Maine to Alabama Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 1,511 miles from Maine to Alabama ranges from $1,139 to $1,562 and takes three–nine days depending on factors like the transport type and season. For a more detailed quote, use our car shipping cost calculator.
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Shipping a car the reverse route? We’ve got you covered with our Alabama to Maine car shipping guide.
The best Maine to Alabama car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Maine to Alabama:
- Best for accurate pricing: Sherpa Auto Transport
- Best cross-country shipper: Montway Auto Transport
- Best for discounts: AmeriFreight Car Transport
- Best for overall value: SGT Auto Transport
- Best for quick pickup: Easy Auto Ship
- Price Lock Promise
- Pay by credit card
- Free car wash at delivery
- No upfront deposit
- Door-to-door service
- No upfront payment
- GPS tracking
- Multiple insurance options
- Competitive pricing
- Door-to-door shipping
- Competitive pricing
- Last-minute car shipments
- Guaranteed & expedited shipments
- Gap insurance coverage
- Multiple discounts
- No hidden fees
- Free online quotes
- Door-to-door service in 48 states
- Exact pickup dates
- Ships to & from HI
- No upfront deposit
- Expedited shipping
- No hidden fees
- Ships motorcycles & RVs
- Discount for cash payments
Alternative ways to ship your car from Maine to Alabama
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 1,511 miles on your car going from Maine to Alabama. If you’re not sure, here are the pros and cons of driving your car vs shipping it.
- Ship it with your movers. If you need to ship your car from Maine for a move to Alabama, you may want to hire a moving company that can handle car shipping, as well. Many long-distance moving companies work with reputable car shippers to coordinate auto transport.
- Hire a driver. Hire someone to drive the car from Maine to Alabama for you. It’s an option, but will probably be a very costly one and involve trusting a driver to safely get your car to its destination.
- Ship by train. If this is an option for you, it’s an affordable and secure way of shipping your vehicle. Shipping a car by train is actually the cheapest way to ship your car!
ME to AL auto transport costs and transit times
The tables below detail the costs and estimated transit times for shipping a car between popular cities in Maine and Alabama. The average travel distance is about 1,511 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from three to nine days .
Cost to ship a car from Portland, ME to Alabama
| From Maine to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ME to Huntsville, AL | $957 – $1,449 | 1,235 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Portland, ME to Birmingham, AL | $918 – $1,420 | 1,281 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Portland, ME to Montgomery, AL | $995 – $1,595 | 1,344 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Portland, ME to Mobile, AL | $1,150 – $1,692 | 1,511 miles | 3 – 9 days |
| Portland, ME to Tuscaloosa, AL | $1,035 – $1,487 | 1,337 miles | 3 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Lewiston, ME to Alabama
| From Maine to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston, ME to Huntsville, AL | $957 – $1,420 | 1,267 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Lewiston, ME to Birmingham, AL | $964 – $1,487 | 1,313 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Lewiston, ME to Montgomery, AL | $1,005 – $1,595 | 1,376 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Lewiston, ME to Mobile, AL | $1,150 – $1,545 | 1,543 miles | 3 – 9 days |
| Lewiston, ME to Tuscaloosa, AL | $1,005 – $1,487 | 1,370 miles | 3 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Bangor, ME to Alabama
| From Maine to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor, ME to Huntsville, AL | $995 – $1,549 | 1,364 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Bangor, ME to Birmingham, AL | $1,028 – $1,626 | 1,409 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Bangor, ME to Montgomery, AL | $1,103 – $1,546 | 1,473 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Bangor, ME to Mobile, AL | $1,232 – $1,637 | 1,640 miles | 3 – 9 days |
| Bangor, ME to Tuscaloosa, AL | $1,103 – $1,546 | 1,466 miles | 3 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from South Portland, ME to Alabama
| From Maine to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Portland, ME to Huntsville, AL | $937 – $1,449 | 1,236 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| South Portland, ME to Birmingham, AL | $928 – $1,493 | 1,282 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| South Portland, ME to Montgomery, AL | $995 – $1,533 | 1,345 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| South Portland, ME to Mobile, AL | $1,093 – $1,578 | 1,512 miles | 3 – 9 days |
| South Portland, ME to Tuscaloosa, AL | $975 – $1,579 | 1,338 miles | 3 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Auburn, ME to Alabama
| From Maine to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn, ME to Huntsville, AL | $947 – $1,435 | 1,264 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Auburn, ME to Birmingham, AL | $1,046 – $1,472 | 1,310 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Auburn, ME to Montgomery, AL | $964 – $1,503 | 1,374 miles | 3 – 8 days |
| Auburn, ME to Mobile, AL | $1,162 – $1,708 | 1,540 miles | 3 – 9 days |
| Auburn, ME to Tuscaloosa, AL | $1,035 – $1,549 | 1,367 miles | 3 – 8 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Maine to Alabama
Since vehicles like SUVs, trucks, and vans are larger and heavier, it’s a bit more expensive to ship them than a sedan. How much more?
