An open-carrier sedan that runs costs $1,000 to $1,400 from Nashville to Phoenix. The page routes 16 pairs of 1,331 to 2,032 road miles through Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico. Most long-haul pairs are delivered 5 to 8 days after loading, and Arizona asks for an emissions test before registration at Phoenix and Tucson area addresses.
What Is the Road Distance From Tennessee's Four Cities to Arizona?
Pickups on this page start in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and deliveries end in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff and Yuma, Arizona, for 16 routed pairs in all. Across that set, Tennessee to Arizona car shipping covers 1,331 to 2,032 road miles, from Memphis to Flagstaff at the short end to Knoxville to Yuma at the long end. Nashville to Phoenix, the core pair, measures 1,638 miles and about 28.9 hours of driving, with 1,450 of those miles on I-40 and the last stretch on AZ 377, AZ 260 and AZ 87. The eight pairs bound for Phoenix and Flagstaff stay on I-40 into Arizona. The eight bound for Tucson and Yuma leave it at Little Rock, Arkansas, for I-30, I-20 and I-10. Every pair crosses Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico before it reaches Arizona.
What Moves the Quote on a Car Headed From Tennessee to Arizona?
Your quote depends on your vehicle, the exact pickup and delivery addresses, the season and the trailer type, so run the calculator for a figure on your dates.
The Tennessee start moves the miles more than the Arizona city does. Memphis is the nearest start to all four Arizona cities. Nashville adds 211 to 212 miles to the Memphis figure, Chattanooga adds 339 and Knoxville adds 390 to 391, whichever Arizona city the car is bound for.
The Arizona city matters less. From any of the four starts, Phoenix sits 95 to 96 road miles beyond Flagstaff, Tucson 74 to 75 miles beyond it and Yuma 311 miles beyond it.
Three pairs fall under 1,500 road miles: Memphis to Flagstaff, Tucson and Phoenix. They sit on the mid-range row of both the Tennessee car shipping and Arizona car shipping tables. The other 13 pairs run past 1,500 miles and sit on the long-haul row, and the price below is a long-haul figure.
Nashville to Phoenix runs $1,000 to $1,400 for a sedan that starts and drives, shipped open. Yuma deliveries add about 216 miles to the Phoenix figure and Knoxville pickups about 179 to the Nashville one, which pushes a quote up the range, while Flagstaff deliveries and Memphis pickups pull it down. To price your own pair and date, put the Tennessee city and the Arizona city into the car shipping calculator.
Vehicles larger than a sedan, such as an SUV, pickup or minivan, take more deck room, and the quote usually rises $100 to $200. A car that cannot run adds a winch fee, and enclosed space adds 40 to 60 percent.
What Factors Actually
Influence Pricing on This Route?
Five things move the price on any lane: the vehicle's size, whether it runs, how easy each end is to reach, the season and the trailer type. Booking early protects your timeline, keeps pricing steady and reduces the risk of last-minute carrier changes.
Type
Size decides how much deck space your vehicle takes and how many other cars fit alongside it. A standard sedan is the cheapest thing to move because it slots almost anywhere on the trailer. SUVs, pickups and vans take more room and usually cost more on the same lane.
Is a Carrier or a Road Trip the Better Way to Get a Car From Tennessee to Arizona?
Booking a carrier
A carrier covers the 1,638 miles from Nashville to Phoenix, which takes about 28.9 hours of driving off your calendar, close to four days at eight hours a day.
It suits a job start in Arizona that will not wait for a road trip, a household with two cars and one driver, or an owner who flies out first and lets the car follow.
Driving it yourself
Nashville to Phoenix is about 28.9 hours behind the wheel, which most drivers spread over several days with hotel nights along I-40. Fuel, meals and rooms for 1,638 miles come on top, and the car takes the wear.
Driving makes sense when you want the car beside you on arrival. Total the fuel, meals and rooms first, then compare that sum with a quote.
How Many Days Does a Tennessee Car Spend on the Road to Arizona?
Thirteen of the 16 pairs are long-haul runs. The Tennessee table gives 5 to 9 days for that row and the Arizona table gives 5 to 8, so a loaded car is generally delivered 5 to 8 days after loading. The mid-range row reads 2 to 5 days on the Tennessee table and 3 to 5 on the Arizona table, so the three Memphis pairs under 1,500 miles take 3 to 5 days. One broker's rate page for this lane reports 3 to 6 days after pickup, which fits the same span.
