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Detroit is a unique market in auto transport. It is not as simple as just being a high volume hub, and here is why. The Motor City has enormous carrier activity because of the auto industry itself. Manheim Detroit is in Carleton, south of the city. Manheim Flint is up in Mt. Morris. IAA Detroit handles salvage volume for the metro. I-75 is the spine of the market, running north to Flint and south all the way to Miami. I-94 runs east to Chicago and west toward Port Huron and Canada. I-96 connects Detroit to Grand Rapids. The challenge is timing. When Ford, GM, or Stellantis ship new model year inventory out of Michigan in late summer and early fall, carriers are stacked with OEM loads. Single vehicle transport competes with factory production runs and sometimes loses.
Pickups in Detroit average 2 to 4 days outside of new model year season. In late August and September when the manufacturers are pushing new inventory to dealerships across the country, carriers fill up fast and individual shippers can see that stretch to 5 to 7 days. If you are shipping during that window, book with extra lead time. The rest of the year Detroit is a solid market. I-75 is one of the most traveled carrier routes in the Midwest and carriers moving between Florida and the Great Lakes pass through this metro constantly. The suburbs, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Warren, and Royal Oak, are all easy access for carriers.
Los Angeles is one of the biggest auto transport markets in the world, not just the country. The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach together are the largest vehicle import gateways in North America. Carriers run in and out of this market constantly. There are multiple Manheim locations across the metro including Manheim Los Angeles and Manheim Southern California, plus ADESA and dozens of independent auction locations. The dealer density across LA, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and San Fernando Valley is massive. If you are shipping to or from anywhere in the greater LA area, carriers have plenty of reasons to be here.
Delivering to LA is just as active. Carriers heading west are almost always looking for loads into the market, especially from Texas, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. Delivering to the Inland Empire or South Bay is the smoothest. Getting into central LA or West Hollywood can add a day just because of carrier routing preferences, but it gets done.
Shipping a standard sedan from Detroit to Los Angeles on open carrier currently estimates between $1200 and $1500. That is based on the 2,415-mile distance and current market conditions.
Detroit runs close to the national average, maybe slightly above on some lanes. Routes south to Florida on I-75 are extremely active and competitively priced because that is a natural back-and-forth carrier loop. Routes west to Chicago are solid. Where pricing goes up is on the cross-country runs to the West Coast or Southwest because those carriers have to come all the way out to Michigan to start their load. The new model year window in late summer is also a time when carrier capacity tightens and prices creep up. Get a quote to see your exact price.
LA usually runs at or slightly below the national average on cost per mile, especially on popular lanes like LA to Phoenix, LA to Las Vegas, and LA to the Bay Area. Where costs go up is on long haul routes back to the Midwest or Southeast because carriers need to fill their truck heading home. Summer sees elevated prices as people relocate. January through March is often the best time to ship if cost is the priority. Get a quote for your specific route.
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