Car shipping in the Maritimes covers three provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island — and two very different kinds of trip. Moves within the region, like Halifax to Moncton, are short: 265 km and typically 1–2 days. Moves to the rest of Canada are long, sometimes ten days or more. Both run through the same carrier network and the same Halifax hub.
Car Shipping in the Maritimes
Halifax is the effective hub for the region — the largest population centre, the main port, and the point most carriers pass through. Because the three provinces sit close together, intra-Maritime moves are measured in hours rather than days: Halifax to Moncton is 265 km and 1–2 days; Halifax to Charlottetown is 329 km and also 1–2 days. For a Halifax pickup or delivery, the dedicated car shipping Halifax page has city-level detail.
Lanes Within the Maritimes
The three provinces are connected by highway, not water. New Brunswick links to Nova Scotia by the Trans-Canada Highway, and to Prince Edward Island by the Confederation Bridge — a 12.9 km fixed road link, not a ferry. A carrier drives straight across with no sailing schedule to plan around, which keeps intra-Maritime transit times tight and predictable.
| Route | Distance | Typical Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax, NS – Moncton, NB | 265 km | 1–2 days |
| Halifax, NS – Charlottetown, PE | 329 km | 1–2 days |
These two lanes account for most short-haul bookings in the region. Both are short enough that a single driver handles the whole run.
Maritimes to the Rest of Canada
Once a vehicle leaves the Maritimes, distances stretch out fast. The table below uses Halifax as the reference point, since it's the hub most long-haul carriers load from or through.
| Route | Distance | Typical Transit |
|---|---|---|
| Halifax, NS – Montreal, QC | 1,253 km | 2–4 days |
| Halifax, NS – Toronto, ON | 1,801 km | 3–5 days |
| Halifax, NS – Calgary, AB | 4,847 km | 9–15 days |
| Halifax, NS – Edmonton, AB | 4,816 km | 9–15 days |
| Halifax, NS – Vancouver, BC | 5,796 km | 10–18 days |
The Alberta lanes carry more volume than distance alone would suggest, thanks to a long-standing pattern of Maritimers relocating west for work and bringing a vehicle rather than buying one on arrival. That flow surges each late summer and early fall, so booking a few weeks ahead of a fall move date gives a carrier room to slot your vehicle onto a truck already headed that way.
Open vs Enclosed Transport
Most vehicles shipped out of the Maritimes travel on open carriers, and for the large majority of cars, trucks and SUVs that's entirely appropriate. Enclosed car shipping exists for the smaller slice of vehicles where weather exposure or road debris is a genuine risk to the car's value.
| Factor | Open Transport | Enclosed Transport |
|---|---|---|
| Weather and road debris exposure | Exposed to rain, road salt, grit and debris | Fully enclosed trailer, no exposure |
| Vehicles per load | Higher — typically 6–10 per carrier | Lower — typically 1–4 per carrier |
| Availability on Maritime lanes | Frequent — trucks run daily | Limited — fewer carriers, longer lead time |
| Typical vehicles | Daily drivers, sedans, SUVs, trucks, used-car purchases | Classics, exotics, low-clearance sports cars, collector vehicles |
If your vehicle is a standard daily driver, open transport with a reputable carrier is the right call. If it's a car you'd be genuinely upset to see with a chip in the paint, enclosed is worth the longer lead time.
What Your Quote Depends On
We don't publish a flat per-kilometre rate because no single rate applies across all these variables. What we can do is lay out exactly what moves the number, in which direction, and why.
