Open, enclosed, and expedited auto transport across Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, planned around the blocks a trailer cannot enter.
Fast, secure pricing in 30 seconds.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Car shipping in Philadelphia is cheap to book and awkward to stage. Both facts come from the same grid.
Ship Guy is a licensed auto transport broker. We book vetted carriers across Philadelphia and the five-county region, and we do not own the trucks.
Interstate 95 runs along the river and the Northeast corridor carries more carriers than any other in America. But the blocks between the highways were laid out for horses.
This page covers where the truck meets you, the Schuylkill, and the tolls. It also covers the university and hospital calendars, the Main Line, and the lane south to Florida.
Most pickups happen within 1 to 3 days, with the corridor bringing carriers through around the clock.
New York, Baltimore, and Washington are same-day lanes. Boston and Pittsburgh take about a day. Florida runs three.
South Philly, Old City, and Fishtown are too tight for a trailer. The sports-complex lots and Columbus Boulevard are where most city pickups happen.
The Grid
A seventy-five-foot carrier cannot enter most Philadelphia neighborhoods, and the city has a workaround.
South Philly streets are narrow enough that residents park down the middle of Broad Street. Old City is cobblestone. Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and Queen Village are tight and tightly parked.
Manayunk climbs a hill on a one-lane main street. Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill have Belgian block and old trees.
For all of it, the driver meets you at a large lot. The sports-complex lots in South Philly and the Navy Yard are the usual spots. Columbus Boulevard along the river works too.
Northeast Philly and the suburbs are wider. There, the truck often reaches the curb. Tell us your block and we will name the spot.
Timing
Philadelphia traffic runs on one expressway everyone dreads.
The Schuylkill, Interstate 76, backs up from early morning through the evening. Carriers avoid it and use Interstate 95, the Blue Route, and the Turnpike instead.
The Turnpike and the bridges to New Jersey all charge tolls. They are built into every quote, so there is no separate line item.
Interstate 95 along the river is the corridor spine. Early-morning windows keep a city pickup off the worst of it.
Lanes & Costs
The corridors out of the Delaware Valley, with estimated open-transport ranges. Price your exact route above.
| Route | Corridor · distance | Est. transit | Est. open rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | I-95/NJ Tpke · ~95 mi | Same day | $170–$280 |
| Baltimore, MD | I-95 · ~100 mi | Same day | $170–$280 |
| Washington, DC | I-95 · ~140 mi | Same day | $200–$320 |
| Richmond, VA | I-95 · ~250 mi | 1 day | $250–$380 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | I-76 Tpk · ~305 mi | 1 day | $270–$400 |
| Boston, MA | I-95 · ~310 mi | 1 day | $270–$400 |
| Cleveland, OH | I-76/I-80 · ~430 mi | 1 day | $370–$540 |
| Charlotte, NC | I-95/I-85 · ~540 mi | 1–2 days | $440–$630 |
| Chicago, IL | I-76/I-80 · ~760 mi | 2 days | $550–$800 |
| Orlando, FL | I-95 · ~1,000 mi | 3 days | $700–$1,000 |
*2026 planning ranges, running sedan, open trailer. Larger vehicles add about 10 to 25 percent; enclosed adds more. Tolls are included, and carrier availability on your dates decides the final quote.
New York, Baltimore, and Washington are among the least expensive lanes anywhere. Carriers run the corridor all day. The Turnpike west to Pittsburgh is steady.
Florida lanes ride Interstate 95 and swing with the snowbird season. The cost guide covers vehicle size, condition, and the rest.
Campuses & Hospitals
Philadelphia has more universities and teaching hospitals in a small area than almost any city.
Penn and Drexel share University City. Temple sits in North Philly, and Saint Joseph’s, La Salle, and Villanova ring the city. Cars roll in each August and out each May.
The hospital systems move residents and physicians every June. That month and August are the two busiest windows for Philadelphia carriers.
University City and North Broad are tight, so the handoff happens at a lot nearby. An adult has to be present to sign for the car.
When an employer reimburses the shipment, we handle the documentation. Interstate details are on the state-to-state page.
The Suburbs
The suburbs ask different things of a carrier than the city does.
The Main Line towns of Lower Merion, Bryn Mawr, and Radnor have winding, tree-lined lanes and gated estates. Send the driveway details and the gate code.
