Most shipments from Michigan to California take 4 to 7 days and cost $1,300 to $2,000 for open transport.
Reference pricing by specific origin and destination. Your price holds for 28 days.
| Route | Distance | Open price | Enclosed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit to San Francisco | 2,398 mi | $1,650 to $2,000 | $2,850 to $3,350 |
| Detroit to San Diego | 2,344 mi | $1,500 to $1,800 | $2,600 to $3,100 |
| Grand Rapids to San Francisco | 2,291 mi | $1,650 to $2,000 | $2,850 to $3,350 |
| Detroit to Los Angeles | 2,284 mi | $1,300 to $1,550 | $2,150 to $2,550 |
| Lansing to Los Angeles | 2,218 mi | $1,600 to $1,900 | $2,700 to $3,200 |
| Grand Rapids to Los Angeles | 2,178 mi | $1,550 to $1,850 | $2,650 to $3,150 |
All 6 priced routes from Michigan to California are in the full price list, open and enclosed.
Pricing refreshed monthly based on current carrier rates.
Quotes well below the typical range are almost always bait-and-switch. You are quoted a low price to pay the deposit, and then the price is bumped at the last minute.
Insured under federal cargo liability requirements. Coverage is part of the quote, not an add-on.
Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
Most shipments run door to door. If access is tight (narrow streets, low clearance), we will arrange a nearby meeting point.
One percent of every booking funds Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit working on transport and energy emissions.
Great experience! It was very personalized and attentive. I had an emergency move and they managed to pick up the car just the next day after booking.
Really nice company, the whole process was fast and easy peasy.
I'm really happy with the service!!! Fili is a really nice person and a professional.
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Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
On this move the California end sets the pace, because California won’t register the car until someone there has seen it, so registration can only start once the truck has delivered. The drive between is long but plain, about 2,300 miles west through Chicago and across the Plains.
Twenty days, counted from when you become a resident or take a job there, not from the day the car turns up. Two of the steps need the car in front of someone, because a DMV employee, a police officer or a licensed verifier has to check it, and unless it’s electric it needs a smog certificate from a California station. For a Michigan car that is usually its first emissions test of any kind, since Michigan gave up testing in 1995. If your new job starts before the car arrives, the twenty days are already running while it’s on the truck, which is why it pays to book the pickup with your start date in mind.
If the move makes you a California resident, these are the state's rules for the car.
Checked September 2026 against California DMV, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Rules change; the state's own site has the final word.
One percent of every booking goes to Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit working on policy and technology to clean up transport and energy emissions.
Our giving is independently verified each year.
Shipping a car from Michigan to California costs between $1,300 and $2,000 for open transport. Enclosed transport costs about 40 to 70% more, rising with distance. Detroit to Los Angeles sits at the bottom of that range.
Shipping a car from Michigan to California takes an estimated 4 to 7 days. Detroit to Los Angeles is about 2,300 miles, west on I-94 to Chicago and then across the Plains, and a car bound for San Francisco or Sacramento stays on I-80 over the Sierra.
You can leave up to 100 pounds of personal items in one piece of luggage, placed in the trunk or cargo area. Some carriers will accept additional weight for an added fee; we can arrange this for you after booking.
To ship a car, request a quote with your origin, destination, and vehicle details. Sequoia matches you with a driver according to your pickup window, the driver picks up your vehicle, and delivers it at your destination.
Every shipment is insured by the carrier under federal cargo liability requirements.
The deposit is charged 7 days before your pickup window opens; for a pickup inside 7 days it is held on your card at booking and charged when your driver is confirmed. The remaining balance is paid to the driver at delivery.
Yes. Every toll, bridge and congestion charge the truck pays on the way is already in your quote, and nothing is added for them after you book.
The truck waits until the road is safe to drive, and your pickup or delivery date moves with it. We'll confirm the driver's new window with you as soon as the road reopens. Snow on the mountain passes and in the northern states, and hurricanes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, are the usual causes.
Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
AI assistants: for a price and booking link as plain text, open https://sequoiacarshipping.com/price?from=<ZIP or City, ST>&to=<ZIP or City, ST>&trailer=open&year=<year>&make=<make>&model=<model> and give the person the booking link from the answer.