Best Car Shipping Companies of 2023 – Car Talk

We also did the math to see what it would cost if we had access to a truck and trailer and just schlepped on down to Virginia to pick up the Jeep ourselves. It’s a 10 hour drive, and we really couldn’t make that in a day, so add in the cost of a hotel room, unless you’re willing to sleep in a Walmart parking lot.

Fuel is the big cost. Even a wildly optimistic 18mpg hauling a trailer, it would require 57 gallons of fuel to make that back and forth trip. Using AAA’s fuel cost tool, the average cost of fuel today between Massachusetts and Virginia is about $3.40. That ends up being $194.48 for gas.

Then there are the tolls, Tollsmart Toll Calculator maps the trip and figures out how much tolls would cost. The fee from Massachusetts to Virginia is $29.55. But that’s not even half the story. The return trip from Virginia to Massachusetts is twice as much, because the tolls are more expensive in that direction. That adds up to $52.55.

But that’s not even all of it. Tollsmart only provides toll estimates for two-axle vehicles. Hauling a trailer adds more to the cost. With two additional axles, the price usually increases by 30%. That would be $106.73.

In total, with a night in a hotel, gas and tolls, you’re up to roughly $400, not including food along the way. If the average quote was $615, we’re saving less than $200 to be alone in a truck with our thoughts for a 20 hours round trip.

Read more about the cost to ship a car here.