5 Best Classic Car Transport Companies

To compare classic car shipping companies, we consider each company’s services, availability, reputation and customer ratings. Our top picks are Montway Auto Transport, Sherpa Auto Transport, AmeriFreight, Easy Auto Ship and uShip. All of these companies offer enclosed auto shipping services and have experience moving classic cars.

#1: Montway Auto Transport: Editor’s Choice

Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating: A+ with accreditation
BBB customer score: nearly 4.6 out of 5.0

Since its founding, Montway Auto Transport has moved more than 1 million vehicles, including thousands of classic and exotic cars. The shipping broker has an extensive network of reliable carriers, so you’re likely to find a classic car carrier that works for your route and schedule.

We also like that Montway has longer business hours than most other shipping companies — you can reach someone by phone until 10 p.m. Central during the week and 9 p.m. on the weekend. This makes it easier for you to keep tabs on your car during the shipping process.

Learn more in our Montway Auto Transport review.

#2: Sherpa Auto Transport: Locked-in Costs

BBB rating: A+ with accreditation
BBB customer score: 4.9

We like Sherpa Auto Transport because it offers locked-in rates, which is somewhat uncommon in the industry. Quotes for classic car transport often change by the time service is booked, but Sherpa promises to contribute up to $300 of its own funds to keep your quote from changing. The shipping broker also has a strong customer service reputation, with a 4.9-star average rating on the BBB’s site.

Learn more in our Sherpa Auto Transport review.

#3: AmeriFreight: Best Add-On Insurance Options

BBB rating: A+ with accreditation
BBB customer score: nearly 4.9

AmeriFreight earns a spot on our list of the best classic auto transport companies for its optional insurance upgrade and its discounts. The AmeriFreight Total Assurance (AFta) Plan adds coverage for types of damage that carrier insurance usually leaves out. And AmeriFreight’s discounts can help seniors, military members, first responders and more save money.

AmeriFreight’s staff enjoys working with classic car enthusiasts to arrange enclosed transport for cherished vehicles, from sports cars to antique motorcycles.

Learn more in our AmeriFreight review.

#4: Easy Auto Ship

BBB rating: A+ with accreditation
BBB customer score: 4.6

Easy Auto Ship carefully moves classic cars across the nation and works with the marketplace ClassicCars to ship vehicles for its customers. Easy Auto Ship lives up to its name with an instant car shipping calculator so you can see how much enclosed shipping would cost for your route. Whether you’re moving across the country or selling your classic car to a fellow enthusiast, Easy Auto Ship is a reliable transportation option for antique car transport.

Learn more in our Easy Auto Ship review.

#5: UShip

BBB rating: A+ with accreditation
BBB customer score: nearly 4.6

Being different from other companies on this list, uShip is a marketplace website where you can post shipping jobs for carriers to bid on. The company’s customers appreciate the service, as shown by its 4.2-star rating average from over 10,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

There are two ways to get shipping prices through uShip: an instant quote service or a marketplace listing. The instant quote service doesn’t include an enclosed shipping option, but you can post a listing to the marketplace with enclosed shipping as a requirement instead. From there, watch as carriers bid rates for moving your classic car.

Learn more in our uShip review.

Our team compared quotes for shipping an operable 1970 Chevrolet Camaro over multiple distances and with different car transport companies. We found the average rates to be about $1,146 for open car shipping and $1,639 for enclosed auto transport. However, costs vary greatly based on mileage.

We included open car shipping costs in this section for comparison’s sake and because some classic cars might do just fine on an open carrier. This could be the case if it’s a project car or a well-loved vintage ride.

Open Classic Car Shipping Costs

Below are average open car shipping rates for classic cars being moved three distances.

Enclosed Classic Car Shipping Costs

Below, you can see rates for classic car shipping using enclosed trailer transport over three distances.

Classic Car Transport Cost per Mile

Our team found that open vehicle transport costs about $1.12 per mile and enclosed car transport costs about $1.62 per mile. That said, per-mile rates change depending on the distance of the shipment. You’ll pay less per mile for longer distances but more overall.

