Why northbound prices differently than southbound
- October–March: Carriers go southbound loaded, northbound empty. Snowbirds and weather drive demand south. Northbound runs are cheap because carriers need backhauls. Northbound FL → NY can be $200–$400 below the southbound rate in deep winter.
- April–May (snowbird return): Sudden surge of northbound demand. Carriers can fill loads. Rates spike — sometimes briefly above southbound.
- June–August: Northbound demand from summer travelers, kids to summer homes, college relocations. Steady rates.
- September: College move-in lull on the FL side (students leaving northeast colleges). Lowest northbound pricing of the year.
If your move is flexible: mid-September through early November is the cheapest northbound window of the year.
Major reasons people ship Florida → New York
- Snowbird return (April–May, sometimes earlier) — primary driver.
- Summer house occupancy (May–August) — Northeast residents who keep cars in FL for winter.
- College relocation — kids returning to NY-area colleges (NYU, Columbia, Fordham, Cornell, Syracuse, SUNY).
- Permanent relocation back to NY — less common, but happens.
- Selling a FL car and moving the proceeds north — sometimes faster/cheaper.
- Cars wintered in FL by NY corporate offices / property managers.
FL pickup zones
Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, Orlando / Central FL, SW FL (Naples, Marco, Bonita, Fort Myers), Jacksonville. See the southbound city-pair guides for delivery-zone-specific notes — Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Naples. Pickup logistics in FL are the mirror image of delivery logistics in the southbound pages.
NY delivery zones
- Manhattan — meet-point required for most addresses. LIC, Bronx, Westside lots.
- Long Island (Nassau / Suffolk) — driveway delivery typical. Easiest NY delivery zone.
- Brooklyn — mixed. Many blocks need meet-point.
- Queens — easiest NYC borough. Mostly driveway or wide-street delivery.
- Westchester / Hudson Valley — driveway delivery typical.
- Bronx / Staten Island — generally accessible.
- Upstate (Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Ithaca) — add 1 day for Albany/Syracuse, 2 days for Buffalo.
- Hamptons / North Fork — summer surge. Most addresses driveway-accessible.
| Vehicle / service | Off-season Jun–Sep | Shoulder May, Oct–Nov | Peak Dec–Apr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan, open, running | $700–$950 | $850–$1,200 | $900–$1,400 |
| SUV / midsize truck, open | $800–$1,100 | $1,000–$1,300 | $1,100–$1,550 |
| Full-size pickup, open | $950–$1,250 | $1,150–$1,500 | $1,300–$1,750 |
| Enclosed transport | $1,800–$2,400 | $2,000–$2,600 | $2,200–$2,800 |
Northbound carriers in October are significantly cheaper than southbound. Anyone quoting flat is taking margin instead of passing the discount.
Estimates only. Final price depends on vehicle, season, pickup/delivery accessibility, and current carrier supply on the lane.
Personal items: Most carriers allow up to ~100 lbs of personal items in the trunk at the driver's discretion. Items inside the vehicle are NOT covered by the carrier's cargo insurance — only the vehicle itself is. Don't ship anything you can't replace.