Price is the number one concern for most people. While we do outline why it should be your second priority in our general auto transport guide, it is still very important! For more information about the price of auto transport check out our guide here.
Below you can get an estimate on your shipping cost. Type in your pick up and drop off zip codes and find the category the vehicle you are shipping belongs in.
Keep in mind this quote is only an estimate. For a guaranteed personalized quote make sure to contact us by phone or request a quote online.
Transport Friendliness: 10/10
Overview: Miami is a really popular city for just about everything auto transport related. The University of Miami is a big school and a lot of students ship their cars from all over the US at the beginning and end of every school year. Snowbirds come from all over to enjoy the warm weather during the winter. Also all sorts of car related businesses are extremely active here like body shops and international importing/exporting.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Miami is one of the easiest cities to ship from or to in the entire US. Almost every car carrier in Florida will end up in Miami and they usually stay here for a day or two to do maintenance on their trucks and set up their return shipments. This means their schedules will be a little bit more flexible for pick ups and drop offs. And, even though Miami is in the very south of the state, the price to ship from here will usually be as cheap as it gets in Florida. Boca Raton is also very popular with snowbirds.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1200
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $800
New York – $900
Transport Friendliness: 9/10
Overview: These cities are also popular with snowbirds though not as much as the Boca Raton or Naples areas. Housing is a little bit cheaper here and that is a big reason snowbirds choose this area.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Transport is very easy from this area going anywhere in the US because it is right on the way to and from Miami for most drivers.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1300
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $800
New York – $900
Transport Friendliness: 8/10
Overview: By population Jacksonville is the biggest city in Florida. There are a lot of military bases here and a lot of families ship their cars here when they get relocated. It isn’t a snowbird destination though because its climate isn’t as warm as the cities farther south.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Overall it is still an easy area to ship from or to but you might pay a little extra to go to or from any cities that are west or northwest from Florida.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1300
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $850
New York – $875
Transport Friendliness: 8/10
Overview: Gainesville is home to the University of Florida. UF is a huge school with students from all over the US. Students from especially far away ship their vehicles, usually with the help of their parents.
The Villages is a small snowbird community built specifically for retirees and is also very popular.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Prices are a little bit higher and availability can be a small problem when shipping to the northeast.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1200
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $800
New York – $950
Transport Friendliness: 10/10
Overview: Orlando isn’t the biggest or the most popular city but it’s in the middle of everything when it comes to Florida. Any driver that comes into Florida will come through Orlando or at least get close to it.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Shipping in any direction is as easy as it will get in Florida.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1200
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $800
New York – $900
Transport Friendliness: 9/10
Overview: Clearwater and Saint Petersburg and the cities south along i-75 are all really popular snowbird destinations. People love the weather here during the winter. Tampa itself isn’t that popular for snowbirds but it is still a big city with people shipping for a lot of different reasons like work and school.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Prices will be a tiny bit higher if you are shipping from or to a state in the northeast.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1200
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $800
New York – $925
Transport Friendliness: 9/10
Overview: Naples and the rest of the cities in southwest Florida are very, very popular with snowbirds. The cities here are made for them. The weather is perfect and the communities are much cleaner and quieter than the ones in the Miami area.
Auto Transport Breakdown: Prices will be a little bit higher going northeast.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1200
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $800
New York – $925
Transport Friendliness: 7/10
Overview: Tallahassee is home to Florida State University. FSU is an enormous school and students ship their cars here at the start and end of every school year. The beach communities like Pensacola, Panama City, and Fort Walton Beach are great vacation spots but they are too far north in Florida to attract snowbirds. The weather just isn’t warm enough in the winter.
Auto Transport Breakdown: This is the lowest scoring area of Florida for auto transport because of how difficult it is to ship northeast from here. The problem is that when a driver is coming up from Miami theses cities are really out of the way. Price and availability is a huge problem going northeast but isn’t a problem at all going in any other direction.
