Even as online vehicle sales hover stubbornly around 10% to 14% of total transactions, U.S. auto dealerships are increasingly turning to nationwide shipping to capture distant buyers seeking better prices and no-markup deals. At the recent NADA Show in Las Vegas, executives from small and large groups alike highlighted how delivering cars directly to customers’ doorsteps is boosting volumes and manufacturer allocations, despite the plateau in fully digital purchases. This strategy, normalized post-pandemic, allows dealers to compete with online giants like Carvana while expanding their effective sales radius by hundreds of miles.
Lockhart Cadillac, a two-store operation in Indiana, exemplifies the trend. Brand manager Jason Fox recounted how the 2021 Escalade launch sparked national inquiries from buyers frustrated by local markups. ‘People calling in from all over the country like, ‘Hey, my dealer just marked up this Escalade $15,000. I heard I can buy one from you at MSRP. Can you ship it to me in Texas?’ … ‘Hey, absolutely,’’ Fox told Automotive News. By sticking to MSRP and shipping anywhere except high-export-risk states like California, New York and Florida, Lockhart secured higher General Motors allocations and increased turnover.
The practice has proven lucrative even amid inventory constraints. Fox noted his team ‘likely could have sold another 30 Escalades combined in store and remotely in December, but it didn’t have the inventory.’ Examples include shipping three Escalades to a Hawaii chauffeur service—still cheaper than local marked-up prices—and a CT5-V Blackwing to a Minnesota Timberwolves player.
Surging Brokerage Demand Fuels Expansion
Logistics brokers are riding the wave. RunBuggy CEO Kevin Malik reported signing ‘over 300 or 400 rooftops’ in the six months before a December interview, including dealer-to-consumer hauls. ‘We see a lot of dealers moving cars to consumers’ houses,’ Malik said, crediting platforms like Carvana and Bring a Trailer for normalizing the process. Montway Auto Transport’s Mary Bartlett highlighted ‘more than 30% annual growth for the past three years’ in dealer orders, citing a used Ford Mustang shipped from California to New York where the buyer praised both price and dealership service: ‘He said it was the price once he added in the transportation, but he said it was really the overall experience he had with the dealership.’
RPM added ‘more than 100 franchised and independent auto retail companies as clients in 2025,’ per VP Tom Reid. These firms connect even smaller groups—10 to 15 stores or independents—with transport networks, enabling arbitrage where buyers save thousands net of $750 shipping fees. ‘A customer finding a vehicle priced for $5,000 less than the local market, with a $750 shipping charge. It’s an easy decision… the consumer is still saving money,’ Malik explained.
Larger players are adapting too. No. 50-ranked #1 Cochran Automotive (21,822 new vehicles in 2024) limits remote deals to new cars due to used-vehicle trust gaps, per used vehicle director Danny Papakalos: ‘The consumers aren’t just ready for it… The trust factor is not there on used cars.’ Holman, ranked No. 15 with 42,362 new units, sees about 5% truly remote transactions but growth in hybrid digital processes, said VP Shelby Preble.
Persistent Online Sales Plateau Persists
Cox Automotive’s 2025 Car Buyer Journey study underscores the stagnation: just 14% of new-vehicle buyers and 10% of used opted for online purchases with home delivery, down slightly from prior years but stable since 2021. Yet VP Erin Lomax emphasized the upside: ‘We’ve seen shoppers looking [at] vehicles 100-200+ miles away when home delivery is an option’; offering it ‘tends to raise a dealership’s conversion rate — even if the customer doesn’t end up having the vehicle delivered.’ This edge helps traditional dealers fend off disruptors amid flat digital adoption.
Specialists fare better—CarMax lifted online sales to 15% in its fiscal year ended February 28, 2025, from 4% in FY2021, though most still pick up in-store. Carvana posted 40% retail growth in the first nine months of 2025 versus all of 2024. For franchised dealers, shipping bridges the gap, with Lockhart investing a year to master logistics like customer updates via dedicated staff. ‘It took us probably a good year to get acclimated’; ‘There’s a lot of moving parts,’ Fox said, stressing Google reviews: ‘Those… showing happy customers, people that you’ve shipped vehicles to, those are worth their weight in gold.’
Success demands selectivity—high-demand models like Escalades—and robust websites. Cox’s Lomax added that home delivery counters ‘pressure from new players entering the auto retail space,’ enhancing convenience and experience.
Logistics Hurdles and Emerging Risks
Challenges abound. Inventory shortages curb potential, as at Lockhart. Export scams loom large; a companion Automotive News piece at NADA detailed fraud costing dealers six figures, exploiting distances between brokers, dealerships and auctions. Preparation is key: dealers must vet shippers, manage expectations and protect reputation across state lines.
Broader industry data from NADA’s December 2025 Market Beat shows new light-vehicle sales hit 16.2 million units in 2025, up 2.4%, with a 16.0 million forecast for 2026 amid tariffs, EV credit expirations and economic shifts. No fresh web or X posts post-January 26, 2026, indicate surging shipping complaints or breakthroughs, suggesting the model endures steadily.
For small operators like Lockhart, shipping transformed business: higher volume, better ‘turn and earn,’ stronger OEM ties. As Preble noted, customers crave digital starts but ‘still very much want to come in and see and touch and feel’—yet remote options draw them closer initially, converting via delivery.
Strategic Imperative for Competitive Edge
Dealerships ignoring out-of-market shipping risk ceding ground. Brokers’ growth—RunBuggy’s 300+ signups, Montway’s 30% yearly gains, RPM’s 100 clients—signals mainstream adoption, even among independents. Fox’s Hawaii and Minnesota tales illustrate net savings driving decisions, while Cox data proves expanded reach lifts conversions industrywide.
Looking ahead, used-vehicle remote sales may rise as trust builds, per insiders. With NADA Show 2026 (February 3-6, Las Vegas) buzzing AI, ops and sales shifts—as in super sessions on vehicle retail evolution—shipping stands as a proven, low-tech lever in a high-tech era. Dealers blending it with digital tools position for 16 million-unit years ahead.
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