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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Louisiana, how hurricane season and Mardi Gras move the dates, and where a car carrier can and cannot get into New Orleans.
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 New Orleans, about $1,350 from Los Angeles to Baton Rouge, and about $330 from Houston to Baton Rouge. Going the other way prices close to even: Baton Rouge to New York is about $1,335 and New Orleans to Los Angeles about $1,320.
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Louisiana lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
What it costs
Louisiana is an I-10 state. The interstate enters from Texas at Lake Charles, runs through Lafayette, crosses 18 miles of swamp on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, and reaches Baton Rouge and New Orleans before leaving for Mississippi past Slidell. Most cars shipped into or out of the state are picked up within a few miles of it. The calendar matters as much as the map. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and for two weeks before Mardi Gras whole stretches of New Orleans close to traffic for the parades.
The dollar figures on this page come from Louisiana lanes we priced in October 2026, for a running sedan on an open carrier, and they are planning numbers. On most of the lanes we priced, Louisiana runs close to even in both directions, so a round trip costs about what two one-way quotes suggest. The rest of the page covers who ships cars here, which addresses a 75-foot carrier can reach, what a storm does to your pickup date, and the insurance rule that catches people who arrive with 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 · 14 Louisiana lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Louisiana lanes we priced in October 2026, for planning. Inbound and outbound rows sit close together here. Addresses off I-10, I-12, I-20 and I-49 sit above the band, and a storm watch can stretch the pickup window. The calculator turns your exact ZIP pair and vehicle into a price 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 $1,010–$1,485
1,305 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–18 hours
Trucks run south on I-81 through Virginia and pick up I-59 near Chattanooga, reaching New Orleans by way of Slidell, about 1,305 miles. The lane costs about $1,245, with most trucks between $1,010 and $1,485. A delivery in Carnival weeks needs a meet-up away from the parade routes.
Price this route$1,350most trucks $1,030–$1,665
1,811 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–6 days
I-10 runs the entire 1,811 miles from Los Angeles through Phoenix, El Paso, San Antonio and Houston into Baton Rouge. The lane costs about $1,350 and takes four to five days. From August through October, a storm in the Gulf can hold the last day of the trip.
Price this route$330most trucks $280–$375
268 mi1 day on the trucktruck assigned in 1–45 hours
Houston to Baton Rouge is 268 miles of I-10 through Beaumont and Lake Charles, about $330, the cheapest lane we price into Louisiana. Carriers serving the Gulf Coast plants run it daily, so a pickup date is easy to find outside storm season.
Price this route$1,335most trucks $1,040–$1,630
1,363 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–31 hours
Trucks leave Baton Rouge on I-12, join I-59 at Slidell, and head north through Chattanooga and the Shenandoah Valley. The lane runs about $1,335, a little above the trip south, and takes about three days. An October storm watch can push the pickup back a few days; the price stays as quoted.
Price this route$1,320most trucks $995–$1,645
1,890 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–21 hours
New Orleans to Los Angeles is about $1,320 for 1,890 miles, all of it on I-10 once the truck clears the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. Most loads fall between $995 and $1,645. Plan on four to five days, plus one if a wreck backs up the basin bridge.
Price this route$395most trucks $270–$515
347 mi1 day on the trucktruck assigned in 1–4 days
The westbound run to Houston is 347 miles on I-10 and costs about $395, a little more than Houston to Baton Rouge. Carriers often finish it in a day. When the state runs contraflow out of New Orleans, both sides of I-10 carry evacuees west and carriers stay off it.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX → Baton Rouge, LA | 268 | $330 | $280–$375 | 1–45 hours | 1 day | 268 mi · 1 day · truck in 1–45 hours |
| Atlanta, GA → Baton Rouge, LA | 526 | $795 | $635–$955 | 1–3 hours | 2 days | 526 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 hours |
| Chicago, IL → New Orleans, LA | 927 | $995 | $745–$1,240 | 1–27 hours | 2–3 days | 927 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–27 hours |
| Marine City, MI → Walker, LA | 1,147 | $1,185 | $1,005–$1,360 | 1–46 hours | 3 days | 1,147 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–46 hours |
| Denver, CO → New Orleans, LA | 1,299 | $1,180 | $940–$1,420 | 1–7 hours | 3–4 days | 1,299 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–7 hours |
| New York, NY → New Orleans, LA | 1,305 | $1,245 | $1,010–$1,485 | 1–18 hours | 3–4 days | 1,305 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Los Angeles, CA → Baton Rouge, LA | 1,811 | $1,350 | $1,030–$1,665 | 1–6 days | 4–5 days | 1,811 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA → Houston, TX | 347 | $395 | $270–$515 | 1–4 days | 1 day | 347 mi · 1 day · truck in 1–4 days |
| New Orleans, LA → Atlanta, GA | 469 | $540 | $440–$640 | 1–3 days | 1–2 days | 469 mi · 1–2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| New Orleans, LA → Duffield, VA | 723 | $855 | $680–$1,035 | 1–4 days | 2 days | 723 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Baton Rouge, LA → Chicago, IL | 916 | $980 | $825–$1,130 | 1–41 hours | 2–3 days | 916 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–41 hours |
| Baton Rouge, LA → Denver, CO | 1,220 | $1,325 | $920–$1,735 | 1–15 hours | 3–4 days | 1,220 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Baton Rouge, LA → New York, NY | 1,363 | $1,335 | $1,040–$1,630 | 1–31 hours | 3–4 days | 1,363 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–31 hours |
| New Orleans, LA → Los Angeles, CA | 1,890 | $1,320 | $995–$1,645 | 1–21 hours | 4–5 days | 1,890 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–21 hours |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenner, LA → Louisville, KY | 717 | $1,120 | $715–$1,520 | 1–6 days | 2 days | 717 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–6 days |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Louisiana prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Louisiana the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
New Orleans sits on I-10, which runs through the city as the Pontchartrain Expressway before crossing to New Orleans East. New York to New Orleans runs about $1,245 this month, New Orleans to Houston about $395, and New Orleans to Los Angeles about $1,320. Carriers stay out of the oldest neighborhoods, so many pickups happen at a lot near an I-10 exit.
