Seasonal lane
From $900 · 3–5 days · Door-to-door on I-95 and I-4
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the New York City to Tampa 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 | $900 – $1,275 | $1,300 – $1,850 |
| SUV / crossover | $1,000 – $1,425 | $1,450 – $2,075 |
| Pickup truck | $1,075 – $1,525 | $1,550 – $2,225 |
| Van / minivan | $1,125 – $1,600 | $1,625 – $2,325 |
| Motorcycle | $725 – $1,025 | $1,050 – $1,475 |
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.
Tampa Bay draws a different New Yorker from Miami: families relocating for the bay area's finance and health-care employers, retirees to the communities in Wesley Chapel, Lakewood Ranch and the Sun City Center, and the large Gulf Coast snowbird contingent that fills St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Sarasota every winter. At about 1,140 miles, it is a three-to-five-day trip that prices between the Orlando and Miami city pairs, $900 to $1,275 for a running sedan on an open carrier.
The lane has the same city-pickup problem as every New York shipment, solved the same way with a meeting point, and an easy delivery end: Tampa's suburbs are wide, flat and used to car haulers. 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 builds from early October and peaks from November through Christmas, when the Gulf Coast season starts. A car booked at short notice then pays the top of the range; two to three weeks of lead time with a three-day window keeps it down. The return north runs mid-March through early May, so late February through April is the cheapest time to ship south.
Summer is steady with relocations and university moves to USF. Hurricane season is the variable at the Tampa end from August through October, when a storm in the Gulf can hold a delivery by a day or two while the causeways reopen. 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.
From the city the truck runs I-95 the length of the East Coast to Jacksonville. From there it either continues to Daytona and takes I-4 across the peninsula into Tampa, or leaves I-95 for I-10 and I-75 and comes down the Gulf side through Ocala. Which one depends on the rest of the load; a truck with Orlando cars takes I-4, one with Gulf Coast cars takes I-75. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day and reach the bay on the third or fourth day.
A 75-foot hauler cannot stop on most city streets, so the driver names a meeting point when the truck is assigned. Long Island City, Bay Ridge, the LIE park-and-rides and a lot in Fort Lee for Manhattan are the usual ones. Suburban Long Island, Westchester and New Jersey are direct to the door.
South Tampa's narrower streets, Hyde Park, Seminole Heights and downtown mean a lot on a main road. Everything else, Brandon, Riverview, Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Carrollwood, Westchase, the Pinellas suburbs and Lakewood Ranch, is direct to the door or to a community gate. The beach communities on the barrier islands usually meet the driver on the mainland side of the causeway.
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 1,140 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
January in the city and salt to Virginia is the case for enclosed on a car with paint you care about, a convertible or a classic. A daily driver ships open, as most customers on this lane do, and the Gulf Coast has a car wash on every corner.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City to Miami | 1,280 mi | $950 – $1,350 | $1,400 – $1,950 | 3–5 days |
| New York City to Orlando | 1,080 mi | $875 – $1,250 | $1,275 – $1,800 | 3–5 days |
| New York City to Fort Lauderdale | 1,302 mi | $1,050 – $1,450 | $1,500 – $2,100 | 3–5 days |
| New York City to Jacksonville | 1,019 mi | $850 – $1,175 | $1,225 – $1,700 | 3–5 days |
| New York City to Naples | 1,343 mi | $1,075 – $1,475 | $1,550 – $2,175 | 3–5 days |
| New York City to Fort Myers | 1,307 mi | $1,050 – $1,450 | $1,500 – $2,125 | 3–5 days |
| Long Island to Tampa | 1,260 mi | $1,000 – $1,400 | $1,450 – $2,050 | 3–5 days |
| Brooklyn to Tampa | 1,225 mi | $975 – $1,350 | $1,400 – $1,975 | 3–5 days |
| Buffalo to Tampa | 1,283 mi | $1,025 – $1,425 | $1,475 – $2,075 | 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%.
Tampa is delivered in the middle of a southbound load, after Jacksonville and Orlando and before the Gulf Coast communities south of the bay, so the third or fourth day is the usual arrival. A receiver who is free across the whole window rather than one afternoon avoids the car riding on to the next stop.
Many customers on this lane are shipping to a community with a gate: Wesley Chapel's developments, Lakewood Ranch, Sun City Center, the retirement communities along US-19 in Pinellas and Pasco. The driver meets you outside the gate or at a plaza nearby and you drive the last stretch. Name a receiver if you are flying ahead of the car and give them the pickup photos and the driver's number.
The practical checklist is short. Belongings out or under about 100 pounds, uninsured. E-ZPass out of the windshield. Photos of every panel and the odometer taken in daylight before the truck comes. One key and a photo ID for the driver; the title stays home and a financed car needs nobody's permission to cross state lines. Buying the car from a Long Island or Queens dealer? Say so, and the pickup is scheduled with the dealership rather than with you.
After delivery
Shipping to Tampa: 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 single largest origin for southbound snowbird shipments on I-95.
State guideQuestions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$900–$1,275 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $1,300–$1,850 enclosed. Tampa is about 1,140 miles and delivered mid-load, so it prices between Orlando and Miami. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Three to five days on the truck. Trucks reach Tampa Bay on the third or fourth day after crossing from I-95 to I-4 at Daytona or coming down I-75 from the Big Bend.
At a meeting point: big-box lots in Long Island City or Bay Ridge, park-and-rides on the LIE, or a lot in Fort Lee for Manhattan. Long Island and Westchester are direct to the door.
Yes. The whole bay area and the Gulf Coast down to Sarasota and Venice are on the same load. The barrier islands and the beach communities usually mean a meeting point on the mainland.
Late February through April, when southbound trucks run light. November and December are the most expensive.
Not for a daily driver. For a convertible, a classic or fresh paint making the trip in January over salted roads, yes.
Yes; the driver meets you at the visitor gate or a plaza nearby and you drive the last stretch. It is routine on this lane and does not change the price.
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 $900–$1,275 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