Example Prices To/From:
Los Angeles – $1100
Seattle – $1600
Chicago – $850
New York – $1100
Members of the armed forces shipping to Florida because of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders will have varied experiences depending on where in Florida they are shipping to and when. Refer to the sections below for more specific instructions based on your location and timing. Read this guide for more information on shipping a Personally Owned Vehicle (POV) for service members. If you are shipping to a base then plan an alternate drop off point for the driver as he most likely will not be able to get inside. Once you have received your car read this guide on titling and registration specifics for service members in Florida.
Florida has some of the most popular colleges and universities in the US and the beginning of the fall semester sees a hike in auto transport prices because of this. In order to avoid higher prices and the hassles of arranging auto transport on a tight schedule we recommend shipping your car after you arrive to school. Your broker will have time to find you the best deal and it will be one less thing to worry about during your move. Furthermore, find out about discounts for shipping more than one car at a time if you have a friend that is also shipping their vehicle and, if you will be shipping regularly, discounts for repeat customers. Read our full guide on transporting your car for college here. Florida is a very popular state for auto transporters so finding a driver will not be difficult. This is one part of your move you will not have to worry very much about.
Florida is the destination for people to spend their winters. The biggest fluctuation in auto transportation prices happens yearly in response to this as people ship south to escape the cold and then back up north when the weather warms up. Transport prices going south start to increase in October. Transport prices going north start to increase at the beginning of March. If it is convenient for you, try to ship outside of these peak times or right at the beginning to avoid the inflated prices. Another great way to save on shipping costs is to ship in a group. This can work even if everyone is not going to the same location. A huge number of transporters will be in Florida at this time so last minute changes will be very easy to accommodate if someone changes their mind. A great resource for Canadians shipping to Florida is the Canadian Snowbird Association which can help with currency exchange, taxes, and insurance.
Car shipping can be the easiest part of your move if you know what to expect and plan accordingly. Read our guide here for more detailed information on shipping a car when moving. The biggest problem people create for themselves when moving is trying to ship their car on a very specific schedule, and auto transport is just not suited for that. Read our full auto transport guide for a better explanation. Florida is one of the most popular states for auto transporters so chances are someone will be able to move your car right on time, but this can not be guaranteed until only a few days prior to the pick up date. Plan to be flexible or have a back up plan. Florida also has very seasonal auto transport prices so pay close attention to the “When Are You Shipping?” section below to make sure you don’t ship during the more expensive times of the year. Once you have your car visit the Florida DMV website for information on driver’s licenses, insurance, registration, and whatever else you may need to get settled in.
Vehicle transportation is a luxury for businesses to enjoy in Florida. The state is very popular with auto transporters and this means low prices and fast transit times. The only concern for businesses that ship regularly is the seasonal fluctuation in prices going and coming north. Pay attention to the “When Are You Shipping” section below to avoid inflated costs and take advantage of discounts.
Shipping prices at this time will be expensive from anywhere up north. Some states are affected more by this change than others. Shipping to the north will be very cheap at this time however. Shipping from the west is less expensive at this time.
All of the snowbirds ship back up north in the spring so shipping prices will be expensive going to northern states. Some states are affected more heavily than others. Shipping from the west is less expensive at this time.
Shipping to northern states will have reached an equilibrium just about everywhere at this time and you will be able to ship to and from Florida at a fair price. Shipping from the west also reaches an equilibrium. A lot of people move at this time of year and where they move to depends on where the best job opportunities are.
Tame season for auto transport in Florida. The price will start to go up from norther states towards the end of the season.
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very useful information definitely going to save me a little bit of coin
You actually mentioned it superbly!
Wonderful data. Cheers.
Are the snowbirds done coming from Florida?
Hi Michael. They are pretty much done. Prices are about as low as they will get going north from Florida right now.
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My trucker said he couldn’t get into the UCF campus. Is that something that happens a lot or was I tricked? He left it at parking lot nearby and hid the keys which I didn’t like but I definitely didn’t want to skip class to get the car so it seemed like the best option. Everything went fine but I was told this is not common. Let me know so I can decide if I want to use that company again next year.
Hi Claire, it’s not unheard of as these things can happen when your schedule conflicts with the driver’s. Unfortunately most college campuses are tight places though UNF here in Jacksonville is one exception!
I have not even left Florida yet but I already cannot wait to be back!