Florida Car Shipping
Ship your vehicle to or from Florida with transparent pricing and vetted, fully insured carriers. See your exact price online in seconds, with no phone calls and no contact information required.
Recent Florida shipping prices
These are real vehicles we recently moved to and from Florida, all on open transport. Most car shipping sites publish wide estimated ranges. These are actual prices customers paid.
| Route | Vehicle | Transit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micco, FL → Pittsfield, MA | SUV | 5 days | $1,475 |
| Aurora, CO → Tampa, FL | SUV | 4 days | $1,524 |
| Bellevue, WA → South Miami, FL | Coupe | 8 days | $1,995 |
| Ft. Lauderdale, FL → Old Bridge, NJ | Sedan | 4 days | $1,205 |
Prices shown are what these customers actually paid, including the carrier fee and the HippoHaul fee. Your price will differ based on your exact pickup and delivery locations, vehicle size, timing, and carrier availability. Check your own route below for a live price.
In Florida, direction matters more than distance
Florida is a peninsula, which means it is a dead end. A carrier who drives to Miami cannot continue on to somewhere else afterwards. They have to turn around and come back up, and they would rather not do it with an empty trailer.
This one fact drives most of what you will see in a Florida quote. When large numbers of vehicles are moving in one direction, trucks heading the other way are running with space to fill, and that space is cheap. The result is that the same route, over the same distance, in the same week, can cost noticeably different amounts depending on which way you are going.
Almost nowhere else in the country is the effect this strong. It is worth understanding before you book, because unlike vehicle size or fuel prices, it is something you can actually act on.
Snowbird season: when to ship, and which direction is cheap
Florida is the largest seasonal destination in the country for vehicles. The pattern is predictable enough to plan around.
- Autumn, roughly October through December. Heavy southbound demand as seasonal residents arrive. Southbound prices rise and pickup windows tighten. Northbound is the quiet direction and prices better.
- Spring, roughly March through May. The reverse. Northbound demand peaks as everyone leaves, and southbound becomes the cheaper direction.
- Summer, roughly June through September. The calmest period in both directions, and often the best value if your timing is flexible. This overlaps hurricane season, covered below.
Three practical things. Book two to three weeks ahead of the October and March rushes rather than into them. If you make this trip every year, price both directions before you assume they cost the same. And if your dates are flexible by even a week, moving them outside the peak is usually worth more than any other choice you can make.
What affects the cost of shipping a car in Florida
Direction and season
The largest single factor in Florida. Southbound in autumn and northbound in spring are the expensive directions; the reverse trip is often materially cheaper.
Where in the state
The I-95, I-75, and I-4 corridors price well. The Keys and rural inland areas cost more, because carriers are making a detour.
Vehicle size and condition
Larger trucks and SUVs take more space on the trailer. Vehicles that don't run need special loading equipment.
Open or enclosed
Open transport carries most vehicles and costs less. Enclosed is worth considering for classic, exotic, or high-value cars.
Gated and restricted communities
Many Florida communities restrict commercial vehicle access or have height and length limits. A meeting point outside the gate is often needed.
Schedule flexibility
A flexible pickup window gives carriers more options, which usually means a better price than a fixed date.
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and South Florida
South Florida is one of the highest-volume car shipping markets in the country, and carrier availability is excellent year round. I-95 and Florida's Turnpike both run straight into it.
The most common complication here is not the roads, it is the buildings. Gated communities, condo towers, and HOA-managed developments frequently restrict commercial vehicle access, limit delivery hours, or have parking structures a 75-foot carrier cannot enter. If you live in one, check the rules before your pickup date. Your driver will usually arrange a meeting point at a nearby shopping center instead, which is routine and carries no surcharge.
Tampa Bay, Orlando, and the I-4 corridor
The I-4 corridor connects Tampa and St. Petersburg on the Gulf to Orlando and Daytona on the Atlantic, crossing I-75 and I-95 on the way. It is well served in both directions, and pickup windows in the metros are typically short.
The retirement communities inland from the corridor, around Ocala and The Villages, generate heavy seasonal volume and are worth booking early for during the autumn and spring peaks.
North Florida and the Panhandle
Florida is longer than people expect. Pensacola to Key West is roughly 800 miles, and Pensacola is closer to New Orleans than it is to Miami. The Panhandle often prices and schedules more like Alabama or Georgia than like South Florida, because carriers reach it on I-10 rather than by running down the peninsula.
Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Tallahassee are all well served. Pensacola, Panama City, and Destin work reliably but usually with a slightly wider pickup window, and pricing there is less affected by the snowbird cycle than the rest of the state.
The Florida Keys
The Keys are road-connected, so this is genuinely doable, but it is a long detour. The Overseas Highway runs roughly 110 miles from the mainland to Key West across more than forty bridges, much of it two lanes with no room to pass. Key West is about 160 miles past Miami, and a carrier serving it gives up the better part of a day in each direction.
Expect a real premium and a wider pickup window for anywhere below Key Largo, increasing the further down you go. Islamorada and Marathon sit in between and price accordingly.
If your schedule allows it, meeting the carrier in Homestead or Florida City on the mainland will usually cut your cost meaningfully, and leaves you a straightforward drive down. Ask us and we will tell you what the difference actually is before you decide.