Baton Rouge is where I-10 meets I-12 and I-110, and the I-10 bridge over the Mississippi backs up most weekday afternoons, so drivers try to cross early. LSU and Southern bring students in August. Houston to Baton Rouge runs about $330, Los Angeles to Baton Rouge about $1,350, and Baton Rouge to New York about $1,335.
Lafayette is where I-49 starts north from I-10, on the west side of the Atchafalaya Basin. UL Lafayette, oil-field service companies and the Manheim auction in town bring most of the moves. A carrier coming east from Houston reaches Lafayette before the long basin crossing, so a pickup here fits neatly into an I-10 run.
Price a pickup in LafayetteLake Charles is on I-10 about 30 miles from the Texas line, with refineries, LNG terminals and casinos around the lake. Plant turnarounds bring contract workers who ship a car in for a few months, and McNeese State adds student moves in August. Hurricanes Laura and Delta both struck the area in 2020, and a watch over Calcasieu Parish holds pickups until it lifts.
Price a pickup in Lake CharlesShreveport and Bossier City face each other across the Red River where I-20 meets I-49. Barksdale Air Force Base, headquarters of Air Force Global Strike Command, is on the Bossier side, and summer PCS orders drive shipments there. Dallas is about three hours west on I-20, so many Shreveport cars ride on trucks working Texas loads.
Price a pickup in ShreveportSlidell sits where I-10, I-12 and I-59 come together on the North Shore, and Manheim holds auto auctions here. Northbound carriers headed for Birmingham, Chattanooga or New York leave Louisiana on I-59 from Slidell. A North Shore pickup skips the drive through New Orleans, which helps most during the Carnival parade weeks.
Price a pickup in SlidellHouma is the Terrebonne Parish seat, about an hour southwest of New Orleans by US-90, and a base for offshore oil and shipyard work. Thibodaux, home of Nicholls State, is about 20 minutes away. A full carrier can use Houma's main roads, but bayou communities farther south usually meet the truck in town.
Price a pickup in HoumaKenner holds the New Orleans airport, on I-10 west of the city in Jefferson Parish. Its suburban streets and big-box lots give a carrier more room than New Orleans proper, which makes it a common meet-up for East Bank customers. On our enclosed board, Kenner to Louisville ran about $1,120 this month in a closed trailer.
Price a pickup in KennerThe Houston to Baton Rouge lane is the shortest run into the state and the cheapest on our Louisiana board, about $330 for 268 miles in October 2026. Refineries and chemical plants line I-10 from Houston through Lake Charles to Baton Rouge, and car carriers run that corridor every day. Atlanta to Baton Rouge is about $795, Chicago to New Orleans about $995, Denver to New Orleans about $1,180, and New York to New Orleans about $1,245 for 1,305 miles.
Students and service members add their own schedules. LSU and Southern University are in Baton Rouge, Tulane and Loyola in New Orleans, UL Lafayette in Lafayette, and Louisiana Tech in Ruston on I-20, with move-in from mid-August. Barksdale Air Force Base sits in Bossier City across the Red River from Shreveport, and the Army's training post near Leesville is a long run off I-49 through pine country, so a delivery there waits longer for a truck than one in Shreveport. Summer is the main PCS season at both. Whatever brings the car in, a delivery between August and October lands inside the busiest part of hurricane season.
