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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Alabama, which cities the trucks pass every day, and what your county licensing office asks for when the car has an out-of-state title.
Written by Adam Scott, Coordinator at Broadway Auto Transport · October 20, 2026 · Prices updated October 20, 2026
Live carrier rates · ~30 seconds
Prefer a human? Call (917) 594-5566. A coordinator answers.
The short answer
In October 2026, a running sedan on an open carrier costs about $1,245 from New York to Birmingham, $625 from Chicago to Huntsville, and $520 from Dallas to Birmingham. Going north, Huntsville to New York is about $940 and Birmingham to Chicago about $820. Birmingham to Los Angeles runs about $1,350.
Leaving Alabama costs less on 1 of the 6 pairs priced this month. Carriers price the empty miles home, so the busier direction costs more. Each pair below is the same out-of-state city in both directions, running sedan, open carrier.
Chicago
Orlando
Dallas
Detroit
New York
Los Angeles
What it costs
Alabama hangs off I-65. The interstate enters from Tennessee near Ardmore, passes Decatur, runs through Birmingham and Montgomery, and ends in Mobile, and the state's four biggest metros all sit on it or a short spur from it. A car hauler working the route between the Midwest and the Gulf Coast passes most Alabama addresses without trying, which keeps pickup times short in those cities. Off the corridor, in the Wiregrass, the Black Belt, or the hills of northeast Alabama, the wait for a truck gets longer.
The prices on this page are the Alabama lanes we priced this month, for a running sedan on an open carrier. Direction matters here, and it cuts both ways. New York to Birmingham costs about $1,245 while Huntsville to New York is about $940, yet Huntsville to Dallas is about $930 and Dallas to Birmingham only about $520. The sections below cover who ships cars in and out, where the trucks go, the two storm seasons, and the county steps for registering a car from another state.
These are October 2026 figures for the state. Your exact lane, vehicle, and week take about 30 seconds.
See my exact priceLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Approximate prices, October 2026 · open carrier · running sedan · 15 Alabama lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Alabama lanes we priced this month. They are planning figures. Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, and Mobile price at the low end; rural pickups away from I-65, I-20, I-85, and I-10 cost more and take longer to assign. Type in both ZIP codes and the calculator shows your exact number in about 30 seconds.
What moves the number
Approximate October 2026 prices for a running sedan on an open carrier. Larger vehicles, enclosed trailers, and peak weeks cost more; the calculator prices your exact shipment.
Lanes · October 2026
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, with the range most trucks on the lane land in. “Truck assigned in” is how long it usually takes to find a carrier. Transit is what one driver covers at 400 to 500 miles a day after that.
$1,245most trucks $1,065–$1,420
964 mi2–3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–9 hours
About $1,245 this month for 964 miles, most trucks between $1,065 and $1,420. Carriers come down I-81 through Virginia and pick up I-59 near Chattanooga. The northbound trip from Huntsville is about $940, so heading south costs about a third more.
Price this route$625most trucks $520–$725
581 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–23 hours
I-65 covers nearly all 581 miles, through Indianapolis, Louisville, and Nashville, before the short run east on I-565. About $625 this month. Birmingham to Chicago, the northbound run, costs more at about $820.
Price this route$520most trucks $410–$625
639 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–10 hours
I-20 carries this lane through Shreveport and Jackson, 639 miles. At about $520 it is the cheapest Alabama lane we priced, while the westbound run from Huntsville to Dallas costs about $930.
Price this route$940most trucks $730–$1,145
919 mi2–3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–2 days
Trucks head north on I-65 to Nashville, then take I-40 and I-81 up through Virginia and Pennsylvania, about 919 miles. About $940 this month, most trucks between $730 and $1,145, the better-priced direction on this pair.
Price this route$820most trucks $675–$960
660 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–25 hours
Straight up I-65 for 660 miles, under two days on the truck. About $820 this month, most trucks between $675 and $960, against about $625 for Chicago to Huntsville going the other way.
