Auto shipping trends in Canada are shifting as there is an increased demand due to cross-border trade, relocations, and the rise of e-commerce in vehicle sales. To get a proper idea of the shipping trends, we took a sample size of 562 shipments from our overall vehicle transports across Canada and to/from the US. This data has helped us put together the missing pieces of auto shipping trends in Canada and understand the vehicle transport industry better.
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The data we have gathered in the first and second quarter of 2025 has revealed some shocking patterns in the Canadian vehicle movement during the year. These auto transport statistics reveal a lot about which type of auto shipping is dominating the car shipping market in 2025.
Today, cross-border auto shipping has become very common, more so when it comes to car shipments between Canada and the US. The data we have gathered reveals that around 77.4% of vehicles were shipped cross-border between US and Canada; the local shipping data suggests that only 22.6% of vehicles were moved within Canada in the first half of 2025.
This is a massive difference which displays how crucial the US-Canada trade relationships are for the vehicle transport industry.
There has been a surge in auto shipping of up to 46.5% domestic car shipments to Ontario, making the province an emerging vehicle transport destination. Clearly the auto enthusiasts in Ontario are having the best time in 2025 as the latest statistics auto transport outlines the critical role the province plays in the Canadian vehicle movements. Our data also suggests that Ontario ranked second domestic destination, receiving around 31.5% of vehicle deliveries in the first half of 2025.
But, the most significant revelation that came out of the data collected in the first half of 2025 was that Ontario has become our primary cross-border location. The province has accepted 29.0% car shipments from the US to Canada. And we also sent 19.8% of all the outbound car shipments from Ontario to the US.
The data suggests that Ontario has emerged as the main transportation gateway for the US in 2025. And as the days passes, this vehicle logistics trend will strengthen the distribution strategies throughout the year across the car shipping market.
2025 is certainly the year for the growth of premium vehicle transport as our data underlines that around 10.1% cross-border car shipments were enclosed carriers. Our data suggests how important cost-effectiveness is for American vehicle owners.
Canadians also choose enclosed transport frequently as around 13.4% domestic car shipments were enclosed carriers, which reinforces the concept that luxury car owners value maximum protection over inexpensive vehicle shipment.
Overall, we delivered 10.9% of the vehicles via premium enclosed methods, which suggests a promising growth and a strong demand of safer shipping modules for international as well as local car shipments. It is evident that Canadian luxury cars require proper handling and ultimate safety and the consumers are willing to pay the price for it in 2025.
We found that Toyota is here to stay in 2025 and beyond as it has been the most shipped brand. Around 12.8% of the total car shipped during the first half of 2025 belonged to the international car manufacturer Toyota.
If we break down this data, then Toyota made up around 12.2% cross-border car shipments, whereas the domestic share was around 15.0% which is slightly higher than the US-Canada shipments.
Honda was right behind Toyota encompassing around 9.8% of all car shipments. The Japanese car company has managed to be the second-most car shipped cross-border with around 9.9% vehicles. Moreover, around 9.4% of all cars shipped within Canada in the first half of 2025 belong to Honda.
This trend suggests that the Japanese car brands still have a tight grip over the North American and the Canadian vehicle industry.
Car Shipping Trends Within Canada:
With the data we have collected in the first half of 2025, we can predict the car shipping trends within Canada. We have collected the information related to where car shipments begin and where they end.
Around 46.5% of vehicles shipment originate from Ontario, reflecting the economic power of the province supported by its population. People relocate to Ontario for better job and business expansions. However, other provinces are also showing massive progress as well. Around 15.7% vehicles are shipped from Alberta, ranking second immediately followed by British Columbia with 15.0% of car shipments. And, Quebec accounts for 9.4% of vehicle shipments according to our data.
Our data showed that around 5.5% of car shipments originated in Nova Scotia, coming right after Saskatchewan and Manitoba with 2.4% of car shipments. Lastly, Prince Edward Island initiated around 1.6% of vehicle transports. Remote regions have played a part in the overall vehicle shipments. According to our data, 0.8% of car shipments were from Newfoundland and Northwest Territories.
We saw Alberta receive 32.3% of vehicle deliveries as the top destination. Ontario followed closely with 31.5% of car shipments ending there. British Columbia took 17.3% of vehicle deliveries in our records.
Around 5.5% of cars were delivered to Quebec region while we delivered 4.7% of car shipments to Saskatchewan. We also noted that Manitoba received 3.1% of vehicle transports compared to 2.4% vehicles shipped to Nova Scotia , which makes sense due to the higher population in Manitoba. That said, New Brunswick accounted for 1.6% of vehicle transport destinations, whereas Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island received only 0.8% of car shipments each..