Hurricane season and Florida car shipping
Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November, with the highest risk from about mid-August into early October. Unlike most states, Florida can be affected statewide rather than just along one coast, and a storm approaching the peninsula stops carrier movement across a wide area until roads reopen.
This is a delay rather than a cancellation. If a storm affects your shipment, we and your assigned carrier will contact you with a revised window. Two practical notes: build several days of flexibility into September dates, and if you are shipping out ahead of an approaching storm, book as early as you can, because capacity disappears quickly once an evacuation is underway.
Shipping a car to a Florida port for export
The Florida ports are among the busiest vehicle export gateways in the country, particularly for the Caribbean and Latin America, and a share of our Florida volume is inland transport to a port warehouse rather than to a residence.
These moves work like any other, with one difference. Port and warehouse receiving windows are fixed, so tell us the deadline when you request your quote rather than after booking, and we will build the schedule around it.
Popular Florida routes
We ship between Florida and anywhere in the continental United States. Our most common Florida lanes, with links to each destination state:
- Florida ↔ New York car shipping
- Florida ↔ Illinois car shipping
- Florida ↔ Massachusetts car shipping
- Florida ↔ North Carolina car shipping
- Florida ↔ Texas car shipping
- Florida ↔ California car shipping
The Northeast and Midwest lanes are the highest volume by a wide margin, and they are also the ones where the seasonal direction effect is strongest.
How long does Florida car shipping take?
Transit time depends mostly on distance. Rough estimates once your vehicle is picked up:
- Under 500 miles: about 1 to 3 days
- 500 to 1,000 miles: about 2 to 4 days
- 1,000 to 1,500 miles: about 2 to 5 days
- 1,500 to 2,000 miles: about 3 to 8 days
- Cross country: about 4 to 12 days
These are transit estimates after pickup, not guaranteed delivery dates. The spread within each band comes down mostly to whether a carrier is already running your lane. A truck with space on a route it was taking anyway moves quickly; a route that has to be built around your vehicle takes longer. During the autumn and spring peaks, the wait for a carrier to be assigned matters more than the transit itself, which is why booking ahead of the rush makes such a difference.
Who ships cars to and from Florida
Snowbirds
Seasonal residents arriving in autumn and leaving in spring. This is the single largest category of Florida shipment, and the reason timing matters so much here.
People relocating
Florida draws heavy permanent in-migration, particularly from the Northeast and the Midwest.
Military families
NAS Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport, MacDill, Eglin, Tyndall, NAS Pensacola, and Patrick Space Force Base generate steady PCS moves.
Online and auction buyers
Florida has a dense concentration of dealer and salvage auctions. We arrange pickup from auction lots including Copart and IAA.
Exporters
Vehicles bound for the Caribbean and Latin America move inland to port warehouses for loading.
Students
Florida, Florida State, UCF, USF, FIU, and Miami move vehicles in and out each semester.
Florida car shipping FAQs
When is the cheapest time to ship a car to Florida?
Summer is usually the calmest period in both directions and often the best value if your timing is flexible. The expensive windows are southbound from about October through December and northbound from about March through May. Shipping against the seasonal flow in either direction is generally cheaper.
Why does the same route cost different amounts in each direction?
Florida is a peninsula, so a carrier who drives down has to come back up and would rather not do it with an empty trailer. When large numbers of vehicles move one way, trucks heading the other way have space to fill and that space is cheaper. The effect is stronger in Florida than almost anywhere else in the country.
When should I book a snowbird shipment?
Two to three weeks ahead of the rush rather than into it. If your dates are flexible by even a week, moving them outside the peak is usually worth more than any other choice you can make.
Can you deliver a car to the Florida Keys?
Yes. The Keys are road-connected, but the Overseas Highway is a long two-lane detour and a carrier serving Key West gives up the better part of a day in each direction, so expect a real premium and a wider pickup window. Meeting the carrier in Homestead or Florida City on the mainland will usually cut your cost meaningfully.
Can a carrier deliver inside my gated community?
Often not. Many Florida communities restrict commercial vehicle access, limit delivery hours, or have parking structures a 75-foot carrier cannot enter. Check your community's rules before your pickup date. Your driver will usually arrange a meeting point at a nearby shopping center instead, which is routine and carries no surcharge.
Will a hurricane delay my shipment?
It can. A storm approaching the peninsula stops carrier movement across a wide area until roads reopen. That is a delay rather than a cancellation, and your carrier will contact you with a revised window. If you are shipping out ahead of an approaching storm, book as early as you can, because capacity disappears quickly once an evacuation is underway.
Can you ship a car that doesn't run?
In most cases yes. Tell us when you request your quote, because the carrier may need a winch or additional equipment to load it, which affects the price.
Can I leave personal belongings in the vehicle?
Carrier policies vary. Ask before placing anything inside, and never use the vehicle in place of a household goods shipment. Items left inside are generally not covered by the carrier's insurance.
Is my vehicle insured during transport?
Carriers are required to carry cargo insurance. You can review your assigned carrier's insurance details and the vehicle inspection report before transport begins.
When do I pay?
Nothing is due when you book. The HippoHaul fee is charged once a carrier is assigned, and the carrier fee is paid directly to the driver on delivery.
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