Seasonal lane
From $975 · 3–5 days · Door-to-door on I-65 and I-75 and Florida Turnpike
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the Chicago to Miami 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 | $975 – $1,375 | $1,400 – $2,000 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,575 – $2,250 |
| Pickup truck | $1,175 – $1,650 | $1,675 – $2,400 |
| Van / minivan | $1,225 – $1,725 | $1,750 – $2,500 |
| Motorcycle | $775 – $1,100 | $1,125 – $1,600 |
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.
The Chicago-to-Florida flow mostly ends on the Gulf Coast, but a growing share of it goes all the way to Miami: finance and tech relocations from the Loop to Brickell, families splitting the year between Lincoln Park and Coral Gables, students at the University of Miami, and Illinois cars bought for Florida garages. At about 1,380 miles it is a three-to-five-day trip, and because Miami is the last stop on the load it prices a step above the Gulf Coast destinations, $975 to $1,375 for a running sedan on an open carrier.
Both ends are big cities with the same problem, a car hauler that cannot stop on a residential street, and both are solved the same way with a meeting point or a building loading area. The quote form above is set to the lane; add your vehicle and a specialist calls with a firm carrier price within business hours.
Seasonality
Peak demand runs October–January. 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.
Southbound demand starts in early October, a little ahead of the Northeast because Chicago's weather turns sooner, and peaks from November through Christmas as the Miami season opens. A car booked at short notice then pays the top of the range; two to three weeks of lead time with a three-day pickup window brings it down. The return north runs mid-March through early May.
Late February through April is the cheapest southbound time, when trucks run light to collect the spring loads. Summer is steady. Weather works on both ends: lake-effect snow or a polar cold snap in Chicago can hold a pickup by a day or two, and a hurricane watch in South Florida from August through October can hold a delivery. Nothing is charged for a weather hold.
On the ground
Carriers pick up and deliver anywhere in these regions; addresses outside them are quoted on request.
A truck loads across the Chicago suburbs and takes I-65 through Indianapolis and Louisville to Nashville, I-24 to Chattanooga and I-75 through Atlanta into Florida. On the Gulf side it delivers Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples, then crosses Alligator Alley on I-75 to Miami. Trucks with Orlando cars sometimes take the Florida Turnpike down the middle of the state instead and arrive from the north. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day; Miami comes on the fourth or fifth day.
The suburbs are direct to the door from Naperville and Schaumburg to Orland Park and the North Shore. In the city the driver names a meeting point: the big-box lots along the Kennedy and the Edens, off the Stevenson near Midway, or on Cicero Avenue. O'Hare and Midway hotel lots work for anyone flying the same day.
Miami is a city of towers and gates. On the water, Brickell, Edgewater, Downtown, Sunny Isles and the Beach, the car goes in through the building: management usually agrees to open the loading bay for a short unload if the receiver has asked in advance, and when it will not, the driver picks a surface lot within a few blocks. Inland, the Gables, Pinecrest, Kendall, Doral and the Aventura developments have gates, and the driver phones the gatehouse or waits at the visitor lane. Anything near the port or the airport is done early in the morning before the traffic builds.
Timeline
Most shipments on this lane are complete 4–8 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.
3–5 days
About 1,380 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.
Open vs enclosed
Between the Chicago salt belt in winter and a destination full of convertibles and exotics, this lane sees more enclosed bookings than most. The rule is simple: a car whose paint you would pay a body shop to fix goes in a box for 40 to 60 percent more; a car that is going to a car wash on Bird Road anyway goes open.
Most popularSedan on this route · Baseline price
PremiumSedan on this route · 40–60% more than open
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Orlando | 1,203 mi | $875 – $1,200 | $1,225 – $1,750 | 3–5 days |
| Chicago to Tampa | 1,227 mi | $875 – $1,225 | $1,250 – $1,775 | 3–5 days |
| Chicago to Fort Lauderdale | 1,426 mi | $1,025 – $1,425 | $1,475 – $2,075 | 4–6 days |
| Chicago to Jacksonville | 1,054 mi | $750 – $1,050 | $1,075 – $1,525 | 3–5 days |
| Chicago to Naples | 1,387 mi | $1,000 – $1,375 | $1,425 – $2,025 | 3–5 days |
| Chicago to Fort Myers | 1,345 mi | $950 – $1,350 | $1,375 – $1,950 | 3–5 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%.
Order of drops is the thing to understand. The truck empties the Gulf Coast first, then crosses the Everglades, so Miami is at the end of the schedule and the fourth or fifth day is the normal arrival. Give the driver a receiver who can answer the phone on any of those days rather than one who is free on a single afternoon. That receiver can be a relative, a friend, a concierge who has agreed to it or the building manager, and they need three things from you: the photographs you took at pickup, the bill of lading, and the driver's mobile number.
Chicago winter is the other thing. A car that has sat on a Lincoln Park street through a cold snap may not start on pickup morning; start it early, and if it needs a jump do that before the truck comes, because a car that has to be winched aboard is a surcharge and sometimes a different truck. Clear the driveway. Take the I-PASS out of the windshield.
Because so many customers on this lane are moving house, the belongings question comes up on every booking. The answer is under about 100 pounds, below the window line, not insured, and never anything you would miss. The driver takes a key and looks at a photo ID; the title stays in Illinois and no lender has to sign off on a financed car crossing state lines. Cars bought from a Chicagoland dealer or one of the western-suburb auction lots are picked up from the seller directly; give your specialist the release contact.
After delivery
Shipping to Miami: 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
Chicago is the Midwest’s carrier crossroads: southbound to Florida on I-65, southwest to Arizona on I-55 and I-40.
State guideQuestions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$975–$1,375 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $1,400–$2,000 enclosed for about 1,380 miles. Miami is the last stop on the Illinois-to-Florida run, across Alligator Alley from the Gulf Coast, so it sits $50–$100 above Naples or Tampa. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Three to five days on the truck. Chicago cars reach Florida on day three; Miami, as the last drop, is usually day four or five. Add one to five days for pickup.
I-65 through Indianapolis and Louisville to Nashville, I-24 to Chattanooga, I-75 through Atlanta and down the Gulf side of Florida, then across Alligator Alley to Miami. Some drivers take the Florida Turnpike from Orlando instead.
Suburbs are direct to the door. The Loop, River North, Lincoln Park and the lakefront neighborhoods mean a big-box lot off the Kennedy, the Stevenson or Cicero Avenue.
Through the building's loading area with notice, or at a lot nearby. Brickell, Downtown, Edgewater and Miami Beach are all handled this way.
Late February through April, when southbound trucks run light. November and December are the most expensive.
Not for a daily driver. For a convertible, an exotic or fresh paint making a January trip over Chicago salt, the premium is worth it, and Miami has a lot of that kind of car.
Guides
10 min read
Book southbound shipments 2–3 weeks before you fly, ideally before mid-October. Expect $900–$1,450 open from the Northeast or Midwest to Florida and 3–6 days in transit. Reverse the plan in late March.
Read the guide
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
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 $975–$1,375 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
