Open, enclosed, and expedited auto transport across San Diego County, planned around PCS season and base gates.
Fast, secure pricing in 30 seconds.
San Diego, California
Car shipping in San Diego is shaped by the bases more than by anything else.
Ship Guy is a licensed auto transport broker. We arrange vetted carriers for service members, students, and families across the county. We do not own trucks.
Naval Base San Diego, North Island, Miramar, and Camp Pendleton move thousands of households a year. Every summer, that shows up in carrier schedules.
The weather rarely gets in the way here. What matters is PCS timing, base access, and the desert route east. This page covers all three.
Most pickups happen within 1 to 2 days, with Los Angeles carriers two hours up the coast.
Los Angeles is a same-day lane. Phoenix and Las Vegas take about a day. Texas runs three.
June through August is PCS season. If your orders land in that window, book two to three weeks ahead.
Military
No other city on the West Coast moves as many military households as San Diego.
Naval Base San Diego and Naval Air Station North Island anchor the harbor. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar sits inland, and Camp Pendleton spreads across the north county.
Orders move people in and out year round, with a hard peak from June through August. Carrier schedules fill quickly in those months.
Many families ship a second vehicle privately, since the move may cover only one. We plan that shipment around your report date and housing situation.
Ship Guy is an independent broker and is not part of the military or any government program. Our military car shipping page has more on planning a PCS.
Lanes & Costs
Common San Diego lanes, including the Norfolk run many Navy families ask about. Price your exact route above.
| Route | Corridor · distance | Est. transit | Est. open rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | I-5 · ~120 mi | Same day | $180–$300 |
| Las Vegas, NV | I-15 · ~330 mi | 1 day | $320–$470 |
| Phoenix, AZ | I-8/I-10 · ~355 mi | 1 day | $340–$490 |
| Tucson, AZ | I-8/I-10 · ~410 mi | 1 day | $370–$520 |
| San Jose, CA | I-5 · ~460 mi | 1–2 days | $400–$560 |
| Denver, CO | I-15/I-70 · ~1,080 mi | 3 days | $780–$1,100 |
| Seattle, WA | I-5 · ~1,255 mi | 3 days | $850–$1,200 |
| Dallas, TX | I-8/I-10/I-20 · ~1,360 mi | 3 days | $900–$1,250 |
| Norfolk, VA | I-40/I-81 · ~2,700 mi | 5–6 days | $1,200–$1,700 |
| New York, NY | I-40/I-70 · ~2,780 mi | 5–6 days | $1,200–$1,700 |
*Estimates for 2026, operable sedan, open trailer. Add roughly 10 to 25 percent for SUVs and trucks, more for enclosed. Carrier availability on your dates determines the real price.
PCS season lifts prices on every lane from June through August. Booking early is the best defense.
The rest of the year, San Diego pricing tracks Los Angeles closely. The cost guide covers vehicle size, condition, and the other variables.
The Routes
Four interstates carry almost every car in and out of San Diego.
Interstate 5 runs up the coast to Los Angeles and beyond. Interstate 15 climbs inland toward Riverside and Las Vegas.
Interstate 8 heads east across the desert to Yuma, Phoenix, and Tucson. It is the direct route to Arizona and the road most Texas-bound carriers take.
Interstate 805 threads through the middle of the county. Because Los Angeles carriers are two hours away, availability here is strong year round.
Summer heat on the Interstate 8 desert stretch is intense. Drivers cross it early in the day when they can.
Access
San Diego geography puts a few obstacles between a carrier and your driveway.
Coronado is reachable over the bridge, and carriers cross it regularly. Delivery on the island works, though a wide street or lot is the usual meeting spot.
Canyon neighborhoods like Mission Hills and the La Jolla hillsides have narrow, steep streets. A full-size carrier cannot navigate them.
Base housing is behind a gate the driver cannot pass without sponsorship. Meeting just outside the gate or at a nearby lot is the standard solution.
Fashion Valley, large retail lots, and wide North County boulevards all work well. Tell us your neighborhood and we will suggest a spot.
The Border
The San Ysidro crossing is the busiest land border in the Western Hemisphere.
We deliver throughout the South Bay, including Chula Vista, National City, and Otay Mesa. That covers everything up to the border on the United States side.
A move into Mexico is a separate process with customs paperwork and a different type of carrier. We arrange domestic shipping only.
