Auto transport route
From $850 · 3–5 days · Door-to-door on I-10 and I-75
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Price by vehicle
Ranges come from carrier quotes received on the Texas 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 | $850 – $1,250 | $1,250 – $1,800 |
| SUV / crossover | $950 – $1,400 | $1,400 – $2,025 |
| Pickup truck | $1,025 – $1,500 | $1,500 – $2,150 |
| Van / minivan | $1,075 – $1,575 | $1,575 – $2,250 |
| Motorcycle | $675 – $1,000 | $1,000 – $1,450 |
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.
Texas to Florida is a lane of relocations, university moves, military transfers and cars bought on one end for buyers on the other. It is a comfortable three-to-five-day trip for a car hauler, I-10 nearly the whole way, and one of the better-priced lanes in the South because trucks run it in both directions all year. A running sedan from Houston to Orlando or Tampa ships for $850 to $1,250 on an open carrier; Dallas and Austin to Miami sit at the top of the range for the extra distance.
The lane has no snowbird peak. Its busy season is summer, when school calendars drive family moves, with a second bump around the university calendars in August and May. Winter is quiet and cheap. The quote form above is set to the lane; add your vehicle and a specialist calls with a firm carrier price within business hours.
On the ground
Carriers pick up and deliver anywhere in these regions; addresses outside them are quoted on request.
A truck loading in Houston is on I-10 immediately, running east through Beaumont, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, the Mississippi coast and Mobile to the Florida Panhandle at Pensacola. Dallas and Fort Worth cars come down I-45 to join it, or take I-20 to Shreveport and Jackson and drop to I-10 at Mobile; Austin and San Antonio cars run I-10 from the start. Drivers cover 450 to 550 miles a day and reach the Panhandle late on the first day or early on the second.
At Tallahassee the road splits by destination. For the Gulf Coast, Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers, the truck takes I-10 to I-75 at Lake City and runs south. For Orlando it is I-75 to I-4 or I-10 to I-95 and down. For Jacksonville and the Atlantic coast, Daytona, the Space Coast, the Palm Beaches and Miami, the truck stays on I-10 to Jacksonville and takes I-95. Miami is the last stop on either route.
Suburban streets across the Texas metros and Florida are fine for a 75-foot truck; inside the loops the driver names a meeting point. Have a key, a quarter tank, the TxTag or EZ TAG out of the windshield, and belongings under about 100 pounds and uninsured. Photograph the car and the odometer before pickup.
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 1,100 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
No salt, no mountains, and a warm road the whole way, so the enclosed decision on this lane is entirely about the car: a classic, an exotic, fresh paint or a low car that needs a liftgate. Summer thunderstorms and Gulf humidity are the only weather an open deck sees. Most customers ship open and save 40 to 60 percent.
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 family relocations and the end and start of the school year, with a second bump in mid-August and mid-May for university moves. A car booked at short notice in July pays the top of the range; two to three weeks of lead time with a three-day pickup window brings it down.
November through February is the cheapest stretch. Trucks run the lane in both directions all year and have space in winter. The weather variable is hurricane season, August through October: a storm in the Gulf or on the Florida coast can hold a pickup or delivery by a day or two while roads reopen, and carriers never drive into one. There is no charge for a weather hold.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas to Miami | 1,354 mi | $1,050 – $1,525 | $1,500 – $2,250 | 3–5 days |
| Dallas to Orlando | 1,173 mi | $925 – $1,325 | $1,325 – $1,925 | 3–5 days |
| Dallas to Tampa | 1,118 mi | $875 – $1,275 | $1,250 – $1,850 | 3–5 days |
| Dallas to Fort Lauderdale | 1,343 mi | $1,050 – $1,500 | $1,500 – $2,225 | 3–5 days |
| Dallas to Jacksonville | 1,106 mi | $850 – $1,250 | $1,250 – $1,825 | 3–5 days |
| Dallas to Naples | 1,234 mi | $975 – $1,400 | $1,400 – $2,025 | 3–5 days |
| Houston to Miami | 1,180 mi | $925 – $1,325 | $1,325 – $1,950 | 3–5 days |
| Austin to Miami | 1,358 mi | $1,075 – $1,525 | $1,525 – $2,250 | 3–5 days |
| San Antonio to Miami | 1,400 mi | $1,075 – $1,600 | $1,575 – $2,300 | 4–6 days |
| Fort Worth to Miami | 1,389 mi | $1,075 – $1,575 | $1,550 – $2,300 | 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%.
Houston's suburbs, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, The Woodlands, Cypress and Clear Lake, are direct to the door. Inside the 610 loop, Montrose, the Heights, River Oaks and downtown, the driver names a lot near a freeway. Dallas–Fort Worth is the same pattern: Plano, Frisco, Allen, Arlington, Southlake and Irving to the door; Uptown, Highland Park's narrower streets and Deep Ellum by meeting point. Austin's Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and the south suburbs are simple; downtown, Hyde Park and the west hills are not. San Antonio's north side and Stone Oak take a truck at the door. Bush Intercontinental, DFW and Austin-Bergstrom hotel lots are common handovers for anyone flying the same day. El Paso is a long way west and priced separately; ask your specialist.
In Florida, Orlando's suburbs and the Tampa Bay area take a truck at the door outside the gated developments, and the driver meets you at the gate where trucks are restricted. Jacksonville, the Space Coast and Daytona are direct. Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches are largely condo towers and gated communities; the driver arranges a lot near I-95 or meets you at the building's loading area if the manager allows. Deliveries near the ports are scheduled early to beat traffic.
A key and a photo ID at pickup are all the driver needs. The Texas title stays with you, a financed or leased car needs no lender approval within the country, and Florida registration is your errand after delivery. If the car is coming from a dealer in Houston or an auction lot in Dallas, tell your specialist and the pickup will be timed to the seller.
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
Year-round relocation demand from California and the Northeast, with fast pickup in the Triangle metros.
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$850–$1,250 for a running sedan on an open carrier and $1,250–$1,800 enclosed. Houston to Orlando or Tampa is the low end; Dallas and Austin to Miami the high end. SUVs and pickups add 12–20%.
Three to five days on the truck. Houston cars are usually across the Florida line on day two and delivered on the Gulf Coast or in Orlando on day two or three; Miami is a day later.
I-10 east through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to the Florida Panhandle, then I-75 south from the Big Bend or I-10 to Jacksonville and I-95 down the Atlantic coast, depending on the destination.
November through February. June through August is peak, with family moves and summer relocations, and prices sit at the top of the range.
It can, from August through October. Carriers pause in a storm's path and resume when roads reopen, usually within a day or two, at no charge. Your specialist reschedules around it.
In the suburbs, yes, to the door. Inside the loops, Montrose, the Heights, downtown Austin and Uptown Dallas, the driver names a lot on a main road. It does not change the price.
Houston to Orlando is about 960 miles, a long day and a half. Fuel, a hotel and meals cost roughly half the shipping price, and you arrive tired. Most families ship and fly, especially with two cars.
Guides
9 min read
Get quotes, pick a carrier, hand over the keys with an inspection report, and receive the car on delivery. The whole process takes 60 seconds to start and 1–10 days to finish, depending on distance.
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 $850–$1,250 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
