Ship a Car Between California & Canada
Cross-border auto transport serving California with coordinated customs handling for vehicles moving between the U.S. and Canada.
Door-to-door vehicle shipments are arranged throughout California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, with deliveries commonly routed to destinations such as Vancouver, BC and Calgary, AB. Long distances, coastal routing options, and high-volume border crossings from the West Coast are accounted for, while all export and import customs clearance is handled as part of the transport process.
🛡️ Fully Licensed (MC #676789)
📦 Open & Enclosed Vehicle Transport Available
Fast turnaround · No hidden fees · Cross-border specialists since 1985
⭐ 191+ Google Reviews — 4.6 Rating
🚚 100,000+ Cars Shipped Since 1985
🛃 Full Customs Handling (CAN/USA)
🕒 Same-Day Drop-Off Available
California ↔ Canada Auto Transport Overview
California–Canada moves usually come down to life changes and logistics, not impulse. We see shipments tied to seasonal living between regions, permanent relocations for work or family, and vehicle purchases where the buyer needs transport instead of a long drive across multiple states and provinces. It also comes up when a vehicle needs to be repositioned for extended stays, school terms, or a cross-border return trip.
Direction matters because the paperwork and routing are not identical. Vehicles shipping from Canada into California—often delivered into Los Angeles or San Francisco—must clear import requirements before final delivery is scheduled and confirmed. Vehicles going from California into Canada are commonly routed toward Vancouver, BC or Calgary, AB, where entry steps and provincial requirements influence timing and documentation.
California routes add scale: long mileage from most border crossings, multiple viable corridors, and weather patterns that can shift transit plans. Coastal versus inland lanes can affect pickup windows and linehaul timing, and winter conditions in interior mountain passes can make certain routes less efficient even when California itself is clear. Planning also has to account for congestion around major metro areas, which changes how quickly a carrier can stage pickups and deliveries.
Popular California Car Shipping Destinations
Certain parts of California are used more often for cross-border vehicle moves because population density, highway corridors, and carrier staging points vary widely across the state.
Los Angeles Metro Area
Shipments frequently center on Los Angeles, with regular pickup and delivery coverage extending into Long Beach, Pasadena, Torrance, and Glendale. The concentration of highways, ports, and distribution traffic allows carriers to combine cross-border vehicles with other long-haul loads. This makes scheduling more predictable compared to less dense regions of the state.
Northern California Routes
Northern California moves are commonly coordinated through San Jose and Sacramento, with different timing considerations than Southern California. Routes here often align with inland highway corridors rather than coastal lanes, which can affect transit windows and staging locations. Weather in higher elevations and seasonal traffic patterns are also factored into planning.
Coverage Beyond Major Cities
Transport is available throughout California, including the Central Valley, desert communities, and mountain or rural areas. These locations may require adjusted pickup windows or nearby meeting points depending on carrier access. Final routing is determined by road conditions, equipment availability, and the practicality of reaching lower-volume areas without delay.
Transport Options for Shipping Cars Between California & Canada
Vehicles moving between California and Canada can be shipped using either open or enclosed transport, depending on how much protection is required during the trip. The appropriate option is usually determined by the type of vehicle being moved, exposure concerns over a long distance, delivery timing, and overall budget. Both methods are used regularly on cross-border routes serving California.
Open Transport vs. Closed Transport Options
Open Transport
Open transport is commonly used for standard passenger vehicles, fleet moves, and everyday cars that do not require shielding from the elements.
Pricing is generally lower because carriers can move multiple vehicles at once, which works well on high-volume California routes that run north toward the Canadian border.
The state’s mild climate and frequent long-haul traffic make open carriers easier to schedule for pickups across urban and suburban areas.
Closed Transport
Enclosed transport provides full protection from road debris, weather exposure, and handling during transit.
This option is typically selected for high-value, low-clearance, or specialty vehicles where condition on arrival is a priority.
Costs are higher and availability is more limited, as enclosed carriers run on tighter schedules and often require more precise coordination when entering or exiting California.
Both open and enclosed transport are available for long-distance, cross-border shipments between California and Canada. The right choice depends on the vehicle being shipped and how the owner weighs protection, timing, and cost for this specific route.
