How much does it cost to ship a car from British Columbia to Alberta?

For a running sedan on an open carrier, expect about $725–$1,075 from Vancouver to Calgary (970 km by road). An SUV costs about $825–$1,200, a pickup $950–$1,400, and an enclosed trailer $1,100–$1,625 for a sedan. Prices are in Canadian dollars.

How long does it take to ship a car from British Columbia to Alberta?

Transit is usually 2–3 days after pickup for the 970 km trip. Allow another 1–5 days for a carrier to collect the car on a standard booking; expedited pickup costs about 30% more.

When is the cheapest time to ship a car from British Columbia to Alberta?

January–May and September–November is the cheapest window on this lane. Prices are highest in June–August, up to about 8% more. Booking two to three weeks ahead with a flexible pickup date also lowers the quote.

Is it cheaper to drive or ship my car from British Columbia to Alberta?

Driving 970 km takes about 2 days: roughly $140 in fuel and 1 night of hotels and meals (about $170). Shipping a sedan costs about $725–$1,075. Over this distance driving usually costs less, if you can spare the time.

Which car shipping companies go from British Columbia to Alberta?

Our directory lists 18 companies based at either end of this route. Compare them above, then ask two or three for a quote on your dates.

Ship a Car from British Columbia to Alberta: Cost & Time

Shipping a car from British Columbia to Alberta

Shipping a running sedan from Vancouver to Calgary costs about $725–$1,075 on an open carrier and $1,100–$1,625 in an enclosed trailer, with 2–3 days in transit. It ranks #2 of the 56 province-to-province lanes by people moving, based on Statistics Canada data.

Prices in Canadian dollars, updated November 2026 · Estimates, not quotes · Estimate your own trip →

Open carrier, sedan

$900

Road distance

970km

Days in transit

2–3

Companies at both ends

From	Calgary	Edmonton	Lethbridge	Red Deer
Vancouver	$725–$1,075970 km · 2–3 days	$800–$1,1751,163 km · 2–4 days	$800–$1,1751,176 km · 2–4 days	$775–$1,1501,110 km · 2–4 days
Surrey	$725–$1,075944 km · 2–3 days	$800–$1,1501,137 km · 2–4 days	$800–$1,1501,150 km · 2–4 days	$775–$1,1251,084 km · 2–3 days
Victoria	$900–$1,4501,097 km · 3–4 days	$950–$1,5251,289 km · 3–5 days	$975–$1,5251,303 km · 3–5 days	$950–$1,5001,236 km · 3–5 days
Burnaby	$725–$1,075959 km · 2–3 days	$800–$1,1501,151 km · 2–4 days	$800–$1,1751,165 km · 2–4 days	$775–$1,1501,098 km · 2–3 days

$725–$1,075970 km · 2–3 days

$800–$1,1751,163 km · 2–4 days

$800–$1,1751,176 km · 2–4 days

$775–$1,1501,110 km · 2–4 days

Surrey

$725–$1,075944 km · 2–3 days

$800–$1,1501,137 km · 2–4 days

$800–$1,1501,150 km · 2–4 days

$775–$1,1251,084 km · 2–3 days

Victoria

$900–$1,4501,097 km · 3–4 days

$950–$1,5251,289 km · 3–5 days

$975–$1,5251,303 km · 3–5 days

$950–$1,5001,236 km · 3–5 days

Burnaby

$725–$1,075959 km · 2–3 days

$800–$1,1501,151 km · 2–4 days

$800–$1,1751,165 km · 2–4 days

$775–$1,1501,098 km · 2–3 days

Price by vehicle type

Vancouver to Calgary, 970 km. Bigger and heavier vehicles take more room and weight on the trailer, so they cost more.

Vehicle	Open carrier	Enclosed
Sedan	$725–$1,075	$1,100–$1,625
SUV or crossover	$825–$1,200	$1,225–$1,825
Pickup truck	$950–$1,400	$1,425–$2,100

Best time to ship

Prices on this lane peak in June–August (the summer moving peak), running about 8% above the quietest months. The cheapest time to ship from Vancouver to Calgary is January–May and September–November.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cheapest: about $900 Peak: about $975

About this route

Who moves from British Columbia to Alberta

About 22,433 people moved from British Columbia to Alberta in each of the last two years, according to Statistics Canada (23,456 in 2024/2025, 21,409 in 2025/2026). That is 47.7% of everyone who left British Columbia for another province or territory — no other province draws more people from British Columbia.

Traffic runs both ways — about 19,504 people a year move from Alberta back to British Columbia — so carriers run this lane year-round and quotes tend to be steady.

Moves on this lane peak in April–June, when 33% of the year's movers make the trip; October–December is the quietest quarter (16%).

Distance and transit time

Vancouver to Calgary is about 970 km, or 2–3 days on a car carrier. Most of the wait is before pickup, while the driver fills the trailer. The car heads east-northeast and crosses from Pacific to Mountain time, so confirm whether the delivery window you are given is in local time.

On the road

The route crosses the Rocky Mountains. From October to March, snow on the mountain passes can hold trucks for a day, and British Columbia requires winter tires or chains on most of its highways.