Maine to South Carolina Car Shipping (2025 Cost Guide)
Quick answer: The average cost to move a car 1,169 miles from Maine to South Carolina falls between $963 and $1,635. Delivery typically takes two–eight days. The timeline can vary based on the type of transport you opt for and the time of year. To get a tailored quote, check out our car shipping cost calculator.
|
|
|
Shipping a car the reverse route? We’ve got you covered with our South Carolina to Maine car shipping guide.
Our track record
The best Maine to South Carolina car shipping companies
Through more than 400 hours of analysis of car shippers, we found that these are the top car shipping companies for transporting your vehicle from Maine to South Carolina:
- Best for real-time tracking: Nexus Auto Transport
- Best for accurate pricing: Sherpa Auto Transport
- Best cross-country shipper: Montway Auto Transport
- Best for budget-conscious: Navi Auto Transport
- Best for overall value: SGT Auto Transport
- GPS tracking
- Instant online quotes
- Economy option
- Ships nationwide
- Easy online scheduling
- Price Lock Promise
- Pay by credit card
- Free car wash at delivery
- No upfront deposit
- Door-to-door service
- Competitive pricing & $0 upfront
- GPS tracking
- Multiple insurance options
- Guaranteed pickup dates available
- Door-to-door service
- No hidden fees
- Free online quotes
- Door-to-door service in 48 states
- Exact pickup dates
- Ships to & from HI
Top local car shippers in Maine
If you prefer to go with a local company, here are the top car shippers in Maine that can relocate your vehicle to South Carolina:
- Sullivan's Automotive Service, Inc.: 3.66 out of 5 stars
- Xpress Auto Transport: 3.5 out of 5 stars
- CraftsTransport: 3.5 out of 5 stars
How we chose the best car shipping companies
Alternative ways to ship your car from Maine to South Carolina
Ship it with your movers
If you need to ship your car from Maine for a move to South Carolina, 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.
|
|
|
Drive it yourself
While it’s simple, this isn’t always the best option, and it’ll put about 1,169 extra miles on your car to travel from Maine to South Carolina. To help decide, here are the pros and cons of driving vs. shipping.
Hire a driver
Another option is to pay someone to drive your car from Maine to South Carolina. This can be costly and hinges on trusting another person to handle your vehicle responsibly.
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!
Maine to South Carolina 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 South Carolina. The average travel distance is about 1,169 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from two to eight days.
Cost to ship a car from Portland, ME to South Carolina
Cost to ship a car from Lewiston, ME to South Carolina
Cost to ship a car from Bangor, ME to South Carolina
Cost to ship a car from South Portland, ME to South Carolina
Cost to ship a car from Auburn, ME to South Carolina
Shipping an SUV or truck from Maine to South Carolina
Factors that affect car shipping costs from Maine to South Carolina
When moving your vehicle from the Pine Tree State to the Palmetto State, several factors can affect the total shipping cost:
- 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 South Carolina.
- Distance and route: The trip from Maine to South Carolina covers roughly 1,169 miles. Longer routes raise fuel and labor expenses, which increase the overall cost.
- Time of the year: Seasonal demand drives prices up. Moves from Maine in summer or over the holidays are often more expensive.
- Fuel prices: Fluctuating fuel prices can significantly affect transport costs. This is an important consideration given the distance between Maine and South Carolina and the varying gas prices across the country.
- Delivery expectations: Flexibility with delivery dates can sometimes lower costs. In most cases, transporting a vehicle from Maine to South Carolina takes two–eight days. Expedited delivery is available but adds to the price.
South Carolina vehicle regulations you need to know
Once you arrive in South Carolina, registering your vehicle and ensuring it’s road-legal will require a few specific actions. The list below outlines the most important requirements.
- Car insurance requirements: In South Carolina, it's a legal requirement for every driver to have liability insurance. Adhering to the state's minimum liability limits, commonly referred to as 25/50/25, entails securing coverage of at least $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for total bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. Stay compliant with these essential insurance standards to drive confidently on South Carolina roads.
- Vehicle inspection: Drivers in South Carolina are not required to get a safety, VIN, or emissions inspection for their vehicle.
- Driver’s license: If you are moving to South Carolina, you will be required to obtain a South Carolina driver's license within 90 days of establishing residency in the state.
- Additional taxes: In South Carolina, there is a sales tax imposed on the purchase of a vehicle. The sales tax rate is 6%, which is collected by the dealer at the time of purchase.
Learn more with our car shipping checklist.
Transporting your vehicle from Maine
More than 1.4 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 South Carolina
About 5.4 million people are living in the Palmetto State. South Carolina had hot and humid summers and cool to mild winters and coastal areas of the state have very mild winters. While precipitation is abundant the entire year in almost the entire state, the coast tends to have a slightly wetter summer, while inland, the spring and autumn transitions tend to be the wettest periods and winter the driest season, with November being the driest month.