Price ranges by vehicle class for the main lanes into Iowa. The carrier sets the price.
Key facts
Who sets the price
The carrier
How distance is measured
Approximate road distance: the straight line plus 20%
As of 2026-11-10. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 state population centers; approximate road distance is straight-line distance increased by 20%
Routes into Des Moines, IA, using the largest city in each origin state. Distances are approximate.
Route
Vehicle
Open transport
Enclosed transport
Illinois
Sedan or compact car
$400–$610
$600–$915
Illinois
SUV or crossover
$424–$645
$635–$968
Illinois
Pickup or large SUV
$480–$732
$720–$1,098
Illinois
Van or minivan
$428–$652
$642–$978
Illinois
Heavy-duty or oversized vehicle
$447–$682
$671–$1,023
Illinois
Motorcycle
$379–$578
$568–$866
Texas
Sedan or compact car
$631–$961
$946–$1,442
Texas
SUV or crossover
$667–$1,017
$1,001–$1,526
Texas
Pickup or large SUV
$757–$1,153
$1,135–$1,729
Texas
Van or minivan
$674–$1,028
$1,012–$1,542
Texas
Heavy-duty or oversized vehicle
$705–$1,074
$1,058–$1,612
Texas
Motorcycle
$597–$910
$896–$1,365
Minnesota
Sedan or compact car
$376–$573
$564–$859
Minnesota
SUV or crossover
$398–$606
$597–$909
Minnesota
Pickup or large SUV
$451–$687
$676–$1,031
Minnesota
Van or minivan
$402–$612
$603–$919
Minnesota
Heavy-duty or oversized vehicle
$420–$640
$630–$960
Minnesota
Motorcycle
$356–$542
$534–$814
Nebraska
Sedan or compact car
$376–$573
$564–$859
Nebraska
SUV or crossover
$398–$606
$597–$909
Nebraska
Pickup or large SUV
$451–$687
$676–$1,031
Nebraska
Van or minivan
$402–$612
$603–$919
Nebraska
Heavy-duty or oversized vehicle
$420–$640
$630–$960
Nebraska
Motorcycle
$356–$542
$534–$814
Wisconsin
Sedan or compact car
$400–$610
$600–$915
Wisconsin
SUV or crossover
$424–$645
$635–$968
Wisconsin
Pickup or large SUV
$480–$732
$720–$1,098
Wisconsin
Van or minivan
$428–$652
$642–$978
Wisconsin
Heavy-duty or oversized vehicle
$447–$682
$671–$1,023
Wisconsin
Motorcycle
$379–$578
$568–$866
Within the state, from Cedar Rapids
Sedan or compact car
$376–$573
$564–$859
Within the state, from Cedar Rapids
SUV or crossover
$398–$606
$597–$909
Within the state, from Cedar Rapids
Pickup or large SUV
$451–$687
$676–$1,031
Within the state, from Cedar Rapids
Van or minivan
$402–$612
$603–$919
Within the state, from Cedar Rapids
Heavy-duty or oversized vehicle
$420–$640
$630–$960
Within the state, from Cedar Rapids
Motorcycle
$356–$542
$534–$814
As of 2026-11-09. RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. There is no seasonal direction adjustment for this route and month.
According to Census ACS 2024, the largest inflow is from Illinois, 10,691 people (margin of error 2,090), then Texas, 5,861 (margin of error 2,811), and Minnesota, 5,086 (margin of error 1,099). The Texas margin is wide. The largest outbound flows go to Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. One outbound pair, Iowa to Arizona, is flagged as a snowbird lane. That is the ACS count, not a separate snowbird census. Illinois to Iowa is the busiest inbound pair. The route list marks these as truck lanes.
Highway restrictions
Iowa DOT posts travel restrictions on its site. On 9 November 2026 it posted a northbound I-35 entrance-ramp closure at Elkhart. I-35 is a corridor the department itself writes about. Check iowadot.gov the week of a pickup rather than assuming a ramp is open. This note does not state a chain law. Outside the metros, common practice is a meeting point on a highway the truck can use, not a farm lane. Camp Dodge is the Army installation in the list. Inside the contiguous United States, a privately owned vehicle is largely the member's responsibility to move.
Auction, campuses, and 30 days
The Davenport auction area covers the Iowa-Illinois metro where people ship cars bought at auction. Confirm the release time. Iowa State in Ames and the University of Iowa in Iowa City are the large campuses. Title and register with a county treasurer within 30 days of establishing residency, even if the out-of-state plates are still valid. The new-resident page does not require a VIN, safety, or emissions inspection. A vehicle must still meet the federal safety-certification label rules that page describes if it was not previously titled. See the registration page.