Price this route$930most trucks $660–$1,195
669 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–21 hours
West through Memphis, then I-40 and I-30 by way of Little Rock, 669 miles. About $930 this month with a wide band, $660 to $1,195, and the gap with Dallas to Birmingham at about $520 points to far fewer cars heading west.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL → Huntsville, AL | 581 | $625 | $520–$725 | 1–23 hours | 2 days | 581 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–23 hours |
| Orlando, FL → Birmingham, AL | 586 | $535 | $405–$660 | 1–20 hours | 2 days | 586 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Dallas, TX → Birmingham, AL | 639 | $520 | $410–$625 | 1–10 hours | 2 days | 639 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–10 hours |
| Detroit, MI → Huntsville, AL | 648 | $670 | $500–$840 | 1–6 days | 2 days | 648 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| New York, NY → Birmingham, AL | 964 | $1,245 | $1,065–$1,420 | 1–9 hours | 2–3 days | 964 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–9 hours |
| Los Angeles, CA → Huntsville, AL | 2,010 | $1,340 | $1,125–$1,550 | 1–3 days | 5–6 days | 2,010 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Tacoma, WA → Alexander City, AL | 2,733 | $1,590 | $1,130–$2,055 | 1–43 hours | 6–7 days | 2,733 mi · 6–7 days · truck in 1–43 hours |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, AL → Orlando, FL | 625 | $625 | $440–$810 | 1–4 days | 2 days | 625 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Birmingham, AL → Chicago, IL | 660 | $820 | $675–$960 | 1–25 hours | 2 days | 660 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–25 hours |
| Huntsville, AL → Dallas, TX | 669 | $930 | $660–$1,195 | 1–21 hours | 2 days | 669 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–21 hours |
| Birmingham, AL → Detroit, MI | 727 | $900 | $725–$1,075 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 727 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Anderson, AL → Hays, KS | 908 | $990 | $765–$1,215 | 1–23 hours | 2–3 days | 908 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–23 hours |
| Huntsville, AL → New York, NY | 919 | $940 | $730–$1,145 | 1–2 days | 2–3 days | 919 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Birmingham, AL → Los Angeles, CA | 2,030 | $1,350 | $980–$1,720 | 1–20 hours | 5–6 days | 2,030 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–20 hours |
| Valley, AL → Bishop, CA | 2,259 | $1,535 | $1,265–$1,810 | 1–5 days | 5–6 days | 2,259 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–5 days |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Alabama prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Alabama the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
Four interstates meet in Birmingham, I-65, I-20, I-59, and I-22, so a carrier passes within a few miles of most addresses in the metro. Auction cars from the Manheim sale in the city and ADESA in Moody keep trucks coming back. Dallas to Birmingham costs about $520 this month, Orlando to Birmingham about $535, and Birmingham to Detroit about $900.
Huntsville sits on I-565, about 20 miles east of I-65, and the defense contractors around Redstone Arsenal hire engineers from every state. The Mazda Toyota plant on the city's Limestone County side adds a second stream of relocations. Detroit to Huntsville costs about $670 this month, Huntsville to Orlando about $625, and Los Angeles to Huntsville about $1,340.
I-65 and I-85 meet in Montgomery, which makes the capital an easy stop for trucks running between Atlanta and the Gulf. Maxwell Air Force Base brings officers in for Air University courses lasting from a few weeks to a year, and the Hyundai assembly plant on the south side draws transfers. Carriers reach most neighborhoods at the door.
Price a pickup in MontgomeryMobile is where I-65 ends at I-10, beside a deepwater port and the Airbus assembly line at the Brookley Aeroplex. Carriers reach most of the city without trouble. Hurricane watches are the usual delay, since trucks will not load inside an evacuation zone, so from August through October give a Mobile pickup a window of several days.
Price a pickup in MobileTuscaloosa sits on I-20/59 about 60 miles southwest of Birmingham. The University of Alabama brings students in each August, and the Mercedes-Benz plant in nearby Vance brings transferred employees. Home football Saturdays jam the roads around campus, so book a weekday for a pickup near Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Price a pickup in TuscaloosaAuburn and Opelika sit on I-85 between Montgomery and Atlanta, close enough to the interstate that carriers load at the door in most neighborhoods. Auburn University's August move-in is the busy week. Students shipping a car home in May should book before finals week, when most of their classmates do.
Price a pickup in AuburnFort Rucker, home of Army aviation training, sits between Enterprise, Daleville, and Ozark, roughly an hour from the nearest interstate. Trucks reach the area on US-84 and US-231, and an assignment can take a day longer than in Montgomery. A lot in Enterprise is usually simpler than arranging gate access for a 75-foot rig.
Price a pickup in EnterpriseGulf Shores is about 30 miles south of I-10 by Highway 59 or the Foley Beach Express. Winter residents arrive in the fall and leave in March and April. Condo towers along Beach Boulevard have low garages and tight drives, so the driver usually loads on the street or at a shopping-center lot.
Price a pickup in Gulf ShoresHuntsville pulls in cars from all over the country. Redstone Arsenal and the aerospace and defense contractors around it hire from all over the country, and Mazda Toyota builds cars just outside the city. This month Chicago to Huntsville costs about $625 for a running sedan, most trucks between $520 and $725, and Detroit to Huntsville about $670. Los Angeles to Huntsville, a 2,010-mile run, is about $1,340. Huntsville sits on I-565, a short spur east from I-65 at Decatur, so trucks reach it easily.