| Factor | Which way it moves the price, and why |
|---|---|
| Distance and distance tier | Longer distance raises the total but lowers the effective per-km rate — fixed costs like loading are spread over more kilometres. |
| Open vs enclosed | Enclosed raises the price because a trailer carries fewer vehicles and there are fewer enclosed carriers on any lane. |
| Vehicle size and clearance | Larger or heavier vehicles take more deck space; low clearance can require specific ramps, narrowing carrier choice. |
| Whether it runs, rolls and steers | A non-running vehicle needs a winch-equipped carrier and takes longer to load. |
| Season and weather | Winter bookings on Atlantic and prairie legs can raise the price and lengthen the window. |
| Flexibility of pickup window | A flexible multi-day window lowers the price; a fixed single-day date can raise it. |
| Distance from a main highway | A rural address off the highway raises the price — more driving time, sometimes a local vehicle or meet point. |
| How established the lane is | A lane carriers already run often tends to lower the price; a rarer combination raises it. |
For most Maritimes bookings, three of these dominate: distance tier, the season the move falls in, and how far the pickup or delivery sits from a main highway.
Newfoundland and the Ferry
Newfoundland and Labrador is not part of the Maritimes, but almost every vehicle moving there passes through the region, since the only route in is the Marine Atlantic ferry crossing from North Sydney, Nova Scotia. We keep the full detail on scheduling and sailing times on the dedicated St. John's–Halifax car shipping page.
Preparing Your Vehicle for Pickup
A little preparation the day before pickup prevents most of the disputes that come up after delivery. Work through this before the driver arrives:
- Fuel: leave roughly a quarter tank — enough to load and unload without adding dead weight.
- Toll transponders: remove any toll devices so you aren't billed for a route you weren't in the vehicle for.
- Personal belongings: clear the car out completely. Cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not items left inside it.
- Alarm: disable any alarm so it doesn't trigger during loading or transit stops.
- Damage photos: take dated photos from every angle before the driver arrives.
- Aftermarket parts: fold in or remove spoilers, roof racks and antennas that could be struck loading.
- Tires and parking brake: confirm all four tires hold air and the parking brake releases fully.
At pickup, the driver walks the vehicle with you and writes a condition report. That report is what any later damage claim is measured against, so read it — don't just sign it — and point out anything missed before the vehicle goes on the truck.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest way to ship a car within Canada?
Open transport on a multi-vehicle carrier, booked with a flexible pickup window, on a lane carriers already run regularly. Those three together do most of the work: enclosed trailers carry a fraction of the vehicles per load, a rigid pickup date means a carrier may run with an empty slot, and an established lane is one where the truck is already going.
Do you ship cars to Prince Edward Island?
Yes. PEI is reached over the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick, so it is a road connection rather than a ferry and adds no scheduled sailing to the plan. Halifax to Charlottetown is 329 km, typically 1–2 days.
How long does it take to ship a car from the Maritimes to Alberta?
Around 9–15 days from Halifax, for roughly 4,847 km to Calgary or 4,816 km to Edmonton. It crosses four distinct weather regions, which is why the window is a range rather than a date.
Can you ship a car that does not run?
Yes. A non-running vehicle needs a carrier with a winch and takes a loading slot that a driveable car would not, so it has to be arranged deliberately. Tell us at booking whether it rolls, steers and brakes — those three determine what equipment the driver brings.
Is my car insured while it is being transported?
Yes. Every vehicle moves under the carrier's cargo insurance for the whole trip. Ask for the certificate and check the per-vehicle limit against what your car is actually worth — that matters most for enclosed loads. Your own policy generally still covers the vehicle as an owned asset, but not the carrier's handling of it.
Can Red Foot Haulers ship my car to or from the United States?
No — Red Foot Haulers ships within Canada only. Bringing a vehicle in from the US involves customs clearance, Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) registration and a federal inspection, all outside domestic transport. Contact the CBSA or RIV directly for that process.
Other Popular Routes
For the bigger picture of national coverage, our car shipping Canada hub has the full network. Other commonly booked lanes out of the region include car shipping Halifax, Halifax to Calgary car shipping, Halifax to Edmonton car shipping, Halifax to Vancouver car shipping, and St. John's to Halifax car shipping for the Newfoundland ferry connection.
Moving an RV rather than a car? See RV shipping the Maritimes for tow-away, drive-away and flatdeck options on the same route.