Open Car Shipping Cost by Mile

Below, you can see how average costs per mile for open car shipping decrease as the distance increases.

Enclosed Car Shipping Cost by Mile

Below are average per-mile rates for three distances when using enclosed car transport.

As you shop around, keep these things in mind to find reputable classic car transport services.

Enclosed Shipping Services

If your classic car holds sentimental or decent monetary value, you’ll want to protect it with enclosed car shipping. With this service, your car is secured in a sealed, climate-controlled trailer. You won’t have to worry about heat damaging any finishes or adhesives, and your car will arrive in pristine condition.

The Right Price

It’s always good to know you aren’t overspending on auto transport services. But notice we didn’t tell you to look for the cheapest price. A car transport company can give you a very low quote, but then it has to find a vehicle carrier to do the job. The company may find an inexperienced vehicle shipping carrier or none at all within your time frame.

There’s a sweet spot where the price is good for both the customer and the carrier, and reputable shipping companies know how to find it.

Good Reputation With Customers

Look up classic car transport companies on the BBB and Trustpilot to get a sense of their track records. And if you use a marketplace like uShip, pay attention to the individual carrier ratings on the platform.

Collector Car Carrier Insurance

All major car shipping companies require their carriers to have minimum levels of liability and commercial insurance. This usually includes cargo insurance to cover commercial liability and the value of the cars being transported. Some companies also offer additional insurance for a small fee. AmeriFreight’s AFta plan covers deductibles up to $2,000, which can be useful.

Be aware that uShip is a marketplace and that you’re responsible for making sure the car haulers you find have good insurance coverage. Cargo insurance coverage is offered by uShip for a fee.

Vintage Car Hauling Experience

You should feel confident that the shipper has experience transporting classic cars. If you work with a broker, you can ask a customer service representative about the carrier’s history. The truck driver will have to load and unload your vehicle, so they should be comfortable operating classic and exotic cars.

Consider Specialized Exotic Car Transport Companies

You may find small exotic car transport companies that operate in your area. Often, these companies serve other businesses and transport cars between events like national car shows and tours for marketing purposes. They may or may not be cheaper than national providers, but they can offer extra peace of mind.

The process for shipping a classic vehicle is fairly straightforward:

1. Plan the shipment early: You’ll save the most money if you can get quotes at least two weeks before you have to move your vehicle. Companies charge extra for expedited shipping.
2. Get quotes: Car shipping brokers can access different networks of enclosed carriers, so it’s a good idea to compare car shipping quotes online.
3. Prepare your car: Remove all personal belongings from your vehicle, wash it and make sure it doesn’t have mechanical issues.
4. Document the car’s condition: On pickup day, you’ll sign a bill of lading describing the car’s current condition. It’s also a good idea to take photos at this time.
5. Inspect the car at drop-off: You’ll inspect your car for damages and sign a bill of lading at drop-off, too.

Make Sure Your Car Is Covered

It’s also important to have an agreed value insurance policy on your classic car. Vintage cars age like fine wine, and you want to make sure the whole value is covered if yours gets damaged in any way.

Car hauling companies do carry their own insurance policies with high limits, but these policies mainly apply when the driver causes damage or an accident. If another driver crashes into the transport carrier, that driver’s property damage insurance might not cover all the damage. You’d have to use your insurance policy, which is why it’s important to have the full value covered and not just the book value, since that doesn’t really apply to collectible cars.

It can be nerve-wracking to ship your classic car and trust it will be safe. To protect your classic car, we recommend comparing enclosed shipping rates from a few companies, like Montway Auto Transport and Sherpa Auto Transport.

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car shipping companies. We collected data on dozens of auto transport providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Cost (30% of total score): Auto shipping companies with affordable rates, locked-in pricing and discount opportunities scored highest in this category.
• Services (25% of total score): Companies that offer a variety of choices for car transport, strong insurance coverage and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Customer Experience (25% of total score): This score is based on customer satisfaction ratings and availability of extras like GPS tracking. We also considered the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each transporter’s customer service team based on our own shopper analysis.
• Reputation (20% of total score): Our research team considered availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when giving this score.

*Data accurate at time of publication.