Seasonal shipping
Ship your car between your northern home and your winter address
Every fall and spring, a wave of vehicles moves between northern states and warm-weather addresses in Florida, Arizona and other snowbird destinations. Velocity Auto Transport, based in Orlando, arranges this seasonal shipping for owners who would rather fly than make the long drive twice a year, coordinating pickup and delivery around the dates that matter to your travel plans.
Written quotes for your actual route — no deposit before a carrier is assigned.
Who relies on seasonal snowbird shipping
This service fits retirees and part-year residents who split time between a northern home and a winter property, as well as anyone who simply prefers not to drive a long interstate route twice annually. It is common for one or even two vehicles per household to move on the same seasonal schedule, often timed around specific flight dates.
How the seasonal booking process works
Because snowbird season creates a predictable surge — heavy southbound demand in fall, heavy northbound demand in spring — booking earlier in that window generally gives a carrier more flexibility to work around your dates. You provide your target pickup window and both addresses, and we work to match a carrier whose route timing lines up with your travel plans.
What we need for an accurate quote
Share both the departure and arrival addresses, your ideal date range rather than a single fixed day, and the vehicle's year, make and model. If you have some flexibility on pickup or delivery day, mention it — flexibility during peak season often makes it easier to slot your vehicle onto a carrier's existing route.
Planning around peak season
The weeks immediately before major snowbird migration dates are the busiest for carriers serving Florida, Arizona and similar corridors. Booking a couple of weeks ahead of your intended travel, rather than the week you plan to fly, generally leaves more room for carrier scheduling and reduces the chance of a delayed pickup window.
Vehicle preparation for seasonal shipping
Treat a seasonal shipment like any other: clean the vehicle enough to spot existing marks at inspection, remove toll transponders that could rack up charges in transit, secure or remove loose items, and leave roughly a quarter tank of fuel. If the vehicle will sit for months at either address afterward, consider what that means for the battery and tire pressure separately from the shipment itself.
What affects timing during snowbird season
Carrier availability during peak weeks is driven by how many other seasonal shipments are competing for the same corridor, plus normal factors like your exact route and vehicle type. Shoulder weeks just before or after the heaviest migration dates often see comparatively better availability.
The brokerage's role in your seasonal move
As a broker, Velocity's job is to line up a qualified carrier whose route and schedule fit your seasonal window, and to stay your point of contact if plans shift. The carrier that is ultimately assigned handles the physical pickup, transport and delivery of the vehicle.
Inspection and delivery for round-trip customers
If you ship the same vehicle south and north every year, keep a simple record of its condition each trip — photos are enough. At both pickup and delivery, walk around the vehicle with the driver before signing the bill of lading so any concerns are noted while the vehicle is still in front of you.
Related reading: how auto transport works, car shipping costs and the FAQ.
Velocity Auto Transport Group LLC is an auto transport brokerage. We arrange vehicle transportation through qualified motor carriers and coordinate your shipment from quote to delivery — the carrier assigned to your vehicle operates the truck.
Plan around this
What affects your shipment
- Book ahead of peak weeks: Reserve transport before the busiest fall and spring travel windows rather than during them.
- Date flexibility helps: A date range instead of one fixed day makes it easier for carriers to fit your vehicle onto an existing route.
- Remove toll transponders: Take out or shield toll tags so they don't register charges while the vehicle is in transit.
- Long-term parking prep: If the vehicle will sit unused at either end for months, consider separate steps like battery maintenance beyond the shipment itself.
Questions
Snowbird Car Shipping questions
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Tell us the route, the vehicle and its condition. We review current carrier-market conditions for that lane and come back with a quote we can actually stand behind.