1-3
DAYS TO PICKUP, NYC METRO
$700-$1,900
OPEN TRANSPORT, BY DESTINATION
I-95 · I-80 · I-87
PRIMARY CARRIER CORRIDORS
Key Takeaways
Typical cost: NYC to Florida runs $900-$1,400 on an open carrier, NYC to the Midwest $700-$1,000, and cross-country to California $1,400-$1,900. Enclosed transport typically adds 40-60 percent.
Transit time: Florida takes 3-5 days, the Midwest 2-4 days, and the West Coast 7-11 days once the vehicle is picked up.
Seasonality: Snowbird demand surges October through December on southbound lanes. Book 2-3 weeks ahead during that window.
Savings tip: Flexible dates and meeting the carrier at a wide street or lot just outside Manhattan can cut $75-$200 off your price.
Process: You get a dedicated coordinator and a vetted, insured carrier. Nothing is due until a driver is assigned, and your vehicle is tracked by GPS throughout.
Popular Car Shipping Routes from New York
New York sits at the top of I-95, the busiest auto transport corridor in the country, so carriers pass through constantly and pickup windows in the NYC metro are short. Upstate origins add 1-2 days because fewer trucks run those lanes. These are the routes we book most often from New York.
- New York to Florida - 1,050-1,400 miles, 3-6 days (see full route guide)
- New York to Texas - 1,600-1,750 miles, 4-6 days
- New York to California - 2,700-3,000 miles, 7-11 days
- New York to Chicago - 800 miles, 2-3 days
- New York to the Carolinas - 500-700 miles, 2-3 days
Shipping a Car Out of New York City
A 75-foot car hauler cannot stop on most Manhattan streets. Drivers stage from wide cross streets, parking lots, or just across the George Washington Bridge or the tunnels in New Jersey, and your coordinator confirms the exact meeting spot before pickup day. It is a routine part of every Manhattan shipment, not a complication.
The outer boroughs and Long Island are more straightforward, with most residential streets accessible to carriers. If you are shipping in January or February, build a day or two of buffer into your plans, since winter storms can slow trucks moving through the Northeast.
Upstate and Western New York
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany are served by carriers running I-90, and pickups there typically take 1-2 days longer than in the NYC metro because fewer trucks cover those lanes. The most popular snowbird routes out of the region are Buffalo to Fort Myers and Rochester to Tampa, both busiest from October through December.
New York Car Shipping FAQs
Most standard sedans and SUVs run $900-$1,400 on an open carrier from the NYC metro to Florida. Enclosed transport typically adds 40-60 percent. During the October through December snowbird surge, southbound prices sit toward the top of that range, so booking 2-3 weeks ahead helps you lock a better rate.
Cross-country runs of 2,700-3,000 miles typically price at $1,400-$1,900 for open transport. That works out to a lower cost per mile than shorter routes because the carrier keeps the vehicle for the full run. Enclosed service typically adds 40-60 percent to the open price.
Pickup in the NYC metro usually happens within 1-3 days of booking, and upstate origins add 1-2 days. Once the car is loaded, count on 2-3 days to Chicago, 3-5 days to Florida, 4-6 days to Texas, and 7-11 days to the West Coast.
January through February and mid-spring are the softest markets, since snowbird demand has passed and carriers have open capacity. The most expensive window is October through December on southbound lanes. Flexible pickup dates can save you $75-$200 in any season.
Not on most streets. A 75-foot rig cannot legally or physically stop on narrow Manhattan blocks, so drivers stage from wide cross streets, parking lots, or just across the George Washington Bridge or the tunnels. Your coordinator confirms the exact meeting spot with you and the driver before pickup day.
Yes. Carriers run New York lanes all winter, and the I-95 corridor stays active year-round. January and February storms can add a day or two to pickup or transit, so build a small buffer into your plans if your dates are tight.
Open transport is the right choice for most vehicles and prices at $700-$1,900 from New York depending on destination. Enclosed typically adds 40-60 percent and makes sense for classics, exotics, and low-clearance cars, and some owners choose it in winter to keep road salt off the vehicle.
Most carriers allow up to 100 lbs of personal items in the trunk or below the window line. Anything more can trigger extra charges or a refused pickup, and personal items are not covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance, so keep valuables out of the vehicle.
Yes. Every carrier we assign holds active cargo insurance, with coverage up to $2M available for high-value vehicles, and we can send you the certificate of insurance on request before pickup. Nothing is due until a driver is assigned to your shipment.
