DIY
How to ship a Tesla across the country
You’ve spent days if not weeks and months searching for the perfect Tesla. Whether it’s a rare Final Edition Roadster Sport 2.5 in atomic red, or the perfect “Classic” Model S P85 that’s being sold by a private party or through Tesla’s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program, you’ve done your research, saved up, and ready to take the plunge into Tesla ownership. That’s exactly what Nicholas Dutko founder of Car Shipping Carriers did before he became the proud owner of a gorgeous Certified Pre-Owned 2013 Tesla Model S.
For Nick, growing a business focused on the transportation of vehicles was not only a passion of his, but a goal instilled by beliefs that shipping a car should be simple to handle, affordable and come with peace of mind that it’ll remain safe during its journey. The last thing any anxious car buyer wants is having to worry about finding the perfect transportation service that will haul the car and fear that it won’t show up in once piece. So how does one go about shipping their Tesla?
We’ll break down the process into a few key areas to consider before shipping.
Who should I use?
It’s all about trust
Referrals, referrals, referrals. With thousands of transportation companies available to choose from, consider a company that’s been referred by a friend or through someone that has had a direct positive experience with the provider. Being a Tesla owner himself that worked with a contracted hauler to deliver his prized possession, Nick knows the importance of having great communication with the service provider. “We know how important it is to have a customer’s vehicle transported safely, securely and with a reliable auto hauler.” Not only does open communication instill confidence that you’ve selected someone that cares about your vehicle, as much as you do, but it’s also a good indicator of how things will be handled once you go into business with the provider.
“This is not a normal 9 to 5 industry, yet many of my competitors treat it as such.”, Nick of Car Shipping Carriers tells Teslarati. “I offer my cell phone number to my customers so they can contact me whenever they need me. If a questions arises at 8pm or an issue needs to be handled at 10 pm, I am able to get things cleared up in an instant.”
Nick Dutko, founder of Car Shipping Carriers takes delivery of his CPO 2013 Model S
Experience
To date, Car Shipping Carriers has transported over 250 Tesla vehicles and counting in the last 3 years, and delivers roughly 1,500 vehicles nationwide each month. Being an owner of a CPO Model S and all-around Tesla fan, Nick knows how to best care for Tesla’s fleet of vehicles. This includes the type of hauler to choose from depending on ones needs.
There’s a wide selection of transporters available ranging from single-car open flatbed trailers to the more common double-decker trailer often used by Tesla when delivering vehicles directly from the Fremont factory. In Nick’s case, he opted for a more personal touch when transporting his own Tesla by using the company’s top-of-the-line enclosed trailer.
“We have the best open car and enclosed car shipping service so whichever you choose will be a great fit for any Tesla vehicle.”, says Nick.
Get a quote
How much?
Figure out a rough budget that you’re willing to spend which will likely be determined by the type of transporter you choose, and also your level of patience. Generally, the faster you want to take delivery, the more expensive it’ll be. Using a multi-car transporter will typically be the cheaper alternative since these types of haulers typically make multiple drop offs across their cross country and coastal journeys.
Conversely, using a single-car flatbed or private enclosed hauler will cost more, but with the added benefit that you’ll be behind the wheel of your Tesla sooner than later.
According to prices provided by Car Shipping Carriers, who obtains quotes through its network of transportation sub-contractors, a typical cross country journey from Los Angeles to Miami would register under $1,000.
Typical costs per routes:
- Los Angeles, CA to Miami, FL — $995
- Seattle to Atlanta, GA — $1200
- Dallas, TX to New York City, NY — $800
- Detroit, MI to Phoenix, AZ — $1000
Nick tells us, “Many businesses within this industry have set deposits and profits they need to make per order. One difference between Car Shipping Carriers and our competitors is that we do not change a customers’ quote. We will take a lesser deposit/profit if a trucker is requesting a larger fee than we expected.”
Prices will also vary depending on the market price of fuel – longer distances equals more fuel consumption.
How long will it take before I get the car?
Perhaps the most agonizing part of purchasing your beloved Tesla is the wait time. The type of hauler you choose and the distance your Tesla needs to travel will determine your delivery time. Typical delivery times as provided by Car Shipping Carriers are as follows:
- Less than 500 miles will be 1-2 days for delivery.