Birmingham is the other big inbound market. New York to Birmingham is about $1,245, Dallas to Birmingham about $520, and Orlando to Birmingham about $535. Students arrive in August for the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and UAB, and service members report to Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass and Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery on summer PCS cycles. Fort Rucker, home of Army aviation training, sits well off the interstates near Dothan and Enterprise, so a delivery there may take an extra day to assign.
Northbound lanes out of Alabama price well this month. Huntsville to New York costs about $940, with most trucks between $730 and $1,145, and Birmingham to Detroit about $900. Birmingham to Chicago is about $820. Westbound runs higher: Huntsville to Dallas is about $930, well above the $520 for the reverse trip, and Birmingham to Los Angeles about $1,350. Huntsville to Orlando is about $625.
Dealers and auction buyers move cars out of the state all year. Manheim runs a sale in Birmingham, ADESA has one in Moody east of the city, and IAA has yards in Bessemer and Mobile. Many of those cars head north on I-65 and east on I-20 toward Atlanta. On the Gulf Coast, the winter residents of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach go home in March and April, and some ship the car rather than drive it. Mobile and Baldwin County pickups near I-10 are quick to assign; barrier-island addresses on Dauphin Island or the Fort Morgan peninsula are likely to be a meet-up on the mainland.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the Alabama addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
Six interstates carry nearly all car haulers in Alabama. I-65 is the north-south spine. I-20 runs from Atlanta through Anniston and Birmingham to Tuscaloosa and on toward Mississippi, sharing pavement with I-59 west of Birmingham. I-59 heads northeast to Gadsden and Chattanooga. I-85 leaves Montgomery for Auburn and Atlanta, I-10 crosses the coast through Mobile, and I-22 connects Birmingham with Memphis.
Birmingham sits where I-65, I-20, I-59, and I-22 meet, and it is the easiest pickup in the state. Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and Mobile are close behind. Dothan, Enterprise, and the rest of the Wiregrass, Selma and the Black Belt, and the lake towns around Guntersville and Lake Martin are off the main corridors. Those pickups can wait a day or two longer for a carrier, and on a narrow county road the driver may ask to meet at a lot on the nearest four-lane highway.
Alabama gets two tornado seasons. The main one runs through spring, roughly March to May, and a second one shows up from November into December. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning along a carrier's route, the driver pulls off and waits it out. Most warnings clear in hours, so a pickup slides to later that day or the next morning.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and matters mostly to Mobile and Baldwin County. When a storm watch covers the coast, carriers hold until it lifts and will not load into an evacuation zone. Expect a slip of a few days and a text from your coordinator with the new window. Weather never changes the price you were quoted.
About 24 hours ahead the driver calls you, and the day before your coordinator texts the pickup window.
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Alabama lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
Alabama rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The Alabama Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division is the source, and your county licensing office handles the VIN inspection and registration.
Questions
In October 2026, New York to Birmingham runs about $1,245 for a running sedan on an open carrier, most trucks between roughly $1,065 and $1,420. Chicago to Huntsville is about $625, Detroit to Huntsville about $670, Dallas to Birmingham about $520, and Los Angeles to Huntsville about $1,340. The calculator gives an exact price for your ZIP codes, held in writing for 14 days.
Huntsville to New York runs about $940 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $730 and $1,145. Southbound, New York to Birmingham is about $1,245 this month. The trip is about 919 miles, so count two to three days on the truck after pickup.
A day or two to assign a carrier on the I-65 corridor, longer for the Wiregrass or rural counties, then about 400 to 500 miles a day on the truck. That is one to two days from Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, or Orlando, two to three from New York, and four to five from Los Angeles. Storms can add hours to days.
Alabama has no safety or emissions inspection. A car being titled here for the first time gets a VIN inspection, done on form MVT 5-9 by your county licensing official or an officer they appoint. You have 30 days from the car entering Alabama to register it, and the county collects property tax at the same visit.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, usually yes, with a meet-up if the address is in a condo complex or on a tight beach street. Dauphin Island and the far end of the Fort Morgan peninsula are long two-lane runs with little room to turn, so expect to meet the driver on the mainland. Your coordinator confirms the plan before pickup day.
Huntsville to Dallas runs about $930 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $660 and $1,195, for 669 miles. The reverse trip, Dallas to Birmingham, is about $520 this month. Count about two days on the truck either way, plus assignment time.
For a tornado warning, the driver pulls off and waits for it to pass, which usually means a delay of hours. For a hurricane watch on the coast, carriers hold until it lifts, which can mean a few days. Either way your coordinator texts the new window, and the quoted price does not change.
The data
The numbers are rebuilt from our own pricing each month and published with the page, so the dates above are the real ones.
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