Seasonal lane
From $1,100 · 4–7 days · Door-to-door on I-35 and I-40 and I-17
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the Minnesota to Arizona 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 | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,300 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,225 – $1,725 | $1,800 – $2,575 |
| Pickup truck | $1,325 – $1,850 | $1,925 – $2,750 |
| Van / minivan | $1,375 – $1,950 | $2,000 – $2,875 |
| Motorcycle | $875 – $1,250 | $1,275 – $1,850 |
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.
Minnesotans split their winters between the Gulf Coast and the desert, and the desert half of the flow is one of the biggest snowbird lanes in the West. Mesa's RV resorts, Sun City and Sun City West, Scottsdale, the Tucson foothills and Green Valley fill with Minnesota plates every November, and most of those cars arrived on a hauler. The distance is about the same as Florida, 1,650 miles, and so is the price, but the road is different: south through the Plains rather than east through Chicago.
The lane runs busiest from mid-October to Christmas and again in the spring return, with a quieter, cheaper summer. It shares trucks with the Chicago-to-Phoenix corridor from Oklahoma City onward, which keeps assignment quick in 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.
Seasonality
Peak demand runs October–December. 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.
The season starts early, as everything does in Minnesota. Late September bookings are common, October is busy and the peak runs through December. A car booked at short notice in November pays the top of the range; two to three weeks of lead time with a three-day pickup window brings it down. The spring return runs late March through mid-May, so February and March are the cheapest southbound months, with September a second quiet window.
Weather works on both ends. A blizzard in the Twin Cities or a cold snap that stalls a battery holds the pickup, and I-40 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff crosses 7,000-foot country that closes in winter storms. Carriers wait rather than drive into it, and 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 Twin Cities and takes I-35 south through Des Moines, Kansas City and Wichita to Oklahoma City. There it turns west on I-40 through Amarillo, Albuquerque and Gallup to Flagstaff, and drops down I-17 into the Valley. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day and reach Phoenix on the fourth day. The route has no mountain pass until Arizona and is quick across the Plains.
The truck usually works the East Valley first, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler and Gilbert, then Scottsdale and the West Valley including the Sun Cities and Surprise. Tucson, Oro Valley and Green Valley are the following day down I-10. Prescott and the Verde Valley are reachable on I-17 on the way in.
A key, a quarter tank, personal items under about 100 pounds, and photographs of every panel and the odometer. In winter, start the car that morning, keep the battery charged and clear the driveway. If your street is not plowed, meet the driver on a main road.
Timeline
Most shipments on this lane are complete 5–10 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.
4–7 days
About 1,650 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
Minnesota salt and sand from November through April is the enclosed argument for a car with paint you care about, and so is the open plains stretch where hail is possible in spring. For a daily driver going to a car wash in Mesa, an open carrier is the sensible choice and the saving is 40 to 60 percent.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis to Phoenix | 1,559 mi | $1,025 – $1,475 | $1,525 – $2,150 | 4–7 days |
| Minneapolis to Scottsdale | 1,550 mi | $1,025 – $1,475 | $1,500 – $2,125 | 4–7 days |
| Minneapolis to Tucson | 1,580 mi | $1,050 – $1,500 | $1,525 – $2,175 | 4–7 days |
| Minneapolis to Mesa | 1,549 mi | $1,025 – $1,475 | $1,500 – $2,125 | 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%.
The suburbs of the Twin Cities are direct to the door, from Edina and Minnetonka to Maple Grove, Woodbury, Eagan and Apple Valley. Inside Minneapolis and Saint Paul, tight streets with parking on both sides mean a lot on a main road. MSP's hotel lots along I-494 are a common handover for anyone flying the same day. Rochester, St. Cloud and Mankato are served regularly; Duluth and the north take longer to assign and a meeting point in Forest Lake or Hinckley on I-35 helps. Many cabin owners bring the car to the metro rather than wait.
Arizona deliveries are the easiest in the country. Wide streets and no weather. Mesa's RV and park-model resorts along US-60 and the Superstition Freeway are used to car haulers and most have a receiving area. The gated communities in Scottsdale, the Sun Cities, Anthem and Fountain Hills admit delivery vehicles with a call to the gate, or the driver meets you at the nearest plaza. Green Valley and Oro Valley are the same.
Two Arizona-specific notes. A car that will sit outside for the season wants a windshield shade and a check of the tire pressure after the first hot week. A car left in Arizona through the summer should be under cover with the battery on a tender, and it is worth keeping insurance active.
At pickup the driver needs a key and a photo ID; the title stays with you and a financed car ships domestically without lender approval. If the car came from a Twin Cities auction, book the day the sale closes and pass the lot's release process to your specialist.
After delivery
Shipping to Arizona: the paperwork Arizona 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 as soon as you establish residency or take a job in Arizona; the state gives no fixed grace period.
A Level I VIN inspection (free at an MVD office) is required for some out-of-state vehicles, typically when the title or registration cannot be presented.
Emissions testing is required in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas for most vehicles more than five years old, and must be passed before the first Arizona registration. Out-of-state emissions certificates are not accepted.
Fully electric vehicles are exempt from emissions testing.
Source: Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) . Checked September 15, 2026. Deadlines and inspection rules change; confirm on the official page before you go.
Related
Pickup state
The longest of the snowbird runs: Minnesota to Florida or Arizona is a 1,600-mile-plus trip that rewards early booking.
State guideDelivery state
The Midwest’s winter destination, served by the I-40 and I-10 corridors into the Valley.
State guideQuestions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$1,100–$1,550 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $1,600–$2,300 enclosed for about 1,650 miles. The lane is the same price as Minnesota to Florida because the distance is nearly identical. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Four to seven days on the truck. Twin Cities cars are usually in Kansas on day one, New Mexico on day three and Phoenix on day four. Add one to five days for pickup.
I-35 south through Des Moines and Kansas City to Oklahoma City, then I-40 west through the Panhandle, Albuquerque and Flagstaff, and I-17 down into Phoenix.
In season, yes; Minnesota to Arizona is one of the larger snowbird flows in the country. In summer a Twin Cities pickup may take a few extra days while a truck fills its load.
February and March before the spring return, and September before the season starts. October through December is the expensive stretch.
Minnesota snow and cold can hold a pickup by a day or two, and I-40 over the Flagstaff plateau closes in a storm. Start the car in the morning so it loads under its own power; a car that will not start is a winch job.
Yes, usually a day after Phoenix and $50–$100 more, since the truck continues down I-10 after the Valley.
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 $1,100–$1,550 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
