Why Your Car Shipping Quote Is Higher Than Last Year (Diesel at $5.40 Explained)

• April 24, 2026

Last updated on April 24, 2026

You got a quote to ship your car. It’s higher than you expected, or higher than what you remember paying. You’re wondering if you’re getting a fair price or if something’s off.

Here’s what’s actually driving the number.

Diesel Is at $5.40 — And That’s the Whole Story

The national average for diesel fuel hit $5.40 per gallon this month. A year ago it was around $3.44. That’s a 57% increase in twelve months.

Auto transport runs on diesel. Every truck that moves your car — from pickup to delivery — fills up on diesel. When that cost goes up 57%, carriers can’t absorb it. They pass it through as a fuel surcharge. Every broker adds that surcharge to their quote, including us. The difference between brokers is whether they show it to you clearly or hide it in the base rate and hope you don’t notice.

At Transcar, our current fuel surcharge is 16% on top of the base carrier rate. That number is on your quote, labeled. You’re not going to see a $750 quote and get a $1,100 invoice when your car arrives.

How the Fuel Surcharge Actually Works

Carriers set a base rate for a move — say, Dallas to San Diego for a standard sedan. That base rate reflects their costs without fuel: driver wages, truck depreciation, insurance, tolls. Then they add a fuel surcharge, which adjusts as the diesel price index moves.

Most carriers recalculate fuel surcharges weekly. If diesel drops, the surcharge drops. If diesel spikes, the surcharge goes up. Brokers who lock your rate at booking shield you from changes between booking and pickup. Brokers who quote “estimates” and settle at the carrier’s current rate the day of pickup can give you nasty surprises.

When you get a quote from us, that rate is locked. What you see is what you pay.

What Else Affects Your Quote

Diesel is the biggest variable right now, but it’s not the only factor:

Route. High-demand lanes like California-to-Florida or Texas-to-New York have more carriers competing, which keeps prices lower. Moves to rural areas or less-traveled routes cost more because carriers have to deadhead (drive empty) part of the way.

Vehicle size. A standard sedan takes one slot on an open carrier. A pickup truck or SUV takes more space and weighs more. Enclosed transport costs more because you’re paying for a smaller, specialty trailer.

Timing. Summer is expensive — that’s when everyone moves, especially military families doing PCS moves. Book early if you can. Spring and late fall are cheaper.

Distance. Longer moves aren’t always proportionally more expensive. A 1,500-mile move might cost only 30% more than a 1,000-mile move because the fuel per mile goes down on long hauls (the driver makes fewer stops, fewer starts).

Open vs. enclosed. Open carrier — the kind you see on the highway with 8-10 cars stacked on it — is the standard and the cheaper option. Enclosed is for high-value vehicles that need protection from road debris and weather.

Why That $800 Quote You Saw Elsewhere Might Not Hold Up

We hear this a lot. A competitor quotes $800, we quote $1,050, and you want to know why we’re $250 higher. Fair question.

Some brokers quote low to win the booking, then renegotiate with the carrier after the fact. Or they don’t have a carrier locked and they’re guessing. Or they’re quoting a base rate without the fuel surcharge. Or they plan to call you the day before pickup and say the carrier needs $200 more.

Our quotes include everything. The 16% fuel surcharge is in there. We don’t book a move we can’t fulfill at the quoted price.

If a quote sounds too good, ask the broker: “Is this a locked rate? What’s your fuel surcharge? When is a carrier assigned?”

Those three questions will tell you a lot.

When Will Prices Come Down?

The EIA’s current outlook has diesel staying above $5.00 through most of 2026. Prices could ease if global crude supply increases or demand softens in the US, but neither of those is looking likely in the near term.

For practical purposes: don’t plan your shipping timeline around an expected price drop. Book when you’re ready to move, not when you think prices might be better. The risk of waiting is usually higher than any potential savings.

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Get a real quote — fuel surcharge included, no surprises:

📞 (682) 252-4654

Or get an instant quote online: transcar.com/#quote

We’ll tell you exactly what you’re paying and why.