Bucks and Montgomery Counties are wide and simple. Doylestown, Blue Bell, and King of Prussia allow curbside on most streets.
South Jersey is covered too. Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the shore towns are reached over the bridges, with the tolls built in.
Seasons
Philadelphia winters are moderate, and the Florida migration is anything but.
A nor’easter closes the corridor a few times a season. Carriers wait for the plows, and the window can slip a day. Snow-emergency routes clear of parked cars during a storm.
Every fall, retirees from the suburbs send cars down Interstate 95 to Florida. The return runs in spring, and both windows fill fast.
Summer sends the city to the Jersey shore. Some households ship a second car to a shore house rather than drive it every weekend.
Our snowbird page has planning tips for the Florida lane.
Your Options
Open transport is the everyday choice, and the corridor runs on it.
Enclosed transport keeps a car covered against winter salt, road grit, and attention. The Main Line and Chestnut Hill keep enclosed carriers busy with collector cars.
A commuter car travels open without concern. Our open and enclosed pages explain each choice.
The Basics
Three things happen: you approve a price, a driver picks up the car, and it arrives.
Once the price is settled, a carrier is booked. At pickup the driver writes the car’s condition on a Bill of Lading and you sign. You check the car against that sheet when it arrives.
The how it works and preparation guides go step by step.
Why Ship Guy
We know which blocks a trailer cannot enter and which lot is closest to yours.
Ship Guy’s FMCSA brokerage authority is current, and a $75,000 surety bond backs it. Both are verifiable.
A single coordinator handles your shipment from the first quote to the last signature. That person arranges open, enclosed, and expedited transport. See the services page for the full menu.
Nearby
Carriers that work Philadelphia also cover these nearby cities.
Statewide guide: Pennsylvania auto transport · See all 66 cities we serve →
Visit Us
Our office is on JFK Boulevard in Center City, across from City Hall and steps from Suburban Station.
Philadelphia FAQ
No, those blocks are too narrow and too tightly parked for a seventy-five-foot trailer. Old City is cobblestone and Manayunk is a one-lane hill. The driver meets you at a large lot instead. The sports complex, the Navy Yard, and Columbus Boulevard are the usual ones. It is a short hop from your door. We name the lot before dispatch.
Both are among the least expensive lanes in the country. New York and Baltimore usually run one hundred seventy to two hundred eighty dollars for a sedan. Washington is a bit more. Carriers run the corridor all day, which keeps prices down. Larger vehicles add about 10 to 25 percent.
They are included in the quote. Carriers pay the Turnpike and the bridges to New Jersey and price accordingly. No separate line item shows up on the quote. Routes that stay on Interstate 95 do not add anything.
Early morning, most likely. The Schuylkill backs up from early morning through the evening, and carriers plan city stops before it does. An early window at the sports-complex lots or along Columbus Boulevard runs smoothest. We confirm the window with you a day ahead.
Yes, student cars move every August and again each May. University City and North Broad are too tight for a trailer. The handoff happens at a lot nearby. An adult needs to be on hand to sign for the car. Both windows fill quickly, so reserve early.
Book in May. The hospital systems move residents and physicians every June, and that month fills Philadelphia carriers. We set delivery a few days before orientation at a lot near the hospital. When an employer reimburses the shipment, we handle the documentation.
Often, but not always. Lower Merion, Bryn Mawr, and Radnor have winding, tree-lined lanes, and some estates are gated. Send the driveway details and the gate code when you book. If the truck cannot enter, the driver meets you on Lancaster Avenue or at a nearby lot.
Yes, Cherry Hill, Camden County, and the shore towns are covered from this page. Carriers cross the bridges with the tolls built in. Some households ship a second car to a shore house for the summer. Pricing and timing match the Pennsylvania side.
Yes, cars that do not run ship out of Philadelphia all the time. A winch-equipped carrier loads it, and the slower process adds a fee. State whether it rolls, steers, and brakes. That sets the truck.
Start with the two addresses. Include the vehicle’s year, make, and model. Let us know whether it runs and rolls. Pick open or enclosed and give us a date range. That covers an accurate Philadelphia quote. Exact details, exact figure.
Get Started
A quote takes a couple of minutes at the keyboard. Then tell us your block. We will pick a lot the truck can reach and a time the Schuylkill allows.