Open, enclosed, and expedited car shipping across Maine, planned around the Turnpike, the seasons, and where the trucks stop.
Fast, secure pricing in 30 seconds.
Maine
Maine auto transport is a one-corridor job, and the corridor gets thinner the farther north you go.
Ship Guy is a licensed auto transport broker. We book vetted carriers across Maine, and we do not own the trucks.
Interstate 95 enters at Kittery and runs the Turnpike through Portland to Augusta. It continues to Bangor and the Canadian border. Everything else is US 1 along the coast and two-lane state roads inland.
This page covers the corridor and where carriers turn around, Portland and the coast, and the two seasons. It also covers the shipyards, mud season, and the city with its own page.
Most pickups happen within 2 to 4 days along Interstate 95 south of Bangor. The coast in summer and the northern counties run 3 to 6 days.
Boston and Manchester are same-day lanes from Portland. New York and Hartford take a day. Florida runs four.
Maine is a small market, and carriers come from Massachusetts and beyond. A flexible date range matters more here than almost anywhere in the Northeast.
The Corridor
Every carrier serving Maine comes up Interstate 95, and most turn around at Bangor.
The Turnpike carries Interstate 95 from Kittery through Portland to Augusta. Its tolls are built into every quote. Interstate 295 loops through Portland and Brunswick, and the free stretch of 95 continues to Bangor.
North of Bangor, the interstate runs another hundred miles to Houlton with few towns beside it. Aroostook County, Presque Isle, and the northern woods are the hardest places in New England to reach.
For the far north, plan on 3 to 6 days and a meeting spot in Bangor or Houlton. For everything south of Bangor, the corridor works normally.
City Pages
Augusta has its own page covering the capital, the mud-season posted roads, and the Turnpike lane. Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, the coast, and the rest of Maine are covered from this page.
Portland & the Coast
Portland is the carrier hub of the state, and the coast beyond it runs on a summer clock.
The city sits where the Turnpike and Interstate 295 meet. The medical center moves residents every June, and the port handles ferries and cargo. The peninsula’s streets are narrow. The driver meets you on Marginal Way or at a lot off 295.
Kennebunkport, Camden, Boothbay, and Bar Harbor fill with summer residents from June through September. US 1 crawls. The roads onto the peninsulas and Mount Desert Island are too narrow for a trailer.
For a coastal address in summer, the driver meets you on US 1 or in the nearest town. Summer residents ship cars up in June and home in September.
The lake towns around Sebago and the mountains near Bethel and Sugarloaf run on the same seasonal clock. They add a winter ski season.
Lanes & Costs
Common lanes out of Portland, with estimated open-transport ranges. Bangor adds about a hundred thirty miles to every lane. Price your exact route above.
| Route | Corridor · distance | Est. transit | Est. open rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | I-95 · ~110 mi | Same day | $170–$280 |
| Manchester, NH | I-95/US-4 · ~95 mi | Same day | $220–$340 |
| Hartford, CT | I-95/I-84 · ~200 mi | 1 day | $260–$390 |
| Albany, NY | I-95/I-90 · ~260 mi | 1 day | $270–$400 |
| New York, NY | I-95 · ~320 mi | 1 day | $340–$490 |
| Philadelphia, PA | I-95 · ~410 mi | 1–2 days | $400–$570 |
| Washington, DC | I-95 · ~550 mi | 2 days | $460–$660 |
| Charlotte, NC | I-95/I-85 · ~900 mi | 3 days | $700–$980 |
| Chicago, IL | I-90 · ~1,050 mi | 3 days | $750–$1,050 |
| Orlando, FL | I-95 · ~1,400 mi | 4 days | $900–$1,250 |
*2026 estimates for a running sedan on an open trailer, priced from Portland. SUVs and pickups add roughly 10 to 25 percent, and enclosed more. Turnpike tolls are included, and season plus carrier availability on your dates set the real quote.
Boston is the cheapest lane by far, because Massachusetts carriers run the Turnpike daily. The Florida lane runs full each fall and spring, which keeps it easy to book despite the distance.
Northern Maine costs more per mile because the carrier detours to reach it. The cost guide lays out the other variables.
Two Seasons
Maine fills in summer and empties in winter, and both migrations ship cars.
Summer residents from Boston, New York, and beyond ship cars up in June and home in September. The coast and the lakes fill, and carriers are busiest in those two months.
Retirees head to Florida from October through December and return from April through June. Interstate 95 runs the whole way, and volume keeps the lane competitive despite fourteen hundred miles.
