Auto shipping to and from Puerto Rico involves an ocean voyage in one way or another. There are a few different ways you can get motor vehicles to and from the Caribbean island, and we’ll go over each of them here. Puerto Rico auto shipping can seem complicated at first, but there are multiple shipping services that make the voyage regularly.
We’ve reviewed the best car shipping companies and brokers to help you in this process and found one provider to be the best for Puerto Rico shipping: uShip. Contact the company above to get a free quote.
What to Expect When Shipping a Car to or from Puerto Rico
Unless you live in a port city, auto shipping to and from Puerto Rico will usually involve multiple carriers: one to move your vehicle on land, and another to move your vehicle across the sea. But, you don’t have to book separate carriers yourself when you work with a shipping broker, which is the most common way to plan auto shipments. The broker will arrange carriers for each leg of the trip. You’ll be able to communicate with the carriers to synchronize drop-off and pick-up times as well.
So, how do you actually get a car to or from Puerto Rico? First of all, land transport services are the same whether the vehicle is traveling through a port or not. You can choose open or enclosed transport (open is cheaper). Next, you have a few options when your vehicle travels across the ocean, all of which influence car shipping costs.
- Ride-on/ride-off (RORO): Think of RORO transport like a giant ferry. Cars are driven on and strapped down for the trip. Most RORO vessels ship vehicles in a climate-controlled environment. This is the most cost-effective method of vehicle transport on the ocean.
- Lift-on/lift-off (LOLO): In this shipping method, cranes physically lift vehicles onto the deck of the vessel. This is a good option for inoperable or very large vehicles. However, the deck is open to the elements.
- Sharing a container: You can reserve a spot inside a shipping container for your vehicle. Typically, four cars can share a 40-foot container. This splits the cost of auto shipping to and from Puerto Rico by container.
- Booking a solo container: If you have a luxury or classic car that you want to protect, you can get a 20-foot container all to yourself. This is the most expensive option.
Cost of Shipping to and from Puerto Rico
To find the exact cost of auto shipping to or from Puerto Rico, you’ll need to work with a shipping company and compare quotes. Many companies transport vehicles on land to the Jacksonville port in Florida and then send them by ship to the San Juan port in Puerto Rico.
For a direct ocean shipment from Jacksonville, our research shows a RORO option costs about $1,000 to $1,500, and a shared container costs $2,000 and up. According to iContainers, a solo 20-foot container from Jacksonville can cost about $3,000, and containers from ports farther away can cost up to $5,000. These prices only account for the ocean transport portion from Florida. If you need to ship your car across land first, or if your vehicle travels through a port city that’s farther away, you’ll pay more.
Here are a few sample costs for shipping an operable 2018 Honda Accord, according to National Express Auto Transport:
| Puerto Rico City | U.S. City | Mileage | Cost of Auto Shipping to Puerto Rico | Cost of Auto Shipping from Puerto Rico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan | Jacksonville, FL | 1,273 | $1,000 | $850 |
| San Juan | Washington, DC | 1,556 | $1,545 | $1,420 |
| San Juan | Austin, TX | 2,141 | $1,715 | $1,530 |
| San Juan | Los Angeles, CA | 3,364 | $2,155 | $1,795 |
Puerto Rico Car Shipping: What You Need to Know:FAQ
How much does it cost to ship a car?
Depending on how far you want to ship your car, you can find prices from $300 for a short trip (about 100 miles) to $1,000 and above for a cross-country trip. Per mile, prices range from $3 for short shipments to 60 cents for long shipments.
What’s the cheapest way to ship a car?
The cheapest method for vehicle shipping is on an open car transport truck after you’ve compared quotes from different carriers. And, the easiest way to find cheap car shipping rates is to use a shipping broker.
How much does it cost to ship a car 1,000 miles?
According to Montway Auto Transport, it costs about $930 to ship a car 1,000 miles. However, you may pay cheaper prices if the car is traveling between two large cities, and more expensive prices if the pick-up or drop-off location is a rural address.
Methodology
The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car shipping provider to formulate rankings of the best auto transport companies. Our in-depth rating system takes into account pricing, services, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each provider is given a weighted score in four categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.
We recommend car shipping companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best service.
