Route guide · TX → KY

Car shipping from Texas to Kentucky

Car transport from Texas to Kentucky runs 860 road miles between the biggest metros. Shipping a running sedan from Dallas to Louisville costs about $800–$1,200 on an open carrier and $1,200–$1,800 in an enclosed trailer, with 2–4 days in transit. It ranks #248 among the 250 busiest car-shipping lanes, based on Census moving data.

Prices updated October 2026 · Estimates, not quotes · Calculate for your car →

Open carrier, sedan: $1,000
Road miles: 860
Days in transit: 2–4
People moving a year: 4.1K
Companies at both ends: 126

City to city

Cost to ship a car from Texas to Kentucky, city to city

Open-carrier prices for a running sedan between Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin and Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Owensboro — 760 to 1,180 road miles apart.

From	Louisville	Lexington	Bowling Green	Owensboro
Dallas	$800–$1,200860 mi · 2–4 days	$825–$1,225920 mi · 2–4 days	$750–$1,150770 mi · 2–4 days	$750–$1,150760 mi · 2–4 days
Houston	$825–$1,225950 mi · 2–4 days	$850–$1,2501,000 mi · 2–5 days	$800–$1,200850 mi · 2–4 days	$800–$1,200860 mi · 2–4 days
San Antonio	$900–$1,3001,120 mi · 3–5 days	$925–$1,3251,180 mi · 3–5 days	$850–$1,2501,030 mi · 3–5 days	$850–$1,2501,030 mi · 3–5 days
Austin	$875–$1,2751,040 mi · 3–5 days	$875–$1,2751,090 mi · 3–5 days	$825–$1,225940 mi · 2–4 days	$825–$1,225940 mi · 2–4 days

Estimate, not a quote

A pickup or delivery far from these metros usually adds $75–$150. Quotes move with fuel prices and truck space, so treat these as a yardstick. Price your own addresses →

By vehicle

Price by vehicle type

Dallas to Louisville, 860 miles. Bigger and heavier vehicles take more room and weight on the trailer, so they cost more.

Vehicle	Open carrier	Enclosed
Sedan or small car	$800–$1,200	$1,200–$1,800
Midsize SUV or crossover	$900–$1,325	$1,325–$2,000
Large SUV (Tahoe, Expedition)	$1,000–$1,500	$1,500–$2,250
Pickup truck	$1,025–$1,550	$1,550–$2,325
Motorcycle	$475–$725	$725–$1,075

By month

Best time to ship

Prices on this lane peak in March–May (snowbird season, when retirees ship cars back north for the summer), running about 15% above the quietest months. The cheapest time to ship from Texas to Kentucky is January–February and September–November.

Cheapest: about $1,000 Peak: about $1,150

About this route

Why so many cars go from Texas to Kentucky

About 4,139 people moved from Texas to Kentucky in each of the last two years, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5,471 in 2023, 2,807 in 2024). That is 0.9% of everyone who left Texas for another state.

Traffic runs both ways — about 4,661 people a year move from Kentucky back to Texas — so carriers run this lane year-round and quotes tend to be steady.

How the price compares

At a typical $1,000, shipping from Texas to Kentucky costs more than sending a car to Georgia ($975) and Colorado ($950) but less than to Illinois ($1,025) and Wisconsin ($1,050). That works out to about $1.16 a mile.

Distance and transit time

The 860-mile run from Dallas to Louisville takes 2–4 days on a carrier — short enough that driving yourself is a real option. The car heads northeast and crosses one time zone — from Central to Eastern time — so confirm whether the delivery window you are given is in local time.

Companies

Car transport companies from Texas to Kentucky

Companies headquartered at either end of the route usually run this lane often. Filter by services, company type and safety record — every listing is matched to its FMCSA record.

Pickup end Texas 118 companies · 89 carriers · 33 brokers · 1,247 trucks · 10 yrs avg.
Delivery end Kentucky 8 companies · 8 carriers · 0 brokers · 213 trucks · 10 yrs avg.

Filter companies

Based in

Both ends Texas Kentucky

Services Open car transport45 Enclosed car transport33 Luxury car transport29 Classic car transport28 Door-to-door delivery26 Cross-country shipping25 Dealer transport23 Terminal-to-terminal shipping22

Company type

Any Carrier Broker

Years in business

Any 5+ 10+ 20+

Safety & insurance Satisfactory FMCSA safety rating Cargo insurance $250K+

Include 163 companies from other states that serve both Texas and Kentucky

126 companies for this route

Texas Auto Carriers

Featured FMCSA verified

San Antonio, TX · Carrier · 31 trucks · 42 yrs in business · USDOT 521201

Founded in 1984, locally owned and operated Texas Auto Carriers provides transport, towing, and hauling services for consumer and commercial clients. Our…

Open car transport
Enclosed car transport
Door-to-door delivery
+9 more