- 500-1500 miles is 4-5 days for delivery.
- 1500-2000 miles is 6-7 days for delivery.
- 2000+ is 7-9 days for delivery.
Rules set by the U.S. Department of Transportation regulate the number of hours a trucker can drive per day. Please note that truckers are able to drive up to 12 hours per day, so please be patient and understanding when pushing for a quicker delivery timeframe. Aside from the driving time, truckers must stop and rest, eat, gas up (until Tesla Semis become available), and assist with the physical pickup and unloading of the vehicle(s).
Booking Transportation
You’ve selected the type of hauler to use, secured a quote and ready to go through with the booking process. Here’s what you do next.
First, be sure confirm the amount of insurance coverage your auto hauler will carry. In the case of Car Shipping Carriers, each truck carries a minimum of $250,000 in insurance for smaller 2-3 car haulers and can go up to $1,000,000 in coverage. Once a hauler has been selected, agents work with the trucker on scheduling before presenting this back to the customer – you.
Once the customer accepts the schedule, they’re asked to complete a contract that locks in the price for the service and also a date.
Tip: Keep in mind that trucks and haulers likely won’t be able to turn into a small residential street so be sure and let your agent know well in advance the location to where your Tesla will be delivered. Meeting your trucker at a large open parking lot is generally preferred.
Once a location for pickup or drop off is determined, a deposit will be placed to secure the service. The remaining balance will be paid upon delivery of the Tesla. That’s it.
Here’s a few additional helpful tips to follow when transporting a Tesla.
Helpful Tips
If you’re a seller, always do a pre-shipping inspection by yourself and with the trucker, while noting any existing chips, scratches or damage. Buyers on the receiving end should also perform a thorough post-shipping inspection.
Secure all loose items within the car before it’s transported. Ideally, the car should be kept clean and have a minimal amount of items in it while in transit.
Lastly, get excited and be happy with what’s to come!
This post has been sponsored by Car Shipping Carriers.
The views expressed in this article are those of the sponsor and
do not necessarily reflect those of this site or affiliated companies.
Tesla owners have long griped about the wireless phone charger in the Model Y and other vehicles. It often turns smartphones into miniature ovens rather than reliably topping them up.
Software engineer and Model Y owner Michał Gapiński tackled this issue head-on with a clever DIY upgrade, swapping the cooled wireless charger pad from the China-made Model YL in for the one that came standard in his vehicle.
There are several key differences between the U.S.-built Model Y’s wireless charging pad and the one that Tesla has been installing in the Model YL. The one installed in U.S.-built vehicles lacks active cooling and relies on basic heat dissipation, leading to rapid temperature buildup during charging. In contrast, the Model YL integrates a small fan for active cooling.
Will it fit? Fingers crossed, I want a first YL charger deployed in the regular juniper pic.twitter.com/wWDqSNFVkW
— Michał Gapiński (@mikegapinski) June 2, 2026
This design maintains lower temperatures even in warm ambient conditions, though it does not support faster Qi2 charging on iPhones. The connector matches exactly, making physical swaps feasible on compatible consoles, but coding is required to enable full functionality.
Owners in the U.S. have complained about the wireless charging pad, with many reporting that overheating is fairly common. Within 20 or 30 minutes of placing a phone on the wireless charging pad, many have reported overheating messages on their phones, which halt charging and essentially turn the pad into a fancy place to rest your phone.
Many owners have opted to simply plug their phones into a charging cord. Tesla has acknowledged the problem by releasing several solutions for owners, including a relatively new feature that allows you to simply turn off the charging and simply act as a holder for your phone while driving.
Gapiński said that he sourced the cooled pad affordably from China, and it cost under $200 for the part.
He removed the existing console charger, swapped in the new unit, confirming a perfect connector fit, and handled the trim differences. Since the parameter isn’t fully secured, he enabled it through custom coding outside official Toolbox.
Connector is identical, she fits, now time to code it. https://t.co/Y9idgDrpCq pic.twitter.com/uwwgq6blg7
— Michał Gapiński (@mikegapinski) June 2, 2026
The fan activates quietly, blending with AC and seat cooling. He reported the installation was effective and the wireless charging pad worked perfectly; it even kept the phone cool as it stayed at just 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Many times, the wireless charging pad will bring the phone’s temperature well above 100 degrees, sometimes even being relatively hot to the touch.
