Car shipping from Iowa to California

Budget $860 to $1,120 for a running sedan on an open carrier over these 1,660 miles, about 0.59/mi. Enclosed is $1,380 to $1,790. Where you land inside that depends more on the week you book than on the route itself.

Plan on 3 to 5 days in transit once a carrier collects, based on about 1,660 road miles between Des Moines and Los Angeles. Dispatch, the wait for a truck to be assigned, is usually one to three days on top and is quoted separately.

Most trucks run this lane on I-40, joining I-25 at either end. Drivers pick their own routing around weather, roadworks and the other vehicles on the trailer, so treat that as the usual line rather than a guarantee.

In most of Iowa and California, yes. An eight to ten car transporter is around 75 feet long, so where a street cannot take one the driver arranges a nearby lot with you beforehand. That is normal on this lane and does not cost extra.

Personal items are not covered by cargo insurance, and weight above the carrier's allowance can put the truck over its legal limit. Most carriers permit up to about 100 lbs in the boot at your own risk. Anything valuable or irreplaceable should travel with you.

Open transport, booked two to three weeks out, with a pickup window rather than a fixed date. Those three together are worth more than any discount, because each one widens the pool of trucks that can take the load.