After carefully analyzing our data, we found out that the busiest route with around 23.6% car shipments is Ontario to Alberta, which is in line with the general logistics trends of goods supply from Ontario, which is Canada’s economic and population center to Alberta, a growing province with opportunities in different sectors like agriculture, tech, automotive, and energy.
Interestingly, the route from Alberta to Ontario has around 11.0% of car shipments, which again makes sense as most goods go from the bigger province to the smaller one and not vice versa.
We also handled around 11.0% vehicle shipments from Ontario to British Columbia. Whereas, the British Columbia to Ontario route had seen only 8.7% of vehicle movements. Lastly, the route that made up 4.7% of the car shipments was from Ontario to Saskatchewan.
The data research we have conducted also helps us understand the kinds of vehicles Canadians ship across the country, revealing a striking pattern about the customer preference.
We found Toyota leading our car shipments at 15.0% because reliability matters most during long moves. Owners also value its strong resale value, making transport investments worthwhile.
We recorded Ford and Honda tied at 9.4% each, though they serve different needs: Ford trucks like the F-150 handle tough Canadian conditions effectively, while Honda attracts practical movers focused on fuel efficiency. Chevrolet vehicles accounted for 8.7% of our shipments, showing steady demand.
We observed Mazda making up 6.3% car shipments as compact SUVs gain popularity for balancing practicality and style. Volkswagen and Lexus both hit 4.7% deliveries in our auto transports, targeting mainstream and luxury buyers respectively. Hyundai represented 3.9% of our vehicle shipments, reflecting growing trust in Korean brands.
Finally, we handled BMW, Mercedes, and Jeep equally at 3.1% of auto shipments for each brand, proving both luxury and off-road vehicles have dedicated followings.
Our diverse data shows we handle all types of cars from daily drivers to rare classics. We transport vintage auto as well as recent models to serve different consumer bases with differing needs across the vehicle shipping market.
No matter the type of vehicle you have, you can count on us to safely move it across Canada or the border. Call (888) 370-1041 or use our free quote calculator to get estimates and book your shipment.
We have collected ample data over the past few months to analyze the customer priorities when it comes to choosing the shipping methods in 2025 for domestic transports.
Around 86.6% of customers prefer the open carrier shipping method due to its practicality and cost-reliability for standard vehicles. These standard vehicles include daily drivers, SUVs, and trucks which do not require excessive protection, so it is not as expensive as enclosed carriers.
Around 13.4% of vehicles we transported in the first half of 2025 within Canada were in enclosed carriers. We carefully shipped classics such as 1955 Dodge Custom Fargo and rare models including the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1.
We have also transported DeLorean DMC-12s that required specialized care along with Porsche 911s and Mercedes-Benz AMG GTs. Our data suggests that customers are willing to pay an extra price for premium protection and ultimate peace of mind.
Our data has recorded how often the vehicles move between Canada and the US. We use the data to understand the international shipping dynamics.
We carefully studied the data obtained during the first-half of 2025 and observed how Michigan started around 23.7% of our cross-border car shipments. The reason behind this could be the ties of the auto industry to Ontario.
Around 19.8% of car shipments are from Ontario heading south, which shows that Canadians actively ship vehicles to the US as well. Our data also strengthens the already existing strong connections of British Columbia as around 9.7% of vehicle shipment orders originated in Washington.
Another striking chunk of car transports were started from Alberta, accounting for 8.5%. British Columbia car shipments were recorded to be around 6.9%. However, the most surprising stat that came out of our data was that Montana initiated 6.2% of vehicle shipment, despite having a lesser population.
In the US, California partakes in around 6.0% of our car shipments which proves that distance does not matter when it comes to international moves.
Our data showed that we also handled around 2.8% of vehicle shipments from Texas. We also moved 2.5% of total cross-border vehicle shipments from Florida, which might mostly consist of snowbirds.
Lastly, only 1.6% of cars were shipped from Arizona to Canada. These numbers showcase a nationwide car transportation demand in the US in 2025.
Our data helped us learn a lot about the destination patterns in Canada. The main entry point in Canada is Ontario with around 29.0% car shipments. Michigan received 16.1% of vehicle shipments, which has created a strong two-way flow with Ontario. Our data also shows that British Columbia has taken around 12.9% of our car shipments, which displays that Americans moving north find it easy and appealing.