The retrofit worked, no issues. First Model Y with a cooled wireless charger! No QI2/faster charging on the iPhone but it does not boil the phone even when it is 30 degrees outside.
The fan kicks in, it is not audible especially with the air conditioning and seat cooling. The… https://t.co/JOyR8Tb1Yo pic.twitter.com/kJcYhQIlYq
— Michał Gapiński (@mikegapinski) June 2, 2026
This retrofit highlighted an elegant, owner-driven solution to a factory shortcoming. It is expected that Tesla will begin installing the cooled charging pads into new cars in the U.S. soon, and hopefully, it will offer some sort of retrofit service or kit to owners here who want to use the charging pad effectively.
For those who love to tinker, it’s an accessible upgrade, proving that innovation thrives beyond the production line.
Back in 2019, YouTuber Simone Giertz, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Sh*tty Robots,” created a one-off Tesla Model 3 build that took the automotive world by storm. Fondly dubbed as “Truckla,” Giertz noted that the vehicle was actually her dream car — as crazy as that may sound.
Now almost four years later, the YouTuber posted an update on Truckla. And just like every other big project that one probably started, Giertz stated that she actually stopped working on Truckla when the vehicle was about 80% complete. The car is driving though, but a lot of stuff was not really working very well.
Thus, for her Truckla update, Giertz shared how most of her Model 3 pickup truck conversion was essentially completed. Truckla got a lot of detailing done, she got a slight lift, and she now has a functional tailgate. One has to admit, Truckla’s tailgate is pretty darn cool.
The “Queen of Sh*tty Robots” also opted to give Truckla a friend in the form of an automatic robot charger. Unlike Tesla’s rather interesting snake charger from years past, Truckla’s charger would come in the form of a rover, thanks to her friends at robotics platform Viam. Giertz aptly named Truckla’s robot charger friend “Chargela,” which is an appropriate name for such an invention.
Also true to form for Giertz, Chargela’s first encounter with Truckla was just a tiny bit awkward. One could say that Chargela may have just been a little bit nervous on his first try without human hands helping him. Most importantly, the system did work, so Giertz would likely keep using Chargela for her Model 3 pickup.
Teslas are very tech-heavy vehicles, so projects like Giertz’s Truckla are always remarkable. The fact that the Model 3 works perfectly fine despite having a good chunk of it cut off and turned into a pickup truck bed is mighty impressive any way one looks at it. Overall, Truckla will always be one of the coolest Tesla DIY projects to date, so any updates about the vehicle are always appreciated.
Truckla’s nearly four-year update can be viewed below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
A Tesla owner is taking his hobby and love for electric vehicles to new levels by creating what could only be described as one of the coolest EV-related DIY projects to date. The idea for the project is simple: what happens when you cross a supercar with the Cybertruck? You end up with a two-seater CyberRoadster.
Tesla owner David Andreyev, who goes by the username @Cyber_Hooligan_ on Twitter, has spent the last few months creating a Cybertruck-inspired version of the next-generation Roadster made from a salvaged Model 3 Performance. Starting with a Model 3 Performance is an inspired choice, considering that it is Tesla’s first vehicle that has a dedicated Track Mode.
A look at Andreyev’s YouTube channel, which can be accessed here, shows the meticulous build that the Tesla owner has implemented on the project car. What’s particularly cool about the CyberRoadster is the fact that it’s being built with parts that are also from other Tesla vehicles, like its front bumper that came from a new Model S. Recent videos suggest that the project car’s rear bumper will be from a new Model S as well.
The journey is long for Andreyev, so the completion of the CyberRoadster will likely take some more time. Despite this, seeing the Tesla owner’s DIY journey on such an epic build is more than satisfying. And considering that the CyberRoadster is evidently a labor of love from the Tesla owner, the final results would likely be extremely worth it.
There’s a lot of crazy Tesla modifications that have been done as of late. But some, as it is with a lot of things on the internet these days, have become more silly gimmicks than serious automotive projects. Fortunately, car enthusiasts like Andreyev, who just happen to also love electric vehicles, are taking it upon themselves to create one-of-a-kind EVs that would surely capture the attention of anyone on the road.
Check out the latest video in the CyberRoadster’s creation below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
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