Bringing a car home from Florida to Michigan has an estimated price of $920–$1,065 on an open carrier, depending on the vehicle. Enclosed adds $450 per vehicle.
Expect roughly 1,100 to 1,350 miles of road. Most trips of this length take about 2–4 days on the road once the car is picked up; your dispatcher gives you an honest pickup window.
The spring trip north
For most snowbirds this is the second half of the season. The trip south happened in the fall; now, somewhere between March and May, the car has to get back to Michigan while you close up the Florida place and fly home.
That return trip is its own booking with its own price. A price you got in October doesn’t carry over — the carrier market in spring is a different one. The upside: when you sign, Price Lock holds your new price. If the carrier’s rate goes up before pickup, we cover up to $200 per vehicle.
How far the return trip is
Distances by city:
- Orlando to Detroit — about 1,120 miles
- Tampa to Detroit — about 1,160 miles
- Fort Myers to Grand Rapids — about 1,345 miles
The farther south you start and the farther west in Michigan you finish, the higher the estimate. Enclosed adds $450 per vehicle. Your own two ZIP codes give you a real number in the calculator.
Plan the pickup around your flight
The usual snowbird question is order: does the car leave before you do, or after? A few things make it easier:
- Book once your flight is booked. A quote is held for 7 days, so get it when your dates are firm, then sign to lock it.
- Want the truck on the day you hand over the keys? A Fixed pickup day costs $200: pickup on the date you choose, anytime that day, or your $200 comes back. The date has to be at least 5 days out.
- Leaving before the car? Name an adult — a neighbor, a friend in the community — to hand it to the driver. You’ll get the driver’s name and phone once the car is picked up.
- Someone at home in Michigan should be ready to receive it, check it with the driver and sign the Bill of Lading.
More on seasonal moves on our snowbirds page.
Picking up from a Florida condo or community
Many winter homes are in condos, gated communities or neighborhoods where a full-size car carrier can’t turn around. If the truck can’t safely reach your address, the carrier may meet you at a nearby safe location. Tell us gate codes and access rules — guard check-ins, narrow streets, hours — when you book, and we pass them to the carrier.
The road home
The drive north usually runs up I-75: through Ocala and Gainesville, into Georgia past Atlanta, then Chattanooga, Knoxville, Lexington, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo, and into metro Detroit. From Orlando and the east coast, Florida’s Turnpike links to I-75 at Wildwood.
Spring in Michigan isn’t always spring. A late snowfall in March or April can still slow the last stretch of the trip, especially up north. Call or email us any time for an update.
Getting the car ready after a Florida winter
- Make sure it starts and drives. If it doesn’t run, it can still ship — the carrier pulls it on with a winch, it needs to roll, steer and brake, and it’s +$150 per vehicle.
- Take the toll transponder (SunPass or similar) out of the car before pickup, so it doesn’t pick up tolls on the way north.
- Personal items: up to 100 lbs, in the trunk or below the window line; more only if your dispatcher confirms it in writing with the carrier (it may cost extra). They’re always at your own risk.
- Before the driver leaves, walk around the car together and record its condition on the Bill of Lading. Take photos.
Open or enclosed going north
Open is the standard choice, and a spring trip north is easy on a car. If you keep a convertible, a classic or a weekend car in Florida, enclosed transport shields it from weather and road debris for +$450 per vehicle. See open transport for how the standard trip works.
Either way the car is covered by the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance — at least $100,000. If it’s worth more, tell us before booking.
A carrier you can check
We’re a licensed broker, not a trucking company: we arrange the carrier and verify them on every load — SMS to their FMCSA phone, insurance from the agent, the driver’s location at pickup, and a VIN-plate check against the carrier’s insured vehicles. See how our verification works.
How you pay
You don’t pay to get a quote or to book. Once a carrier is assigned, a $150 deposit goes on your card — it’s part of your total. The rest is due at pickup on the same card, or paid to the driver at delivery in Michigan (cash, Zelle, Venmo or cashier’s check) if you choose pay on delivery.
Get your price for the trip home.