Our data suggests that many professionals and entrepreneurs are drawn towards Alberta as it accepts 12.0% of vehicle shipments. We noticed a striking similarity between Washington and Montana as both regions received 5.3% of vehicle shipments, which is a great demonstration of cross-border car shipping. Quebec has received around 3.9% of the cars from us which required specialized services. California took around 3.4% of car shipments and Nova Scotia received 3.2%. This shows there is a growing demand for car shipments across the continent.
Lastly, Florida has received 2.1% vehicle shipments from Canada in the first-half of 2025. Most shipments were made during March to May which is the returning period for snowbirds from Florida so not many people prefer shipping the vehicles north to south.
In the first half of 2025 we found out the busiest corridor for auto industry professionals after transporting around 19.1% of cross-border car shipments from Michigan to Ontario. However, if we reverse the same route from Ontario to Michigan it has handled around 15.4% shipments of cars which provides constant two-way movement.
Washington to British Columbia was also a hot route as we moved 8.7% cars to serve the tech workers and retirees. The same route in reverse, BC to Washington got around 4.8% of vehicle shipments.
We also handled around 6.0% of car movements from Montana to Alberta, which might mainly be for the energy and agriculture workers. Our data shows the specialized regional connections throughout the car shipping market.
According to the data we have collected, Canadians and Americans love shipping across borders. We have used the data to track the patterns which will help us understand international preferences more.
Toyota has stayed at the top spot for cross-border car shipments at 12.2% which could be due to its reliability. Owners consider that Toyota holds value and they are preferring international transport over local cars.
Honda is not behind as it accounted for 9.9% of the vehicle shipments due to being a practical choice, especially the common models such as Civic and CR-V. However, what was surprising to see was 7.8% of the car shipments involved BMWs which is yet another sign indicating some people are choosing protection over cost.
Our data suggests people are also choosing luxury cars as Mercedes-Benz accounts for 6.7% of our vehicle transports. Ford, on the other hand, represented 6.2% of vehicle movements while Audi hit 5.3%. We also found that Jeep stands at 4.6% with Wranglers popular for outdoor lifestyles.
Our data suggests there is a steady demand for luxury brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi which combine for nearly 20% of the total car shipment in the first half of 2025. The show cross-border customers with higher incomes expect better services. Our data suggests there is also a growing demand for EVs as Tesla made up 3.7% of cross-border volume.
Our data shows that the car model we have most frequently shipped in the first half of 2025 was Honda Civic at around 3.7%. Whereas, Honda CR-Vs stand at 2.3% as they are the practical SUV choice. We have shipped Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2.1% of total international shipments and BMW X5 around 1.6% of the total car movement.
With the data we have obtained, we can analyze the shipping methods people choose for cross-border vehicle movement.
We have shipped around 89.9% of cross-border shipments via open carriers. It is cost-effective and a practical solution for standard vehicles.
We transported 10.1% of vehicles in enclosed carriers for maximum security. Classics like Ford Model Ts and Pontiac GTOs always ship this way. We handled European performance cars including six Porsche 911 variants. Luxury vehicles like Rolls-Royce Phantoms required specialized enclosed transport. Modern collectibles including Tesla Models S and 3 also chose premium protection.
There is a lot to extract from our data. We have noticed three very striking patterns from the data extending beyond the vehicle transport industry.
Canada’s economy depends a lot on the United States. 77.4% of cross-border shipments were a sign of the robust trade between the US and Canada. The most visible was the Ontario-Michigan super corridor handling 34.5% of all cross-border car shipments.
Regional specialization is making the economic gap between provinces grow faster. Ontario is becoming a key player in North America with 29.0% cross-border arrivals and produces 19.8% of exports. Alberta shows a different trend as it ranks #4 in origins and #3 in destinations. In 2025, Alberta received 32.3% vehicles and sent only 15.7%, which shows a major economic shift in Canada.
There is a major market shift as shown by the consumer behavior. In Canada, 13.4% of domestic vehicle shipments are enclosed. Whereas, only 10.1% cross-border shipments were via enclosed carriers. This showed Canadians want protection over inexpensive modes of transportation.
On the other hand, 15.0% of vehicle shipments were of Toyota within Canada which is certainly higher than 12.2% in cross-border shipments. This suggests that Toyota’s position in Canada is very stable. There is also a growing demand for Tesla, making up 3.7% of the luxury market and it shows EVs are appealing to luxury buyers as well.
These stats are an economic indicator and a blueprint for the evolution of the auto industry in 2025. If you also want to move your vehicle like thousands of US and Canadians, we can help.
No matter where you want to ship your car in the US or Canada or the type of vehicle you have, you can count on Canadian Car Shipping for safe and timely deliveries. Call (888) 370-1041 or use our free quote calculator to get estimates and book your shipment.
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