Auto Transport & Car Shipping in Chicago, IL
Dawley Logistics moves cars to and from Chicago on its own open nine-car haulers, out of Burlington, Wisconsin, about 70 miles north. Chicago auto transport is a home lane for us, not a load handed to a stranger. Long hauls to Florida, Arizona and Texas run through DS Brokerage, our sister company, on carriers we vet ourselves.
Why a Wisconsin carrier for a Chicago move
Most Chicago auto transport quotes come from brokers who have never loaded a car. Ours come from the people who run the truck.
We own the haulers
Roughly 90–95% of our loads move on Dawley open nine-car haulers. The person quoting your lane knows what it costs to run it.
One price, quoted once
The number we quote is the number you pay, even when securing the carrier costs us more. Condition and modifications just have to be disclosed up front.
Never a random carrier
When a load does go to DS Brokerage, about 75% of the carriers we screen are rejected on authority, equipment, insurance and compliance.
Auto transport services available in Chicago
Every service below runs both directions on the Chicago lane. Full detail sits on the auto transport hub.
Open transport
Our own nine-car haulers. Cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and side-by-sides.
See open transport CoveredEnclosed transport
Up to seven vehicles, liftgate loading for low clearance.
See enclosed transport SeasonalSnowbird shipping
Chicago south in autumn, back north in spring.
See snowbird shipping Trade & auctionDealership transport
Dealer trades, auction buys and inventory between Chicagoland lots.
See dealership transport VolumeFleet & commercial
OEM, rental and construction fleets on recurring Chicago lanes.
See fleet transport Personal movesVehicle relocation
Job transfers, college moves, military orders, online purchases.
See vehicle relocationAlso from Chicago: luxury and collector cars · show cars and modified builds
How a Chicago pickup actually works
A loaded hauler is 75 feet long. That one fact decides how car shipping in Chicago gets scheduled, so we settle the meeting point before the date.
- You give us the real address
Street, alley, permit zone, gated entrance. The honest version is what keeps the quote from moving.
- We agree a meeting point
Wide streets and open lots load at the door. Tight blocks get a nearby retail lot instead.
- You get one price
Quoted for what the Chicago lane actually moves for. No hidden fees, no change after booking.
- The confirmed carrier shows up
Our hauler or a carrier we screened. Pickup usually runs same day to three days out.
Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs we pick up in
Auto transport in Chicago is a dozen loading problems, not one. A driveway in Beverly is nothing like a permit block in Lincoln Park.
Naperville
Cul-de-sacs and wide driveways. Usually a door-side load.
Schaumburg
Office parks and retail lots off I-290 give a hauler room to sit.
Aurora
Mixed streets. We pick the meeting point off the Ronald Reagan Tollway.
Joliet
Industrial frontage near I-80 makes dealer and auction runs simple.
Evanston
Dense and permit-heavy. Expect a nearby lot rather than the block.
Oak Brook
Gated drives and HOAs. We meet outside the gate by arrangement.
Inside the city
Trucks are barred from Lake Shore Drive, so city pickups stage off the Kennedy, the Stevenson or the Tri-State and work in. Where a gate or an alley will not take 75 feet of truck, we meet you at the nearest well-lit retail lot — safer loading anyway.
Popular lanes out of Chicago
Most long-haul car shipping from Chicago runs south. Each lane prices by season, not by a rate card. Most of it rides on open nine-car haulers, with a covered trailer when the car cannot take road spray.
Chicago to Florida
Tampa, Naples, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville. The first lane to tighten each autumn.
Chicago to Arizona
Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale. Snowbird and relocation volume; capacity thins near the holidays.
Chicago to Texas
Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth. Job moves and dealer runs, not just winter.
On timing: pickup usually lands same day to three days out, and delivery runs the same way once the vehicle is loaded, depending on the lane and the weather. We give you a realistic window when we quote rather than a date we would have to walk back.
Return legs book the same way; many customers ship both directions year after year. See snowbird auto transport for the round trip.
When to book a snowbird move
Chicago car shipping runs to a predictable calendar. Book to the calendar and you get a choice of days instead of whatever is left.
- October to December — southbound demand builds and peaks.
- April to May — the northbound rush, same squeeze in reverse.
- Three to four weeks ahead — enough lead time to pick your pickup day.
When thousands of vehicles chase the same capacity, market rates rise across the industry. That is why we quote what the lane will actually move for instead of a number we would have to take back.
Dealer and auction pickups around Chicagoland
Trade work around Chicago runs on gate passes, buyer numbers and release paperwork, against a yard that closes whether or not the truck cleared traffic. Because we are the carrier, the person quoting knows how long the queue runs.
Venues we run
- Manheim Chicago
- Copart Chicago-area yards
- IAA Chicago-area yards
- Dealer-to-dealer trades across the metro
Recurring accounts moving 100 to 500 vehicles along the Midwest corridor are everyday work, and inbound units from the coasts come through the brokerage on vetted carriers. Buying at auction and shipping to a driveway works the same way — tell us if the vehicle does not run.
Chicago auto transport questions
What does car shipping from Chicago cost?
It depends on the destination, the season, the size of the vehicle and whether it runs. We do not post a rate card, because a posted number is the thing that gets walked back after booking. Tell us the pickup, the drop and the vehicle and you get one price for that lane.
How long does the drive take once my car is picked up?
Pickup normally happens same day to three days out, and delivery runs the same way once loaded, depending on the lane and the weather. We give a realistic window when we quote rather than a promise we cannot keep.
Can a car hauler get down my street?
Often, yes. A loaded hauler is about 75 feet long, so wide streets, cul-de-sacs and open lots load at the door. Narrow blocks, alleys and permit-parking streets do not, and we arrange a nearby lot when we book.
Do you pick up in the Chicago suburbs as well as the city?
Yes. Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora, Joliet, Oak Brook, Evanston and the rest of Chicagoland are the same job to us — usually an easier one, because there is room for 75 feet of truck.
My community will not allow a car hauler through the gate. What then?
We arrange a meeting point outside it — a common area by the entrance, or a well-lit retail lot nearby. Safer loading than a gated street, and it costs you nothing extra.
When should I book a snowbird move out of Chicago?
Three to four weeks before you travel gives you a choice of pickup days. October to December southbound and April to May northbound are the pinch points; inside a week, you take what capacity is left.
Are these your own trucks picking up in Chicago?
Usually. Roughly 90 to 95 percent of our loads move on Dawley Logistics equipment, and Chicago auto transport sits on the corridor our own haulers work. The rest goes to DS Brokerage, our sister company, which rejects about 75 percent of the carriers it screens on authority, equipment, insurance and compliance.
Get a real quote for your Chicago move.
Tell Jeremy the pickup, the drop and the vehicle. You get one price for the lane, no commitment until final pricing is confirmed, and the carrier we confirm is the carrier that shows up.