Standard, Expedited and Rush Tier Pricing

Three ways to ship the same vehicle on the same trucks. The only thing that changes is how quickly a carrier is assigned to your order.

See My Three Tier Prices

Standard, Expedited and Rush Tier Pricing

Three ways to ship the same vehicle on the same trucks. The only thing that changes is how quickly a carrier is assigned to your order.

See My Three Tier Prices

Google Reviews for Car Shipping Services Nationwide

What the Three Tiers Actually Change

Carriers are independent operators. When a driver has an open slot heading your direction, they choose which vehicle to load — and they choose the one that pays best. Every vehicle waiting on that route is competing for the same space.

Your tier is your position in that competition. It is not a different class of truck, a different driver, or a different standard of care. Same carriers, same equipment, same insurance. What changes is how quickly a carrier accepts your order. Think of it as walking, jogging and running.

The three pricing tiers concept of walk, jog and run car shipping service

Best Value

Standard

1–8 days

to carrier assignment

The lowest rate available. If there are no better-paying vehicles nearby on your route, a carrier takes yours. On busy corridors this often moves fast; on thinner routes it takes patience. Right for flexible dates and tighter budgets.

MOST POPULAR

Faster Assignment

Expedited

1–4 days

to carrier assignment

Separates your order from about half the vehicles waiting on your route, for a nominal amount more. It roughly halves the worst-case wait for a small increase in cost, which is why we recommend it in most situations.

Maximum Priority

Rush

1–2 days

to carrier assignment

Puts your vehicle at or near the top of a crowded field. Also the tool that brings a carrier out to a rural or hard-to-reach address at all — on remote routes Rush is less about speed and more about getting it done.

Route Distance	Transit Alone	Standard, Door to Door	Expedited, Door to Door	Rush, Door to Door
500 miles Regional	~1 day	3–11 days	3–7 days	3–5 days
1,000 miles Multi-state	~2 days	4–12 days	4–8 days	4–6 days
2,000 miles Long haul	~4 days	6–14 days	6–10 days	6–8 days
2,800 miles Coast to coast	~6 days	8–16 days	8–12 days	8–10 days

Route Distance

Transit Alone

Standard, Door to Door

Expedited, Door to Door

Rush, Door to Door

500 miles
Regional

~1 day

3–11 days

3–7 days

3–5 days

1,000 miles
Multi-state

~2 days

4–12 days

4–8 days

4–6 days

2,000 miles
Long haul

~4 days

6–14 days

6–10 days

6–8 days

2,800 miles
Coast to coast

~6 days

8–16 days

8–12 days

8–10 days

What Your Tier Does Not Change

We would rather set expectations correctly than oversell this.

It does not change transit time. Once your vehicle is loaded, a single driver covers 500–550 miles a day on every tier. Distance, route and federal hours-of-service rules decide that, not what you paid.

It does not change the truck or the driver. Every vehicle we move goes on a licensed, insured carrier regardless of tier.

It does not guarantee a date. Rush dramatically improves your odds and is the best tool available for a tight timeline, but weather, breakdowns and road closures affect every carrier on the road. Anyone promising a guaranteed pickup date in this industry is selling you something they cannot control.

We Are The Company That Invented Instant Auto Transport Pricing

Direct Express Auto Transport pioneered online instant pricing for the auto transport industry in 2004. Before we built the first car shipping cost calculator, getting a quote from a broker meant phone calls, callbacks, and waiting — sometimes days. We changed that. Today you know your exact cost in 30 seconds, before committing to anything. No phone tag, no hassle. Just a real number, instantly.

FAQs About Tier Pricing

Does paying more make my car arrive faster?

Partly. A higher tier gets a carrier assigned to your vehicle sooner — 1–2 days on Rush versus up to 8 on Standard. Once your car is loaded, transit speed is identical on all three tiers, because a single driver covers roughly 500–550 miles per day regardless of what you paid.

What is the difference between Standard, Expedited and Rush?

They change how quickly a carrier accepts your order. Standard is assigned in 1–8 days, Expedited in 1–4 days and Rush in 1–2 days. After assignment, pickup usually happens within 1–2 days and transit runs at the same speed on every tier.

How long after a carrier is assigned will my car be picked up?

Usually 1–2 days. Sometimes the same day if the driver is already nearby, occasionally longer depending on where they are in their run. This stage is the same on all three tiers.

How fast does a car transporter travel per day?

A single driver covers roughly 500–550 miles per day. A two-driver team covers 1,000–1,100 miles per day, since one rests while the other drives. Most auto transports use a single driver.

Which tier do most customers choose?

Expedited. It roughly halves the worst-case assignment window compared with Standard for a nominal increase in cost, which makes it the best balance for most timelines.

Is Standard tier ever a bad idea?

On remote or rural routes, yes. Where carrier traffic is thin, a Standard rate may not attract a driver out to your address at all. Rush exists partly for this reason — it is often what brings a carrier to a hard-to-reach location.

Do I get a different truck or driver on a higher tier?

No. Every vehicle ships on a licensed, insured carrier regardless of tier. The tier determines your position in the dispatch queue, nothing else about the service.

Can you guarantee a pickup date?

No, and neither can anyone else in this industry honestly. Rush substantially improves your odds and is the best tool available for a firm deadline, but weather, mechanical issues and road closures affect every carrier on the road.