Two to three weeks of notice in either season keeps your options open. Planning tips for the Florida lane are on our snowbird page.
Who Else Ships
A few more groups keep Maine carriers coming north.
The naval shipyard in Kittery overhauls submarines and rotates sailors and civilians on project schedules. The destroyer yard in Bath relocates engineers the same way.
The University of Maine in Orono and the campuses in Portland and Lewiston bring cars in each September. The colleges in Brunswick and Waterville do the same, and all send them home each May.
The Guard base in Bangor and the former air station at Brunswick add smaller waves. Ship Guy is a private broker with no military connection, and our military page covers PCS timing.
If your employer reimburses the shipment, the documentation comes from us. The state-to-state page has the interstate side.
Weather
Maine has a real winter and a season named after what it does to the roads.
Snow closes the Turnpike a few times each winter, and the coast adds nor’easters. Carriers wait for the plows, and a window can slip a day or two.
Mud season runs from March into May. Towns post weight limits on their roads while the frost comes out. A loaded carrier cannot use them. The driver meets you on the state highway.
Summer is mild, and the coast adds fog. Fall foliage brings traffic to the mountains and the coast for a few weeks in October.
Your Options
Open transport is the everyday choice, and the Boston and Florida lanes run on it.
Enclosed transport keeps a car covered against road salt, slush, and mud-season grit. The coastal estates and the lake camps keep enclosed carriers busy with collector cars each summer.
A commuter car rides open with no issue. Our open and enclosed pages compare the two options.
The Basics
A price, a pickup on the corridor, and a delivery. The season decides how soon the truck arrives.
When the price is approved, a carrier heading up Interstate 95 takes the booking. The driver records the car’s condition on a Bill of Lading, and you sign at the handoff. That record is what delivery is compared to.
The how it works and preparation guides go step by step.
Why Ship Guy
We quote honest windows for a small market and know where the trucks stop.
Ship Guy holds active FMCSA brokerage authority and a $75,000 surety bond, both on the federal register.
One coordinator carries the shipment from quote to delivery and sets up open, enclosed, or expedited transport. Every option is shown on the services page.
Maine FAQ
Because Maine is a small market, and most carriers come up Interstate 95 from Massachusetts and beyond. A truck adds a Maine stop when the load justifies it. Pickups run 2 to 4 days south of Bangor. The coast in summer and the north take 3 to 6 days. A flexible date range puts you on the next truck.
Orlando from Portland usually runs nine hundred to twelve hundred fifty dollars for a sedan. It is about fourteen hundred miles down Interstate 95. Tampa and Miami run a little more. Season counts more than distance, and a southbound car in November costs more than in July. Larger vehicles add 10 to 25 percent to that.
Yes, with a meeting spot. US 1 crawls from June through September. The roads onto the peninsulas and Mount Desert Island are too narrow for a trailer. The driver meets you on US 1 or at a lot in the nearest town. Summer residents ship up in June and home in September.
Yes, but plan on 3 to 6 days and a meeting spot in Bangor or Houlton. Few carriers go north of Bangor. The northern woods are the hardest place in New England to schedule a truck. A wide date range is the biggest help.
From March into May, towns post weight limits on their roads. The frost is coming out of the ground. A loaded carrier cannot use a posted road, so the driver meets you on the state highway. It adds a few minutes of driving on your end and nothing to the price.
Yes, both rotate sailors, civilians, and engineers on project schedules. Kittery sits at the bottom of the Turnpike, and Bath is off Interstate 295. We plan the pickup around your report or start date. Ship Guy is a private broker with no military affiliation.
Yes, student cars move each September and again in May. Orono sits off Interstate 95 above Bangor, and the handoff happens at a lot near campus. Portland, Lewiston, and Brunswick campuses follow the same calendar. An adult signs at pickup.
They are already part of the quote. Carriers pay the Turnpike between Kittery and Augusta and price accordingly. There is no separate line. Interstate 95 north of Augusta carries no toll.
Yes, non-running cars ship from every part of Maine. A winch-equipped carrier loads it, and the added time carries a fee. Tell us whether the car can roll, steer, and brake.
Both addresses, with the town for a coastal or northern pickup. The year, make, and model. Whether it runs and rolls. Open or enclosed, and the widest window of dates you can offer. That is a complete Maine quote request.
Get Started
A quote takes about two minutes, coast or inland. Then tell us your town and dates, and we will find the next carrier coming up the Turnpike.