If you’re shipping a larger vehicle from Maine to Alabama you should expect to pay between $1,424 and $1,953.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from ME to AL
When transporting your vehicle from the Pine Tree State to the Heart of Dixie, these factors will influence your final price:
- Type of transport: Options like open, enclosed, or top-loaded transport cater to different needs. Open carriers are cost-effective, while enclosed transport provides added protection for luxury or classic cars. If you’re not sure, check out our guide comparing open vs. enclosed car shipping.
- Vehicle size and type: The dimensions and weight of your vehicle directly affect shipping costs. The larger and heavier your vehicle, the more it will cost to ship your car to Alabama.
- Distance and route: The journey from Maine to Alabama spans approximately 1,511 miles, influencing fuel and labor costs. The longer the distance, the bigger the price tag.
- Time of the year: Seasonal demand impacts the price of getting your car out of Maine, with summer and winter holidays often seeing a spike due to increased moving and travel activity.
- Fuel prices: Fluctuating fuel prices can significantly affect transport costs. This is an important consideration given the distance between Maine and Alabama and the varying gas prices across the country.
- Delivery expectations: Because it’ll make their job easier, your auto shipper may give you a pricing discount if you’re flexible on delivery dates. That being said, getting your car from Maine to Alabama should take between three and nine days. Expedited services are available but come at a higher cost.
Alabama vehicle regulations you need to know
- Car insurance requirements: Alabama state government requires motorists possess liability insurance, which must provide a minimum coverage of 25/50/25. This specification includes coverage for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident.
- Vehicle inspection: In Alabama, a safety inspection must be completed prior to selling a vehicle and a VIN inspection is mandatory when registering an out-of-state vehicle. Emissions inspections are not required by the state, though cities and municipalities may have their own laws mandating them.
- Driver’s license: When you move to Alabama with an out-of-state driver's license, you have 30 days to surrender it and obtain an Alabama license.
- Additional taxes: In Alabama, a 2% state sales tax is levied on the purchase of vehicles, including off-road motorcycles and ATVs. With the addition of city and county vehicle sales taxes, the total sales tax owed will amount to between 3.375% and 4% of the vehicle's cost.
Learn more with our car shipping checklist.
Transporting your vehicle from Maine
More than 39 million people call Maine home. Nicknamed the Pine Tree State, Maine has a humid continental climate. with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in the Northern and Western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions.
Transporting your vehicle to Alabama
About 22 million people are living in the Heart of Dixie. Alabama has one of the hottest summers in the US and mild winters with copious amounts of precipitation throughout the year. Areas around the Gulf in Alabama are prone to tropical storms and hurricanes. Alabama also has tornado activity, which typically occurs in the spring It would be a good idea to check for tornado activity in the area you are looking to move to.
FAQ
Does someone have to be present when you ship a car for pickup in Maine and delivery in Alabama?
Most companies will require that an adult of at least 18 years of age be present when picking up your car in Maine and when dropping it off in Alabama.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Maine to Alabama?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Maine to Alabama, you aren't required to have typical car insurance. Your car hauler should have adequate insurance if an accident happened on the drive to Alabama, which you should verify before loading your car in Maine.
If you’re driving your car at all in either state, you should understand the requirements. In Maine, drivers must carry a minimum liability coverage of 50/100/25, requiring $50,000 for bodily injury per person, $100,000 for all injuries per accident, and $25,000 for property damage, as per car insurance laws.
Alabama state government requires motorists possess liability insurance, which must provide a minimum coverage of 25/50/25. This specification includes coverage for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident.
How long does it take to ship a car from Maine to Alabama?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Maine to Alabama is about 1,511 miles, and that’s as fast as about 4 days. However, most car transport companies will take three to nine days to travel from Maine to Alabama.
Will I be required to have a vehicle inspection in either state?
The State of Maine requires annual safety inspections for all vehicles used on public roads to ensure they are in proper working condition and safe to operate. Safety inspections in Maine can be carried out at any official service station of the Maine Department of Transportation.
In Alabama, a safety inspection must be completed prior to selling a vehicle and a VIN inspection is mandatory when registering an out-of-state vehicle. Emissions inspections are not required by the state, though cities and municipalities may have their own laws mandating them.
If I have a driver’s license in Maine, will I need one in Alabama?
When you move to Alabama with an out-of-state driver's license, you have 30 days to surrender it and obtain an Alabama license.
If I bought a car in Maine, will I be required to pay sales tax in Alabama after shipping it there?
It’s important to understand any tax implications if you’re having a car shipped from Maine to Alabama after purchasing it.
In Alabama, a 2% state sales tax is levied on the purchase of vehicles, including off-road motorcycles and ATVs. With the addition of city and county vehicle sales taxes, the total sales tax owed will amount to between 3.375% and 4% of the vehicle's cost.
We recommend that you always check for updated tax information in both Maine and Alabama to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Maine to Alabama?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Maine to Alabama is to ship it on a train or choose an open trailer transport method, avoid expedited shipping, and be flexible with your pickup dates.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Maine to Alabama?
Shipping a car from Maine to Alabama costs $1,139 to $1,562.
