Boston auto transport takes local know-how. Colonial-era streets in the North End and Beacon Hill were never designed for an 18-wheeler, Storrow Drive and Memorial Drive are off limits to trucks, and the Big Dig tunnels under downtown carry their own restrictions. For car shipping Boston MA, that means choosing smart meeting points and routes before the truck ever leaves. We plan each pickup and delivery so the carrier can reach you safely and you are not left waiting on a curb that no hauler can use.
The calendar matters as much as the map. Every fall, students arrive by the thousands for Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Northeastern, Boston College and Tufts, and September 1 lease turnover floods Allston, Brighton and Somerville with moving trucks. In October and November, snowbirds send cars south to Florida, then bring them home in April and May. Winter nor'easters can trigger snow emergencies and parking bans on main roads, which may push a pickup back by a day or two.
Tolls are part of nearly every route in and out of the city. The Mass Pike, the Tobin Bridge and the Ted Williams, Sumner and Callahan tunnels all use all-electronic tolling through E-ZPass, and carriers plan those costs into the trip. Sahara Auto Transport plans open and enclosed shipping throughout Greater Boston, from Quincy to Newton to the North Shore, with a team available 7 days a week to help you pick the right date.
Service area
Boston car transport, door to door
Back Bay and Beacon Hill
Brownstone blocks with resident permit parking and tight one-way streets, so loading often happens on a wider road like Beacon Street during off-peak hours.
North End
Some of the narrowest streets in the city, which usually means a short walk to a meeting point near the Greenway or Commercial Street.
Seaport and South Boston
New high-rise garages that trucks cannot enter, plus space savers on residential streets after snowstorms, so curbside handoffs are planned in advance.
Cambridge and Somerville
Harvard and MIT move-ins peak in late August, and Memorial Drive truck restrictions mean carriers approach from other roads.
Allston and Brighton
September 1 lease turnover makes the first week of September the toughest time for street access in these student-heavy neighborhoods.
Newton and Brookline
Leafy residential streets with winter parking bans, reached from the Mass Pike and Route 9, where main roads usually have room for a hauler.
Ship a car to Boston
Students, medical residents, biotech hires and young professionals are the people who most often ship a car to Boston. If you are moving into a dorm or an apartment in Fenway, Allston or Cambridge, check parking first: many buildings have no spaces, resident permits can take time, and some universities limit student vehicles. Arrange a garage spot or permit before the car arrives so it has somewhere to go once the driver hands over the keys.
Delivery itself usually happens where the truck can legally stop, such as a wide avenue, a supermarket lot or a commercial area near the highway. Drivers will call ahead to confirm. Avoid late August and the first days of September if your schedule allows, and keep an eye on snow forecasts in winter, since a declared snow emergency can make on-street unloading impossible until plows clear the roads.
Ship a car from Boston
The most common reason to ship a car from Boston is the annual snowbird trip to Florida. From October through December, cars head south toward Naples, Sarasota, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, then come back in spring. Graduates leaving for jobs in New York, Washington, Chicago or California add another wave in May and June, as do families relocating for work or to be closer to grandchildren.
For pickup, choose a spot with room for the truck to pull over, brush any snow off the car and remove your E-ZPass transponder so the carrier's tolls are not charged to your account. A quarter tank of fuel is plenty. If you are a snowbird, booking several weeks before your preferred date in late fall helps, since southbound trucks fill quickly once the weather turns cold.
Pricing
Boston car shipping cost
Estimated prices from Boston to popular destinations, updated November 2026. The same ranges apply in the other direction.
Boston → New York, NY
215 miles · 1 to 2 days
- Sedan, open
- $450 to $575
- SUV, open
- $525 to $675
Boston → Washington, DC
440 miles · 1 to 2 days
- Sedan, open
- $625 to $800
- SUV, open
- $700 to $900
Boston → Chicago, IL
985 miles · 2 to 4 days
- Sedan, open
- $900 to $1,125
- SUV, open
- $1,025 to $1,300
Boston → Orlando, FL
1,310 miles · 3 to 5 days
- Sedan, open
- $1,025 to $1,300
- SUV, open
- $1,175 to $1,475
Boston → Fort Lauderdale, FL
1,480 miles · 3 to 5 days
- Sedan, open
- $1,075 to $1,375
- SUV, open
- $1,225 to $1,575
Boston → Los Angeles, CA
2,985 miles · 7 to 10 days
- Sedan, open
- $1,500 to $1,900
- SUV, open
- $1,725 to $2,175
Estimates, not quotes. Your exact price depends on addresses, vehicle, condition, season and carrier availability. Non-running vehicles usually add $150 to $250.
What moves the price in Boston
- City access: tight streets in the North End, Beacon Hill and Back Bay can require a meeting point or a smaller truck, which affects scheduling.
- Snowbird season: southbound demand to Florida peaks in fall and northbound demand in spring, and the Boston car shipping cost can rise when trucks fill up.
- Tolls and routing: E-ZPass tolls on the Mass Pike, the Tobin Bridge and the harbor tunnels, plus truck bans on Storrow Drive, shape the carrier's route.
- Winter weather: nor'easters and snow emergencies can delay pickups, and some owners choose enclosed trailers to keep salt and slush off their paint.
- Student calendar: late August and early September are crowded weeks across Allston, Brighton, Cambridge and Fenway, so flexible dates help.
Boston vehicle shipping
Boston vehicle shipping covers students' first cars, family SUVs and the many sedans that spend winters in Florida. We also arrange moves for medical staff at the Longwood hospitals, researchers relocating to Kendall Square biotech jobs, and collectors who prefer enclosed transport for classics and sports cars. Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford brings occasional military moves, and New England dealers regularly ship trade-ins and new units across the region and beyond.
Car shipping companies in Boston
Comparing car shipping companies in Boston? Ask each one how they handle narrow streets, truck-restricted parkways and snow emergencies, and whether the quote explains the pickup window clearly. Confirm that the assigned carrier has active federal authority and insurance. At Sahara, we plan around Boston's quirks rather than hoping the truck can squeeze through, and we keep you updated from booking to delivery. Our office is in Hollywood, Florida, so the Florida end of the snowbird route is home turf for us. Call 888-509-8666, open 7 days a week.