Seasonal lane
From $1,000 · 4–6 days · Door-to-door on I-95
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the Massachusetts 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 | $1,000 – $1,450 | $1,450 – $2,100 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,125 – $1,625 | $1,625 – $2,350 |
| Pickup truck | $1,200 – $1,750 | $1,750 – $2,525 |
| Van / minivan | $1,250 – $1,825 | $1,825 – $2,625 |
| Motorcycle | $800 – $1,150 | $1,150 – $1,675 |
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.
Massachusetts residents have been wintering in Florida for as long as there has been a highway to get there, and the Naples and Marco Island coast, the Palm Beaches, Sarasota and Boca Raton have whole neighborhoods with Red Sox flags. That creates a steady, well-served lane from October to May, with enough carriers that a Boston-area pickup is assigned in a few days even in peak season.
The distance sets the price. At 1,400 miles from Boston to South Florida, it is a day longer on the truck than New York or New Jersey to Florida and priced about $100 to $150 higher. It is also a lane where a stretch of weather at the top end can move a pickup by a day, so a little flexibility in your dates is worth having. The quote form above is set to the lane; add the 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 builds through October and peaks from early November through Christmas, when retirees head down after Thanksgiving with the family. Those are the most expensive weeks and a fixed date makes them more so. Booking two to three weeks ahead with a three-day pickup window keeps most customers in the lower half of the range.
The return north runs from mid-March through early May, which makes late February through April the cheapest time to ship southbound: the trucks are going anyway, to collect the spring loads, and they leave New England light. Summer is steady with family moves and students. Weather matters at both ends of winter: a nor'easter in December or a late-March storm can hold a pickup a day, and hurricane watches in Florida can do the same in September.
On the ground
Carriers pick up and deliver anywhere in these regions; addresses outside them are quoted on request.
A truck loading around Boston works a loop through the suburbs and the South Shore, sometimes adds Providence, then runs I-95 through Connecticut, crosses into New York on I-287 or the Cross Bronx, and takes the New Jersey Turnpike south. From there it is the same I-95 corridor everyone runs: Delaware, Baltimore, the Beltway, Richmond, the Carolinas, Georgia and Jacksonville. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day, so the first Florida deliveries are on the fourth day.
Door-to-door is the standard. Suburban streets inside and outside 128 are fine; drivers come to Newton, Lexington, Wellesley, Needham, Milton, Hingham and the like. Boston proper, Brookline's narrower streets, Cambridge and Somerville are not. A 75-foot truck meets customers at a lot on Route 1 in Saugus or Dedham, along I-93 or at a mall off 128.
One key, a quarter tank, the Fast Lane transponder out of the windshield, and belongings under about 100 pounds and uninsured. Photograph every panel and the odometer before the truck arrives and keep the bill of lading from pickup to compare at delivery.
Timeline
Most shipments on this lane are complete 5–9 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.
4–6 days
About 1,400 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
December through March is the enclosed season on this lane: salt and sand on the Pike, I-95 and the Connecticut stretch, followed by a thousand miles of winter grit. For a car with paint you care about, a convertible or a classic, that is the reason to pay 40 to 60 percent more. For a daily driver, open is the answer and a wash at the far end fixes what the road did.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston to Miami | 1,500 mi | $1,050 – $1,450 | $1,500 – $2,100 | 4–6 days |
| Boston to Orlando | 1,361 mi | $975 – $1,400 | $1,425 – $2,050 | 3–5 days |
| Boston to Tampa | 1,444 mi | $1,025 – $1,500 | $1,500 – $2,175 | 4–6 days |
| Boston to Fort Lauderdale | 1,506 mi | $950 – $1,400 | $1,400 – $2,025 | 4–7 days |
| Boston to Jacksonville | 1,241 mi | $900 – $1,275 | $1,275 – $1,850 | 3–5 days |
| Boston to Naples | 1,555 mi | $975 – $1,425 | $1,425 – $2,075 | 4–7 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%.
Inside the city, expect a meeting point. Logan is a common handover for people flying the same day; the hotel and long-term lots on Route 1A work for drivers. The South Shore, Metrowest and the North Shore are direct to the driveway where the street allows a truck to turn without reversing. Cape Cod pickups run from Bourne to Orleans, with drivers avoiding summer weekend bridge traffic; the Outer Cape and the islands add days and, for Nantucket and the Vineyard, a ferry the car has to make on its own.
Worcester and the Route 9 corridor are served weekly. Springfield and the Pioneer Valley are collected off I-91 and the Pike. Berkshire pickups in Pittsfield and Great Barrington take longer to assign and a meeting point at Lee or Westfield helps.
At the Florida end, the destinations Bay Staters favor are gated: Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, the Palm Beach County communities, Boca and Sarasota. The driver meets you at the visitor gate or a plaza outside and you drive the last stretch. Orlando's larger developments and The Villages are the same. Nothing about this changes the price.
Domestic shipments need only a key and a photo ID at pickup. No title, no lender permission for a financed car. If you are shipping a car just bought from a dealer in Norwood or Danvers, tell your specialist and the pickup is arranged with the dealership.
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 northern end of the I-95 snowbird lane, with a long runway to Florida and a premium on early booking.
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$1,000–$1,450 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $1,450–$2,100 enclosed. It is the longest of the Northeast snowbird lanes at about 1,400 miles, which is why it runs $100–$150 above New York. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Four to six days on the truck. Boston-area cars are typically in Jacksonville on day four and in Naples or Miami on day five, with one to five days before that for pickup.
Yes. The bridges take car haulers, and drivers collect from Falmouth to Orleans, though a pickup on the Outer Cape can add a day or two to assignment. Summer weekends are avoided because of bridge traffic.
Not into Beacon Hill, the North End, Back Bay or most of Cambridge and Somerville. Drivers meet customers at lots along Route 1, I-93 or 128. Suburbs inside and outside 128 are direct to the door.
Late February through April, when the southbound trucks are running to collect the spring return. November and December are the most expensive.
It can hold a pickup by a day or two while roads are cleared. Carriers do not drive into storms and there is no charge for a weather hold; your specialist reschedules around it.
Yes. Worcester and Springfield are on the Pike and served weekly; Berkshire pickups take longer and a meeting point at a Pike exit helps.
Yes. Name a receiver, a neighbor or your community office, give them the driver's number and the pickup photos, and the car is in the driveway when you land.
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 $1,000–$1,450 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
