IBISWorld Platform
Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.
Vehicle Shipping Services in the US Industry Data and Analysis
Vehicle shipping services experienced a turbulent contraction over the past five years as high interest rates and inflation dampened new vehicle sales and reduced demand for transportation services. Elevated borrowing costs made auto purchases prohibitively expensive for many consumers. This reduced the need for vehicles to be shipped from manufacturers and dealers. A prolonged freight recession, beginning in 2022, compounded these headwinds. By early 2025, long-haul truckload demand had collapsed because of overcapacity persisting, while spot rates fell to multi-year lows. However, higher levels of online car shopping and direct-to-consumer delivery models provided a counterbalance as dealerships expanded home delivery services. Digital platforms have enabled consumers to purchase vehicles from distant locations, requiring professional shipping services. The profit margin dropped from 8.5% of revenue in 2020 to 8.0% in 2025 because carriers absorbed rising insurance premiums driven by surging cargo theft and higher equipment leasing costs. Still, lower wages offset further declines in profit. Overall, vehicle shipping service revenue declined at a CAGR of 1.3% through the end of 2025, including a 3.7% drop to reach $10.5 billion.
Access this data your way
The Vehicle Shipping Services in the US Industry analysis is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.
API Data Delivery
Feed trusted, human-driven industry intelligence straight into your platform.
Integrations
Streamline your workflow with IBISWorld’s intelligence built into your toolkit.
What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released December 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code OD5008. Vehicle shipping companies transport finished vehicles, such as cars, trucks, vans, buses, tractors and motorcycles, regionally and nationally. These companies offer various services to cater to the needs of individuals, dealerships and businesses that require moving cars, trucks, motorcycles and other types of vehicles. Related terms covered in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States include auto-transport trailers, roll-on/roll-off ships, intermodal, fuel surcharges, delivered in-full on-time and jones act.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States include Local trucking transportation services, Long-distance trucking transportation services and Rail transportation services.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States include Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Llc, Union Pacific Corp and Csx Corporation.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States.
Trusted by industry professionals
More than 6,000 businesses use IBISWorld to shape local and global economies
We were able to supplement our reports with IBISWorld’s information from both a qualitative and quantitative standpoint. All of our reporting now features some level of IBISWorld integration.
IBISWorld delivers the crisp business knowledge we need to drive our business. Whether it be serving up our major clients, winning new business or educating on industry issues, IBISWorld brings real value.
IBISWorld has revolutionised business information — which has proved commercially invaluable to exporters, investors and public policy professionals in Australia and overseas.
When you’re able to speak to clients and be knowledgeable about what they do and the state that they operate in, they’re going to trust you a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States is $10.5bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States in 2025?
There are 7,073 businesses in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 7.0 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States?
The Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States?
The Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States has been declining at a CAGR of 1.3 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States are Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Llc, Union Pacific Corp and Csx Corporation
What does the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States include?
Vehicle shipping services by local trucks and Vehicle shipping services by long-distance freight trucks are part of the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States is Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Llc.
How competitive is the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Vehicle Shipping Services industry in the United States.
Cut through the noise with intelligence you can trust
