearby cities we serve every week include:
Popular routes from Los Angeles
These are the lanes our Los Angeles customers book most often. Transit time starts the day the car is loaded; the pickup window before that is usually one to five days in LA, and often shorter because of how much capacity moves through the region.
| Route | Distance | Transit | Open carrier est.* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles → Phoenix, AZ | 370 mi | 1–2 days | $450–$650 |
| Los Angeles → Las Vegas, NV | 270 mi | 1–2 days | $400–$600 |
| Los Angeles → Denver, CO | 1,015 mi | 3–4 days | $800–$1,050 |
| Los Angeles → Seattle, WA | 1,135 mi | 3–4 days | $800–$1,100 |
| Los Angeles → Dallas, TX | 1,440 mi | 4–5 days | $900–$1,200 |
| Los Angeles → Houston, TX | 1,550 mi | 4–5 days | $950–$1,250 |
| Los Angeles → Chicago, IL | 2,015 mi | 5–7 days | $1,100–$1,450 |
| Los Angeles → Atlanta, GA | 2,175 mi | 5–7 days | $1,150–$1,500 |
| Los Angeles → Miami, FL | 2,730 mi | 7–9 days | $1,300–$1,650 |
| Los Angeles → New York, NY | 2,790 mi | 7–9 days | $1,300–$1,700 |
*Estimates for a standard running sedan on an open carrier with a flexible pickup window. Enclosed, oversized, inoperable and expedited shipments price differently. Your instant quote reflects live rates for your exact ZIPs.
What drives the cost of shipping a car from LA
Distance is the starting point, but it is far from the only factor. On a run to Phoenix you pay a higher rate per mile because the driver has fixed costs to load and unload no matter how short the trip. Cross-country lanes to New York or Miami cost more in total but far less per mile. Beyond distance, four things move your Los Angeles quote the most:
- Vehicle size and weight. A Civic takes one slot. A lifted F-250 or an Escalade takes a slot and a half, and the price reflects it.
- Open or enclosed. Enclosed trailers protect against sun, road debris and curious eyes, and they cost roughly 40 to 60 percent more. Most LA shipments go open.
- Timing. A flexible pickup window lets dispatch slot you onto the next truck with space. A hard date, or a pickup inside 48 hours, moves you to expedited pricing.
- Season. Late spring and summer are peak season as families relocate and students leave USC, UCLA, Loyola Marymount and the Cal States. January through March is the softest window for outbound LA rates, except for snowbird traffic heading back east.
Local logistics: freeways, traffic and the Grapevine
Carriers serving Los Angeles stage in the industrial corridors of Vernon, Commerce, Carson and the San Fernando Valley, and many drivers plan residential pickups for mid-morning or early afternoon to stay out of the worst traffic on the 405 and the 101. If you can be flexible on time of day, you make the driver's life easier and your pickup more predictable.
Northbound shipments to the Bay Area, Oregon and Washington cross Tejon Pass on Interstate 5. The Grapevine closes a handful of times each winter for snow or ice, and when it does, Caltrans holds trucks at the bottom until it reopens. Your coordinator will tell you if a closure is in the forecast and what it means for your delivery day. Eastbound runs on the 10 and the 15 are rarely affected by weather, though summer heat in the desert makes an enclosed trailer worth considering for a vehicle with a sensitive paint finish or interior.
Open versus enclosed for Los Angeles shipments
Nine out of ten vehicles leaving LA ride on an open carrier, the same type of trailer that delivers new cars to dealerships on Figueroa and Van Nuys Boulevard. For a daily driver, open transport is the sensible choice. Enclosed makes sense for a different set of cars: a Porsche coming out of a Beverly Hills garage, a restored Mustang headed to a buyer in Texas, a low-clearance exotic that would scrape on a standard ramp, or anything with a value that would make you nervous watching it merge onto the 10 behind a gravel truck. Enclosed carriers in Southern California tend to have liftgates and soft tie-downs, and they run fewer cars per load, which is part of why they cost more.
Who ships from Los Angeles
The LA desk handles a wide mix of shipments. Relocations are the largest group: people moving to Austin, Nashville, Phoenix and Denver who would rather fly than drive a second car across the desert. Dealers and private buyers ship cars purchased at auction, including vehicles coming out of the big Copart and Manheim yards in the Valley and the Inland Empire. Entertainment production companies move picture cars and talent vehicles on a schedule. Snowbirds leaving for Arizona in the fall and returning in spring book both legs at once. Military families at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo ship on PCS orders. Parents send a car to a student starting at a school out of state. Whatever the reason, the process is the same: instant quote, carrier assignment, pickup, delivery.
Preparing your car for pickup in LA
A little preparation keeps the pickup quick. Wash the car so the driver can note any existing scratches accurately on the bill of lading. Leave no more than a quarter tank of fuel; carriers are weight-limited and a full tank adds needless pounds. Remove toll transponders, parking passes and personal items, and fold in the mirrors if you can. If the car has an alarm, disable it or show the driver how. Have a set of keys ready, and if you can't be there in person, any adult you authorize can sign for the car on your behalf. Take your own photos of all four sides before the car is loaded; it takes two minutes and gives you a clean record.
Ready for a number? The quote tool at the top of this page prices your exact ZIP-to-ZIP route in about 30 seconds, with no obligation. Or call the Los Angeles desk and a coordinator will walk you through it.