Coast-to-coast lane
From $1,400 · 6–9 days · Door-to-door on I-10
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the California to Florida lane, last checked September 12, 2026. Your firm price depends on the exact addresses and dates.
No deposit until a carrier is assigned.
| Vehicle | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan / coupe | $1,400 – $1,950 | $2,000 – $2,900 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,575 – $2,175 | $2,250 – $3,250 |
| Pickup truck | $1,675 – $2,350 | $2,400 – $3,475 |
| Van / minivan | $1,750 – $2,450 | $2,500 – $3,625 |
| Motorcycle | $1,125 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,325 |
What moves the price: the season (peak months run 5–10% higher), whether the vehicle runs (winch loading adds about $150), how flexible your pickup window is (a 3–5 day window beats a fixed date), and modifications such as lift kits or oversized tires.
California to Florida is the longest common lane in the country, about 2,730 miles from Los Angeles to Miami, and the one with the gentlest road. I-10 runs the whole way along the southern tier, never crossing a mountain pass that closes in winter, which makes it a reliable six-to-nine-day trip in any month. It is also priced better per mile than any shorter lane, because the fixed costs of loading and unloading are spread across a week of driving.
The customers are relocations in both directions, retirees swapping one coast's sunshine for the other's, military families between the two states' installations, university students, and buyers collecting a California car for a Florida garage. Summer is the busy season. The quote form above is set to the lane; add your vehicle and a specialist calls with a firm carrier price within business hours.
Timeline
Most shipments on this lane are complete 7–12 days after booking. Expedited pickup shortens the front end.
Day 0
Confirm your route, vehicle and first available pickup date.
1–3 days
A licensed carrier accepts the load; you get the name, DOT number and insurance certificate.
Agreed window
Driver inspects the car with you and both of you sign the bill of lading.
6–9 days
About 2,730 miles at 400–500 miles per driving day, with stops for other customers.
Driver calls ahead
Inspect against the pickup report, sign, and pay the carrier the balance.
On the ground
Carriers pick up and deliver anywhere in these regions; addresses outside them are quoted on request.
A truck loads across the Los Angeles basin or San Diego, runs I-10 through Palm Springs and Phoenix to Tucson, crosses New Mexico to El Paso, then the long Texas stretch through San Antonio and Houston. Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama follow along the Gulf, and the truck enters Florida at Pensacola. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day, with stops for other customers' cars in Phoenix, the Texas metros and along the Gulf, so the Florida line is reached around day five or six.
Northern California cars either come down I-5 to join the lane in Los Angeles or take I-40 through Flagstaff and Albuquerque to Dallas and drop to I-10 in Houston. Both add about a day and $100 to $150. In winter the I-40 route crosses the Flagstaff plateau, which can close in a storm, and drivers choose accordingly.
At Tallahassee the truck turns south on I-75 for the Gulf Coast, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, or continues to Jacksonville and I-95 for the Atlantic side. Orlando is reached from either. Miami is the last stop on the load, which is why it sits at the top of the transit window.
Open vs enclosed
This is the one cross-country lane with no salt and no snow, so enclosed transport is about the car, not the road: a classic, an exotic, fresh paint or a low car needing a liftgate. A week of road dust on an open deck is the only cost of shipping open, and most customers accept it for a saving of 40 to 60 percent on a $1,400 to $1,950 trip.
Most popularSedan on this route · Baseline price
PremiumSedan on this route · 40–60% more than open
Seasonality
Peak demand runs June–August. Booking ahead of the peak keeps your price at the lower end of the range.
Outlined bar is the current month. Amber months are when carrier space sells out first.
June through August is the busy season, driven by relocations and school calendars, and prices sit at the top of the range with a fixed pickup date costing more. Two to three weeks of lead time with a three-day window keeps most customers in the lower half. November through February is the cheapest time; trucks run the lane all year and have space in winter.
Weather matters at the Florida end from August through October, when a hurricane can hold a delivery by a day or two while roads reopen, and along the Texas and Louisiana coast in the same months. Carriers wait rather than drive into it, and nothing is charged for a weather hold. Summer dust storms on I-10 in Arizona occasionally cost a few hours.
City pairs
The same lane priced to and from the individual metros. Each row links to the city guide with pickup notes for that area.
| City pair | Road miles | Open carrier | Enclosed | On the truck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles to Miami | 2,849 mi | $1,425 – $1,975 | $2,050 – $2,875 | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles to Orlando | 2,681 mi | $1,400 – $1,950 | $2,025 – $2,850 | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles to Tampa | 2,622 mi | $1,400 – $1,950 | $2,025 – $2,850 | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale | 2,841 mi | $1,400 – $1,975 | $2,050 – $2,875 | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles to Jacksonville | 2,614 mi | $1,400 – $1,950 | $2,025 – $2,850 | 7–11 days |
| Los Angeles to Naples | 2,725 mi | $1,400 – $1,950 | $2,025 – $2,850 | 7–11 days |
| San Diego to Miami | 2,767 mi | $1,400 – $1,950 | $2,025 – $2,850 | 7–11 days |
| San Francisco to Miami | 3,161 mi | $1,575 – $2,200 | $2,275 – $3,175 | 8–12 days |
| San Jose to Miami | 3,122 mi | $1,550 – $2,175 | $2,250 – $3,150 | 8–12 days |
| Sacramento to Miami | 3,108 mi | $1,550 – $2,175 | $2,250 – $3,125 | 8–12 days |
Running sedan on a flexible pickup window. City rows are priced from road miles on the same curve as the lane range above; SUVs add about 12%, pickups 20%.