Outbound lanes from Baton Rouge and New Orleans price close to their inbound twins. Baton Rouge to New York runs about $1,335, Baton Rouge to Chicago about $980, and New Orleans to Los Angeles about $1,320. New Orleans to Atlanta is about $540, and New Orleans to Houston about $395. Baton Rouge to Denver, about $1,325, is the one lane that costs noticeably more going out than coming in; Denver to New Orleans is about $1,180.
Dealers ship cars out of Louisiana all year. Manheim runs auctions in Slidell, on the North Shore just off I-10 and I-12, and in Lafayette. Students leave Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette in May. If your dates are flexible, ship between December and May, when no storm watch can hold the pickup.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the Louisiana addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
Four interstates carry most car haulers. I-10 links Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. I-12 runs north of Lake Pontchartrain from Baton Rouge through Hammond to Slidell, and trucks bypassing New Orleans use it. I-49 heads north from Lafayette through Alexandria to Shreveport. I-20 crosses the north from Shreveport through Ruston to Monroe. Cities on those lines get assigned fastest. The 18-mile Atchafalaya Basin Bridge between Lafayette and Baton Rouge is a long elevated stretch with nowhere to exit, and a single wreck there can hold a truck for hours.
New Orleans needs a plan. The French Quarter's streets are narrow and lined with balconies, and Uptown and the Garden District have live oaks over the road that a loaded carrier cannot clear. In those neighborhoods the driver will ask to meet at a lot near I-10 or on a wide boulevard. Bayou towns like Houma, Thibodaux and Lafitte sit well off the interstates, and Grand Isle is reachable only by LA 1, so deliveries there take longer to assign and may also need a meet-up. Your coordinator tells you which applies when you book.
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the storms that reach Louisiana come most often from August through October. When a watch or warning covers the pickup or delivery parish, carriers stop loading, and when the state opens contraflow on the interstates out of New Orleans, nothing heads in. Expect three to seven days of slip and a text from your coordinator with the new window, at the price you were quoted. Summer afternoon thunderstorms are a smaller problem, usually an hour's delay.
Mardi Gras is the other date to plan around. In the two weeks before Fat Tuesday, parade routes close St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street and much of Uptown and Mid-City for hours at a time, and parking for a meet-up disappears. Fat Tuesday falls on February 9 in 2027. If you are shipping a car into or out of New Orleans in late January or early February, ask your coordinator to schedule around the parade calendar.
About a day before pickup the driver calls to set a time, and your coordinator sends the window by text the day before.
Leaving Louisiana costs less on 3 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.
Houston
Atlanta
Chicago
Denver
New York
Los Angeles
Louisiana rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Checked as of the review date below. The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles handles title and registration and the Louisiana Department of Insurance publishes the coverage rules; check the inspection-sticker requirement with the OMV when you register.
Questions
In October 2026, New York to New Orleans runs about $1,245 for a running sedan on an open carrier, with most trucks between roughly $1,010 and $1,485. The run is 1,305 miles, three days or so in transit. Baton Rouge to New York costs about $1,335, close to the same. For your exact ZIP codes, the calculator gives a price in about 30 seconds and we hold it 14 days.
Los Angeles to Baton Rouge runs about $1,350 on an open carrier in October 2026, with most trucks between roughly $1,030 and $1,665. New Orleans to Los Angeles is about $1,320. Both lanes are about 1,800 to 1,900 miles, so count four to five days on the road once the car is loaded.
Houston to Baton Rouge is about $330 in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $280 and $375, and New Orleans to Houston about $395. These are the cheapest lanes on the Louisiana board because I-10 connects the cities directly and carriers run it daily. Either trip takes about a day once the car is on the truck.
On the I-10 corridor a carrier is usually assigned within a day or two; bayou towns and northwest Louisiana take longer. After pickup, drivers cover about 400 to 500 miles a day: one day to Houston or Atlanta, about two to Chicago, three to New York, four to five to Los Angeles. A hurricane watch can add three to seven days.
The carrier holds until the watch or warning lifts for the pickup and delivery parishes, then loads in the next open window. If the state is running contraflow out of New Orleans, nothing moves inbound until it ends. Plan on three to seven days of slip and a text from your coordinator with new dates; the price stays as quoted.
Rarely at the door. The Quarter's streets are narrow and lined with balconies, and a 75-foot carrier cannot turn through them. Uptown and the Garden District have the same problem with low live-oak branches. The driver meets you at a lot near I-10 or on a wide street nearby instead, and your coordinator confirms the spot before you book.
Liability of at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident for injuries and $25,000 for property damage, and the Office of Motor Vehicles wants proof of it before issuing a plate. Louisiana's No Pay, No Play law means an uninsured driver cannot collect the first $15,000 of injury or $25,000 of property damage after a crash.
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.
Neighboring state guides
or call (917) 594-5566. A person answers.
