Most shipments from Michigan to California take 4 to 7 days and cost $1,250 to $1,650 for open transport.
Reference pricing by specific origin and destination. Your quote is locked at booking for 28 days.
| Route | Distance | Open | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit to San Francisco | 2,400 mi | $1,350 to $1,650 | $2,200 to $2,650 |
| Detroit to San Diego | 2,350 mi | $1,300 to $1,650 | $2,100 to $2,650 |
| Grand Rapids to San Francisco | 2,300 mi | $1,300 to $1,600 | $2,100 to $2,600 |
| Detroit to Los Angeles | 2,280 mi | $1,300 to $1,600 | $2,100 to $2,600 |
| Lansing to Los Angeles | 2,220 mi | $1,250 to $1,550 | $2,000 to $2,500 |
| Grand Rapids to Los Angeles | 2,180 mi | $1,250 to $1,500 | $2,000 to $2,400 |
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 quote is locked for 28 days. Cancel free up to 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.
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.
It is a really professional company, and the service was great, and we also really value the environmental contributions they are doing. Thank you guys!! Will move my car again with you ❤️
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Locked for 28 days. Nothing charged at booking.
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.
Reviewed by Andrey Zhe, Sequoia founder.
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 $1,250 and $1,650 for open transport. Enclosed transport costs about 40 to 70% more, rising with distance. Grand Rapids to Los Angeles sits near the bottom of that range and Detroit to San Francisco near the top, and once you book, the price holds for 28 days.
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.
Nothing is charged at booking. The deposit is charged 7 days before your pickup window opens, and 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.
Locked for 28 days. Nothing charged at booking.