Washington to Florida car shipping cost runs $1,775 to $2,300 for an operable mid-size vehicle on an open trailer, based on our own recent shipments as of September 2026. Jacksonville and Tampa sit at the low end. Miami and Fort Lauderdale sit at the top, because the peninsula adds another day past Orlando.

Seven to ten days in transit once the car is collected. Spokane to Jacksonville can land at seven, Orlando at eight, Miami and Fort Lauderdale at nine or ten. Pickup happens inside a window that starts on the date you ask for: six days on Standard, three days on Expedited.

Florida is 400 miles long and Miami is at the far end of it. A truck that has already crossed the country still has most of a day of driving after it reaches Jacksonville, and that day is what the difference pays for. Most of the homeward carrier traffic is headed for the central part of the state, which is why Orlando and Tampa price below the southern coast.

For Lakewood to Orlando, yes. Lakewood is one of our four staffed offices and Kissimmee is another, so that pairing runs between two Smart Auto Move locations. Every other city pair on this lane is ordinary door to door collection and delivery.

Less than you would think. Florida has one of the largest concentrations of carrier companies in the country, and its growth has made it one of the busiest destinations anywhere. Those drivers work loads across the whole country and then head home, so a car going south is often riding with someone who was making that trip regardless. Southbound into Florida books more easily than northbound out of it.

Open for anything you drive daily. Plan on about 80 percent more for enclosed. A $1,900 open move is roughly $3,400 enclosed. An open trailer holds ten cars where an enclosed one holds two to six, so each car carries more of the cost. Enclosed earns its keep on a classic, an exotic, or fresh paintwork.

Your vehicle travels under Carrier Cargo Insurance from the moment it loads in Washington until it comes off in Florida. The coverage belongs to the carrier rather than to Smart Auto Move. Once your order is assigned to a truck, the certificate is on file and we can send it to you right away. It covers the car, not what is inside it.

Usually yes, within reason. Most drivers will take a few things as a courtesy. Keep it under about 100 pounds, pack it neatly, and keep it out of sight from outside the car. Think a few boxes in the trunk rather than a carload. The one thing to know is that you are paying to move the vehicle, so the carrier's insurance covers the car itself. Keep anything you would hate to lose with you.

Wash it, take dated photos of all four corners, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, and switch off the alarm and toll tag. A quarter tank is the standard request across the industry. On a run this long the condition report written at collection is the only thing you have to compare against on arrival, so a clean car photographed properly is ten minutes well spent.

Southbound fills up from October through December as the snowbird traffic heads down, and northbound fills from March through May as it comes back. Book three to four weeks ahead in those windows. Summer is easier southbound, though hurricane season from August to October can hold up a delivery on the coast.

Yes, as long as it rolls, brakes and steers, and the trailer carries a winch. Tell us when you ask for the quote so we can match the right equipment. There is no flat fee for this. It typically runs $200 or more above the price of shipping the same car running, and the exact figure is worth a quick conversation.

A deposit is due when you book and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery, usually by cashier's check, money order or cash. You can also put the whole amount on a credit card at booking. Cancel any time before we assign a carrier and your deposit comes back to you. After that it carries over to a later shipment instead.

Watch for the quote that sits far below the rest. If four companies say $1,900 to $2,100 and the fifth says $1,200, ask that company whether it is a confirmed rate or a mistake. If they say confirmed, search their name for bait and switch complaints before you book. Cross-country lanes are where the gap between a quoted price and a price a carrier will actually accept shows up worst.

We give you GPS tracking when the carrier and truck support it, the driver's phone number so you can call or text for an update, and email updates along the way. Be careful with companies that promise live tracking on every shipment. No one booking your shipment controls whether a carrier runs tracking, and plenty of trucks are not equipped for it.