If you need a cross-border move, ask and we will point you toward the right resource. For a car already in San Diego, we can ship it anywhere in the country.
Who Ships Here
Beyond the bases, two more groups keep San Diego carriers busy.
The University of California San Diego and San Diego State draw students from every state. August brings cars in, and May sends them home.
Biotech and research employers in La Jolla and Sorrento Valley relocate specialists from around the country. Those moves follow start dates rather than seasons.
Mild weather means very few weather delays here. The main scheduling pressure is summer, when PCS and student moves overlap.
Your Options
Open transport is the everyday choice, and the climate here is about as easy as it gets.
Enclosed transport covers the car against sun, salt air, and road grit. It is the usual pick for a classic, an exotic, or a high-value SUV.
A commuter car rides fine on an open trailer. Our open and enclosed pages compare the two in depth.
The Basics
Getting a car shipped has three steps: the quote, the pickup, and the delivery.
Approve the price and we line up a carrier. The driver inspects the car and records its condition on a Bill of Lading. You sign that at pickup, then check the car against it at delivery.
Our how it works and preparation guides cover each step in detail.
Why Ship Guy
We plan around report dates, base gates, and PCS season, and we keep the timing honest.
Ship Guy operates under active FMCSA brokerage authority with a $75,000 surety bond. You are welcome to verify both.
One coordinator, start to finish. That person can set up open, enclosed, or expedited transport for you. See the full list on our services page.
Nearby
Carriers that work San Diego also cover these nearby cities.
Statewide guide: California auto transport · See all 66 cities we serve →
Visit Us
Our office is on University Avenue in the College Area, near San Diego State and Interstate 8.
San Diego FAQ
Yes, second-vehicle shipments are the most common request we get from military families. Many moves cover only one car, so the other ships privately. We plan pickup around your report date and housing timeline. Summer is the peak, so book two to three weeks ahead. Ship Guy is an independent broker with no military affiliation. Our military page has more details.
Dallas and Austin usually fall between nine hundred and twelve hundred fifty dollars for a sedan. The route runs east on Interstate 8 and 10, roughly thirteen hundred miles. SUVs and trucks add 10 to 25 percent. PCS season lifts prices from June through August. Enclosed transport costs more. Request a quote for a firm number on your dates.
About a day. Interstate 8 runs straight east across the desert, roughly three hundred fifty miles. Carriers cross the hot stretch early in the day when they can. Traffic near Yuma and Phoenix can add a few hours. We give realistic windows, never a promised hour. Tucson takes about the same.
Yes, carriers cross the Coronado Bridge regularly. Island streets can be tight for a full-size truck. A wide street or a lot near the bridge is the usual meeting spot. North Island base housing sits behind a gate the driver cannot pass. We arrange a meeting point just outside it. Tell us your address and we will plan the handoff.
Usually not, because the gate requires sponsorship the driver does not have. The standard solution is meeting just outside the gate or at a nearby lot. It takes a few extra minutes and works smoothly. This applies to Naval Base San Diego, Miramar, North Island, and Pendleton. Let us know which base and we will suggest a spot.
We deliver throughout the South Bay up to the border, including Chula Vista and Otay Mesa. A move into Mexico is a separate process. It requires customs paperwork and a different type of carrier. We arrange domestic shipping only. If you need a cross-border move, ask and we will point you toward the right resource.
Yes, student shipments run every August and May. Families send cars in for the school year and home for the summer. Delivery can go to student housing or a nearby address. A responsible adult needs to meet the driver and sign. Summer overlaps with PCS season, so early booking helps. We plan the window around move-in.
Yes, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Escondido are all covered. Pendleton housing is behind a gate, so the driver meets you outside it. North County streets are generally wide and easy for a carrier. Timing matches the rest of the county. Book early in summer when PCS traffic peaks.
Yes, we arrange shipping for vehicles that will not start. The carrier uses a winch, which adds loading time and a fee. We ask whether the car rolls, steers, and brakes. Those details determine the right carrier. The pickup is scheduled around the vehicle’s condition.
Start with the pickup and delivery addresses. Follow with the vehicle’s year, make, and model. Say whether it runs and rolls. Choose open or enclosed, then share your dates. That is enough for an accurate San Diego quote. Precise input gives a precise estimate.
Get Started
Get a quote in about two minutes. Then tell us your report date or move-in week so we can plan around it.