That count starts at loading. Before the car loads, expect one to three working days while dispatch pairs the order with a licensed carrier. Tracking starts at loading. Severe weather can add a day or two, according to the same broker.
Which Months Cost Less for a Tennessee to Arizona Shipment?
The broker rate page for this lane puts May through July roughly 5 percent above its annual average, with August through October about 5 percent under, and it calls late summer and fall the cheapest window. Its Arizona to Tennessee page prices those months the same way but names January through March the cheapest, so the calendar is not settled. With the two pages at odds, a dated quote tells you more than a month.
Notice matters more than the month. Most orders find a carrier with one to two weeks' notice, and a May through July pickup deserves the full two weeks. Pickups from November through April usually need seven to 14 days.
Does a Car Going From Tennessee to Arizona Need an Enclosed Trailer?
An open carrier carries the bulk of the cars on this lane, and it costs less. The car rides exposed for the whole 1,331 to 2,032 miles, so expect road dust and some grit on arrival.
Cars with collector value, fresh paint or low ground clearance suit enclosed car transport. Closed sides and an overhead cover protect the paint from rain and road grit across Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico. Enclosed trailers are scarcer and each space costs more, so book sooner.
Enclosed Car Transport
Enclosed demand rises for high-value, specialty and seasonal vehicles, and enclosed trailers protect against road debris and weather, which matters most on longer hauls. Enclosed rigs are a small fraction of the trailers working any given lane, and that scarcity is what drives both the higher price and the longer booking lead time.
Open Car Transport
Most vehicles move on open trailers, and for most routes that is the more cost-effective way to ship a car.
Open transport works well for standard vehicles and keeps costs predictable. It also offers the widest carrier availability.
When Should a Car From Tennessee Take Its Arizona Emissions Test?
Arizona decides emissions testing by area, and the test comes before the title and plates. The state emissions program, myAZcar, answers most of the timing questions in its frequently asked questions.
- Step one, check the address. Testing applies in the greater Phoenix and Tucson areas, and the FAQ points to an address locator that reports whether a street address falls inside either one. If the registration address is in the Phoenix or Tucson area, the car must pass before it is registered unless it is exempt. The FAQ also names people who regularly commute into those areas for work or school, so a Flagstaff or Yuma owner with such a commute should ask the program before assuming the car is exempt.
- Step two, time the test. The FAQ says a test cannot be done more than 90 days before the registration date. A new resident brings the title or the registration, plus the Arizona address, to the station, so schedule the test for the weeks after delivery and the registration visit, not months ahead.
- Step three, know the retest rule. A car that fails gets a free retest within 60 days of the first test, according to the FAQ. Fully electric cars are exempt, while hybrids still need the test.
The Motor Vehicle Division registers the car after the test, and a vehicle new to Arizona means a visit to an MVD office.
Which Roads Does a Tennessee Load Take West, and What Should You Do at Each Stop?
The Tennessee start decides how the first day goes. Memphis loads join I-40 at once and cross into Arkansas. Nashville and Knoxville loads run I-40 west past Memphis. Chattanooga loads begin on I-24 for about 105 miles, follow I-840 for 54 more and then pick up I-40.
At Little Rock the lane splits. Phoenix and Flagstaff loads stay on I-40 across Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle and New Mexico into Arizona, and Phoenix loads then leave it for AZ 377, AZ 260 and AZ 87. Tucson and Yuma loads turn onto I-30 at Little Rock, run I-20 across Texas and take I-10 through New Mexico, and Yuma loads end on I-8.
The truck's length affects both stops. A long carrier rarely fits a narrow street or a gated community, which is why the driver might suggest a nearby parking lot or wider road for loading.
When the car is loaded, inspect it beside the driver, and make sure each scratch and dent already on the car appears on the condition report. Take photos from every angle, clear out personal items, leave the tank about one quarter full and hand the driver one key. At delivery, inspect it again, preferably in daylight, and record fresh damage on the form ahead of your signature.
Where Does Rivalane Fit Into a Tennessee to Arizona Order?
Rivalane works as a broker, coordinating each order from Melville, New York, and has no office or lot in Tennessee or Arizona. A licensed carrier, the trucking company that physically moves the car, is assigned to every Tennessee to Arizona order. Choosing that carrier takes about one to three working days. From loading on, real-time tracking follows it. The Arizona section below sets out the emissions test and registration steps in the order they come up.
Frequently Asked Questions