In Los Angeles the Valley, the South Bay, Orange County and the Inland Empire are direct to the door; the Westside, Hollywood, the hillsides and downtown mean a meeting point at a big-box lot near the 405 or the 10. San Diego's suburbs are simple; the beach neighborhoods and downtown are not. LAX and San Diego airport hotel lots are common handovers for people flying the same day. In the Bay Area, San Jose and the Peninsula are direct, San Francisco is always a meeting point, and the East Bay is direct outside the Oakland and Berkeley hills. Sacramento's suburbs are direct to the door.
At the Florida end, Orlando's suburbs, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and the Space Coast take a truck at the door outside the gated developments, where the driver meets you at the gate or a nearby plaza. Naples, Fort Myers and Sarasota are largely gated and follow the same routine. Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches are condo towers and gates; the driver arranges a lot near I-95 or the building's loading area with the manager. Port-area deliveries are scheduled early to beat traffic.
A key and a photo ID at pickup are all the driver needs. The California title and registration stay with you; a financed or leased car ships within the country without lender approval; Florida registration is your errand after delivery. Name whoever will receive the car if you are flying ahead of it, and give them the pickup photos and the driver's number.
After delivery
Shipping to Florida: the paperwork Florida asks of a new resident, so you can book the DMV visit for the week the car lands rather than discover it at the counter.
Register within 30 days of establishing residency, taking a job or enrolling children in school.
VIN and odometer verification is required for a vehicle titled out of state (form HSMV 82042), completed by a law-enforcement officer, a licensed Florida dealer or a notary; it can be done before the car ships or after it arrives.
No periodic safety or emissions inspection.
Proof of Florida insurance is required before the county tax collector will register the car. Bring the out-of-state title.
Source: Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) . Checked September 15, 2026. Deadlines and inspection rules change; confirm on the official page before you go.
Related
Pickup state
The largest outbound state, with daily carrier departures east on I-10 and I-40.
State guideDelivery state
The busiest inbound car shipping state in the country, from October through January.
State guideQuestions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$1,400–$1,950 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $2,000–$2,900 enclosed, for about 2,730 miles. Los Angeles and San Diego to Orlando or Tampa are the low end; the Bay Area to Miami the high end. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Six to nine days on the truck. Los Angeles cars are usually in Texas on day two, across the Gulf Coast on day four and delivered in Florida between day six and day eight. Bay Area cars take a day longer.
I-10 the whole way: Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, Mobile and the Florida Panhandle, then I-75 or I-95 south depending on the destination. It is the southernmost interstate and the only coast-to-coast lane with no mountain snow.
Yes. Per-mile rates fall with distance because loading and unloading are fixed costs; this lane runs about 50–70 cents a mile against $1 or more for a 500-mile trip.
November through February. June through August is peak for cross-country relocations and prices sit at the top of the range.
Expedited pickup, within 24–48 hours, is available for about $200–$400 more and puts the car on the road sooner. Transit itself is set by the driver's hours and the route's other stops.
No. The car is strapped at the wheels and does not run during transit. It arrives with the mileage it left with, plus a few tenths from loading, and a week of road dust on an open deck.
Guides
7 min read
Most shipments deliver 1–3 days after pickup for under 500 miles, 3–5 days for 1,000–1,500 miles and 7–10 days coast to coast. Add 1–5 days for the carrier to be assigned and reach you.
Read the guide
8 min read
Confirm the seller or dealer will release the car to a carrier, get the pickup contact and hours, ship on an open carrier for most purchases, and inspect on delivery before the driver leaves. Expect $550–$2,000 depending on distance.
Read the guide
7 min read
Wash the car, photograph every panel, leave a quarter tank of fuel, remove personal items and toll tags, fold in mirrors, note existing damage on the Bill of Lading, and hand over one set of keys.
Read the guideCarriers on this lane are quoting $1,400–$1,950 for a running sedan. Lock in a pickup window in about a minute.
Average response time under 5 minutes during business hours (Mon–Sun 7am–9pm ET).
Last updated September 12, 2026 · Written by the AutoShippingUS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Christofer Whiteman, Editor · Industry review by Sarah Williams, Independent auto transport consultant, 20 years in the industry