California ↔ Canada Auto Transport Pricing
| From | To | Starting Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Los Angeles | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | Los Angeles | 1,775+ |
| Montreal | Los Angeles | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | Los Angeles | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | Los Angeles | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | Los Angeles | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | Los Angeles | 2,375+ |
| Regina | Los Angeles | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | Los Angeles | 2,375+ |
| Toronto | San Francisco | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | San Francisco | 1,775+ |
| Montreal | San Francisco | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | San Francisco | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | San Francisco | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | San Francisco | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | San Francisco | 2,375+ |
| Regina | San Francisco | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | San Francisco | 2,375+ |
| Toronto | San Diego | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | San Diego | 1,775+ |
| Montreal | San Diego | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | San Diego | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | San Diego | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | San Diego | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | San Diego | 2,375+ |
| Regina | San Diego | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | San Diego | 2,375+ |
| Toronto | Orange County | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | Orange County | 1,775+ |
| Montreal | Orange County | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | Orange County | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | Orange County | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | Orange County | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | Orange County | 2,375+ |
| Regina | Orange County | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | Orange County | 2,375+ |
| Toronto | Palm Springs | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | Palm Springs | 1,875+ |
| Montreal | Palm Springs | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | Palm Springs | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | Palm Springs | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | Palm Springs | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | Palm Springs | 2,375+ |
| Regina | Palm Springs | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | Palm Springs | 2,375+ |
| Toronto | San Jose | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | San Jose | 1,775+ |
| Montreal | San Jose | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | San Jose | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | San Jose | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | San Jose | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | San Jose | 2,375+ |
| Regina | San Jose | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | San Jose | 2,375+ |
| Toronto | Sacramento | 2,150+ |
| Vancouver | Sacramento | 1,775+ |
| Montreal | Sacramento | 2,350+ |
| Calgary | Sacramento | 1,950+ |
| Edmonton | Sacramento | 1,950+ |
| Ottawa | Sacramento | 2,350+ |
| Winnipeg | Sacramento | 2,375+ |
| Regina | Sacramento | 2,375+ |
| Saskatoon | Sacramento | 2,375+ |
* Starting prices are estimates. Actual cost varies by vehicle size, timing, route, and duties/taxes.
Rates on California–Canada routes reflect the longer mileage involved and how vehicles are typically staged through major corridors like Southern California before moving north toward the border. Pricing also accounts for carrier availability on west-coast lanes and the added coordination required when shipments originate far from primary crossing points.
How the California ↔ Canada Car Shipping Process Works
Shipping a vehicle between California and Canada involves coordinated pickup, long-distance linehaul, and border clearance handled within a single process. Vehicles are moved door to door, with export and import requirements addressed as part of the transport rather than left to the owner.
Step 1: Request a Quote
Get a free, no-obligation quote based on your vehicle, route, timing, and transport preference. Pricing includes logistics planning and cross-border coordination.
Step 2: Schedule Pickup
For California pickups, scheduling accounts for regional carrier access, traffic patterns, and whether the vehicle is located in a dense metro area or a more remote part of the state. Flexible pickup windows help align local availability with northbound routing toward the border.
Step 3: Vehicle Inspection & Preparation
Your vehicle is inspected at pickup and documented for condition. We’ll guide you on simple preparation steps to ensure a smooth transport.
Step 4: Cross-Border Transport & Customs
We handle all required customs paperwork and border coordination while your vehicle is transported safely across the U.S.–Canada border.
Step 5: Door-to-Door Delivery
Your vehicle is delivered to its destination, where a final inspection confirms it arrives in the same condition as pickup.
From scheduling through delivery, coordination, documentation, and logistics are handled end to end so the shipment stays organized at every stage.
Reviews from California-Bound Customers
Customer feedback often reflects experiences shipping vehicles into California through busy corridors like Southern California and Northern California, where timing, access, and cross-border coordination directly affect delivery outcomes.
California ↔ Canada Auto Transport FAQs
The questions below address common concerns about timing, documentation, and routing when shipping a vehicle between California and Canada.
California shipments often connect directly with western Canadian destinations, especially through routes serving British Columbia, where coastal and inland corridors support steady cross-border flow. In some cases, vehicles staged through nearby states like Nevada are combined with California loads to align carrier availability and northbound routing before reaching the border.
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