Car Shipping Companies in Salinas, CA
1 auto transporter is registered in Salinas with the FMCSA, motor vehicles declared as cargo and a fleet on file, and 4 more listed carriers work within 30 miles. Each row carries the USDOT number that opens the carrier's own safety and insurance record.
Source: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census, snapshot September 24, 2026. Distances are from the center of Salinas to each carrier's ZIP code. No paid placement.
- Based in Salinas
- 1
- registered in the city itself
- Within 30 miles
- 4
- more listed carriers
- Interstate authority
- 1
- of 5 may haul across state lines
- Largest fleet nearby
- 2 trucks
- Next Gear Car Hauler, Watsonville
In short
1 auto transporter is registered in Salinas and 4 more work within 30 miles; 1 of the 5 can haul across state lines. 0 had a roadside inspection in the past 24 months. The largest fleet nearby is Next Gear Car Hauler's 2 trucks. Most people leaving Monterey County for another state go to Arizona (Census).
Auto transporters based in Salinas
Ordered by the power units reported on each carrier's MCS-150 filing.
- 1
Lucky Star Inc
Legal name: Lucky Star Auto Transportation Inc
1518 Saguaro Dr, CA 93905
- USDOT
- 2975827
- MC number
- —
- Fleet
- 1 truck · 1 driver
- Registered since
- 2017
Auto transporters within 30 miles of Salinas
Nearest first, from Marina, Watsonville, Gilroy and nearby.
| Miles | Company | City | USDOT | Fleet | Authority | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 mi | Flawless Car Transport | Marina, CA | 3077041 | 1 truck | Within CA | Not rated |
| 19 mi | Next Gear Car Hauler | Watsonville, CA | 4819783 | 2 trucks | Interstate | Not rated |
| 19 mi | CM Auto Transport LLC | Watsonville, CA | 3278484 | 1 truck | Within CA | Not rated |
| 23 mi | A&D Auto Transport LLC | Gilroy, CA | 3593647 | 1 truck | Within CA | Not rated |
Shipping a car out of Salinas: the main lanes
Distances from Salinas to the largest metros; measured routes are driving miles, the rest are estimated and marked ≈.
| From Salinas to | Distance | Truck drive time | Household move on this route |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | ≈ 2,975 mi | 7 days | — |
| Los Angeles, CA | ≈ 308 mi | 6 hr | — |
| Chicago, IL | ≈ 2,147 mi | 5 days | — |
| Dallas, TX | ≈ 1,669 mi | 4 days | — |
| Houston, TX | ≈ 1,849 mi | 4 days | — |
| Washington, DC | ≈ 2,816 mi | 6 days | — |
| Miami, FL | ≈ 2,962 mi | 6 days | — |
| Philadelphia, PA | ≈ 2,916 mi | 6 days | — |
Drive time assumes a loaded car hauler averaging about 55 mph with legal rest; a shared truck also stops for the other cars on the deck, so door-to-door takes longer than the drive.
Roadside inspections: auto transporters near Salinas
None of the 5 auto transporters listed here had a roadside inspection in the 24 months to September 13, 2026. None has an acute or critical violation from an FMCSA investigation in the past 12 months.
FMCSA Safety Measurement System carrier summary, 24-month window. How the comparison is calculated.
Who moves out of Monterey County
Salinas is in Monterey County, CA. In the Census Bureau's 2016–2020 survey, the county-to-county estimates add up to roughly 9,082 people a year leaving Monterey County for another state, most often for Arizona (about 1,009), Virginia (about 938) and Texas (about 911), while about 8,510 (±1,278) a year arrive from other states.
US Census Bureau, ACS 2016–2020 county-to-county migration flows; estimates are people a year with a 90% margin of error.
Pickup in Salinas and checking the carrier
A loaded car hauler is about 75 feet long, so on narrow Salinas streets the driver may ask to meet at a wide lot; the 1 carrier based here will know which ones work. If the quote comes from a broker, ask which carrier's truck will come and open that USDOT number before pickup. Preparing the car and how car shipping is priced cover the rest.
More in California
654 listed auto transporters are based in California; the state page ranks them all.
Car shipping in Salinas: questions people ask
How many car shipping companies are there in Salinas, CA?
1 FMCSA-registered auto transporter is based in Salinas itself, and 4 more listed carriers work within 30 miles (Marina, Watsonville, Gilroy and nearby). All 5 hold active registrations with motor vehicles declared as cargo and a fleet on file. Brokers are registered separately and are not counted.
Who is the largest auto transporter near Salinas?
By reported fleet, Next Gear Car Hauler in Watsonville, CA, with 2 trucks on its filing (USDOT 4819783). Fleet size is self-reported and describes capacity, not care; read the record behind the number before you book.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Salinas?
We publish no car-shipping price model, so this page prints no figures. The quote is set by the lane (Salinas to New York City, NY is about 2,975 miles), open or enclosed transport, the car's size and whether it runs, the season and direction, and how flexible your pickup window is. The pricing guide linked below explains each factor.
Will a car hauler pick up at my door in Salinas?
Usually as close as a 75-foot rig can legally and physically get. On narrow residential streets, in HOAs that bar commercial trucks, or where overhead lines are low, the driver will ask to meet at a wide lot nearby. Agree the meeting point when you book, not when the truck is idling.
Sources. FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (snapshot September 24, 2026) and Safety Measurement System; Census ACS migration flows. Nobody pays for placement.