Florida Car Shipping

For a standard sedan on an open carrier, the six routes into the state run $1,000 to $1,250 from New York to Miami, $900 to $1,150 from Boston to Fort Myers, $950 to $1,100 from Chicago to Orlando, $700 to $950 from Dallas to Tampa, $1,300 to $1,650 from Los Angeles to Miami and $550 to $600 from Atlanta to Jacksonville. Each band covers the trip into Florida only, so a car leaving Miami or Tampa is quoted for its own direction, and our car shipping cost guide covers prices by distance.

Counted from loading, Atlanta to Jacksonville takes 1-2 days and Dallas to Tampa 2-3 days. New York to Miami and Boston to Fort Myers take 3-4 days, as does Chicago to Orlando, and Los Angeles to Miami takes 5-7 days. From October through January, southbound trucks fill up, so a car headed for the Florida coasts needs more lead time to find a spot than it does in summer.

Book two to four weeks ahead for southbound moves between October and January, and up to six weeks around mid-October and the holidays. Northbound spring moves from March through May deserve the same lead time. Off-season shipments often need only a few days of notice.

Yes. Cargo insurance on the assigned carrier covers the car while it is on the truck down I-95 or I-75, and we confirm that coverage and the carrier’s authority before assigning it. At pickup and again at delivery the driver records the car’s condition on the bill of lading, the document any claim depends on, so look the car over with the driver both times.

Many carriers allow a small amount of soft goods, usually up to about 100 pounds in the trunk, but personal items are not covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance. Ask your coordinator before you pack anything, and never leave valuables or documents in the vehicle.

Open transport is the standard, the same kind of trailer that delivers new cars to dealerships. Enclosed costs roughly a third more and is the right call for classics, exotics, low cars and owners who want summer squalls and salt air kept off the paint.

From Pensacola to Key West, door to door. Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville addresses are the simplest to schedule because the interstates run right through them. Gated communities, tight beach streets and the Keys usually meet the truck at a wide lot nearby, which drivers arrange as a matter of routine.

Take everything out of the car before the driver arrives: golf clubs, beach gear, boxes for the condo, and anything of value. Carrier cargo insurance protects the vehicle only, and loose cargo shifts on a long run down I-95 or I-75. A small bag of soft goods in the trunk is sometimes fine, but get your coordinator’s approval first.

Florida sun and salt air hide swirl marks, so wash the car and photograph it in the shade or early morning: every panel, each wheel, the glass, the roof, and the odometer. Dated photos from the day before pickup are the record that settles any question when the car arrives in Naples, Sarasota, or Boca Raton.

Remove or bag your SunPass, E-ZPass, or other transponders before loading. A live transponder riding an open trailer can rack up toll charges for every gantry the truck passes on the way down I-95 or the Turnpike.

About a quarter tank is right for a Florida pickup: enough to load, unload, and reach a station in Miami, Orlando, or Tampa, and no more. Carriers watch axle weights at the Georgia line and along the Turnpike, and a full tank adds nothing but pounds.

Carriers can refuse a vehicle with an active oil or coolant leak, since it drips onto the car stacked below. Have leaks fixed first. Heat and humidity kill weak batteries, so test one that spent the summer in a Florida garage, and tell your coordinator about a lifted truck, a low-slung sports car, or a sticky parking brake so the right equipment shows up.

Full-size haulers run 75 to 80 feet and cannot enter many gated communities, beach streets, or the Keys’ tighter roads. Your driver will arrange a nearby wide-lot meeting point when needed; having a spot in mind speeds it up.

Florida pickups need an adult to hand over the keys and sign the bill of lading, and deliveries need an adult to inspect and sign. Snowbirds often fly down before the car arrives, so name a neighbor, a community office or a family member at the receiving end when you book, and forward your pickup photos to them for the comparison.