Car transport from Indiana to Florida has an estimated price of about $670 for a sedan on an open carrier. Larger vehicles cost more, and enclosed adds $450 per vehicle.
The trip runs about 960 to 1,100 miles, from Indianapolis to Central Florida up to Fort Wayne to Tampa. 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.
A Fort Wayne company on an Indiana lane
ShiftHaul’s office is in Fort Wayne, at 2720 Culbertson St. We’re a licensed broker, not a trucking company — we arrange a carrier to pick up at your address anywhere in Indiana and deliver to your address in Florida. If you’d rather talk it through, call (260) 800-6747.
Cost to ship a car from Indiana to Florida
Estimated prices, sedan on an open carrier:
- Indianapolis to Orlando — about 960 miles, estimated $680
- Indianapolis to Tampa — about 985 miles, estimated $695
- Fort Wayne to Tampa — about 1,075 miles, estimated $770
Northern Indiana — Fort Wayne, South Bend, Elkhart, the Region around Gary and Merrillville — starts farther from Florida than Indianapolis or Evansville, so the estimate is higher. Enclosed adds $450 per vehicle; a car that doesn’t run adds $150.
Your price is built from what carriers are actually paid on your route. Put your two ZIP codes into the calculator for your number.
The roads south from Indiana
Indiana sits between two big north–south interstates, and that shapes how a car gets to Florida:
- I-65 runs from Gary through Lafayette and Indianapolis to Louisville, Nashville and Birmingham, ending at Mobile on I-10. For the Florida Panhandle — Pensacola, Destin, Panama City — this is the natural line, with I-10 east across the top of the state.
- I-75 is the road to the peninsula. From Indianapolis, I-74 reaches it at Cincinnati; from Nashville, I-24 meets it at Chattanooga. From there it runs through Atlanta to Ocala, Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers, with Florida’s Turnpike branching off at Wildwood toward Orlando and Miami.
- From Fort Wayne, I-69 heads down to Indianapolis, and US 24 runs east to Toledo and I-75.
The carrier chooses the route, but it helps explain why a Panhandle delivery and a Naples delivery from the same Indiana town can price differently.
Thinking of driving it yourself instead? We compare the costs in ship your car, drive it, or take the Auto Train.
When Hoosier snowbirds book
The southbound rush runs October through December, and prices heading south are often higher then. A few ways to stay ahead of it:
- Quote when your date is set. Prices are held for 7 days. When you sign, Price Lock protects yours — if the carrier’s rate climbs before pickup, we cover up to $200 per vehicle.
- Going around Thanksgiving? The weeks around Thanksgiving and the holidays get busy, so book early.
- A pickup day that can’t move? Add a Fixed pickup day for $200: pickup on the date you choose, anytime that day, or your $200 comes back. The date must be at least 5 days out.
- Short on time? Priority dispatch (+$350) moves your order to the top of our queue with a higher carrier offer. It doesn’t guarantee a pickup date.
More on seasonal moves: snowbirds.
Winter in northern Indiana
Lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan hits the northern tier — LaPorte, South Bend, Elkhart — harder than central and southern Indiana. If your pickup is up there in late fall or winter, plan for a possible weather delay at the start.
On an open carrier the car travels outside and can pick up road salt. Wash it after delivery. If you’d rather it stay shielded from weather and road debris, choose enclosed transport (+$450 per vehicle). Open transport is the standard, and it’s how most cars make this trip.
Insurance on the trip
Your car is covered by the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance — at least $100,000. We get the carrier’s insurance certificate from their agent and confirm the policy is active before pickup. ShiftHaul itself doesn’t insure vehicles. If your car is worth more than $100,000, tell us before booking so we can look for a carrier with higher limits.
Verification on every load
Before your car moves, we verify the carrier: an SMS to their FMCSA phone, insurance straight 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. You get the driver’s name and phone once the car is picked up.
Payment
No payment to get a quote or to book. When a carrier is assigned, we charge a $150 deposit — part of your total. The rest is paid at pickup on the same card, or to the driver in Florida (cash, Zelle, Venmo or cashier’s check) if you pick pay on delivery.
Getting ready
- Up to 100 lbs of personal items, 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 travel at your own risk.
- Can’t be home? Name an adult to hand over the car.
- Do the walk-around with the driver and record the car’s condition on the Bill of Lading.
More on shipping a car in Indiana: Car shipping in Indiana.
Get your price for your Indiana pickup.