Every fall it starts the same way. The first cold morning hits New England, the calendar fills up with flights to Florida, and the car becomes the last thing on the list without a plan. If you are a snowbird, you know the drive. You also know you would rather not do it twice a year.
Lopes Express Shipping runs the Florida to New England road in both directions, all season, and in the fall our trucks run south. This guide is what we tell customers on the phone in October and November: when to call, how to get the car ready, what actually happens at pickup and delivery, and why the spring trip belongs on the same call.
Where the season stands in late October
Southbound peaks in October and November. Almost everyone with a place in Florida wants the car there before Thanksgiving, and they all want it in the same few weeks. Trucks are finite and each deck holds what it holds, so in peak weeks the trucks on this road run full, ours included.
That does not mean you are too late. It means the earlier you call, the more weeks you have to choose from. We are not going to tell you there are three spots left, because we would be making that up. Call us and we will tell you what the actual week looks like.
Holding a spot costs you nothing. There is no deposit and no card is charged when you book. Payment is due when the car is delivered.
Shipping or driving: the honest math
Pompano Beach to Boston is 1,458 miles. That is two long days behind the wheel if you push, three if you stop when it makes sense to stop, at least one hotel night you did not plan for, and almost 1,500 miles added to a car you intend to keep. Then you do it all again in April, in the other direction.
When the car rides on a truck, you take one flight on a date you picked and the car meets you in Florida. We wrote more about that trade in driving vs. shipping on the East Coast, and our snowbird page lays out the whole season.
A four week plan for the trip south
Three to four weeks out: call and get your price
Have the year, make and model ready, plus both addresses and the week you want the car in Florida. Your price depends on the miles, the vehicle and the season, and a pickup or a large SUV takes more room on the deck than a sedan, so it costs more. The number we give you is the number written on the Bill of Lading. You can also start with our quote form and our office will follow up.
Two weeks out: settle the pickup spot and who meets the driver
We pick up and deliver door to door wherever a full-size car hauler can legally and safely get in. A loaded car carrier is long, so a narrow street, low branches or a gated community with truck rules can mean meeting at a nearby plaza lot or a wide side street instead. We agree on that spot with you ahead of time, not while the truck is idling in front of your house.
Decide now who will be at each end. If you leave New England before the truck arrives, someone you trust hands over the car and signs at pickup. If the car reaches Florida before you do, someone you trust there can inspect it, sign the Bill of Lading and pay on your behalf.
The week of pickup: get the car ready
- About a quarter tank of fuel. Enough to drive onto the deck and off again at the other end. Anything more is weight on a loaded truck.
- Take the toll transponder off the windshield. An E-ZPass or SunPass riding uncovered down the corridor can read at gantries and bill you for a trip you were not driving.
- Empty the car. We carry motor vehicles and nothing else. The golf clubs, the beach chairs, the boxes and the garage door opener travel with you, not in the car.
- Wash it and look it over. A clean car makes the walk around at pickup honest. Take your own photos if you want them.
- Battery, tires, no leaks. The car has to start, steer and brake, because it is driven up the ramp under its own power.
- Alarm off, one key. Hand the driver the key that starts the car and keep your spare with you.
Pickup day
The driver calls before pickup. You walk around the car together, existing scratches, dents and chips go on the digital Bill of Lading, you both sign it and you keep a copy. Then the wheels are strapped down and you can go back inside.
Delivery day
The driver calls ahead as the truck gets close. You walk the car again against that same Bill of Lading, you both sign it a second time, and payment is due then. That is the entire billing arrangement.
Book the spring trip on the same call
Northbound peaks in April and May, for the same reason southbound peaks now. With our Round Trip Reservation you book both legs on one call: fall pickup in New England, spring pickup in Florida, both addresses and both target weeks taken while we have you on the phone.
Booking both directions does not mean paying for both now. Each leg is paid when that leg is delivered, and there is no deposit either way. If you have shipped with us before, ask about the returning customer discount on our discounts page.
Why the truck matters most in peak season
Many of the companies you find online when you search for car shipping are brokers. A broker takes your booking, posts your car on a load board and waits for a carrier to accept the price. In October and November, when the trucks on this road are running full, that wait is where cars sit.
We own the trucks that run Florida to New England, and the drivers in them work for us. When we put your pickup on the schedule, we are writing it on our own schedule. That is also why a round trip booking means something coming from a carrier: in April, the same operation brings the car back north. Lopes Express Shipping Inc. is a licensed and insured motor carrier, USDOT 3013626, MC-30467.
The one thing nobody on this road can promise
An exact date. Weather, traffic on I-95 and the other stops on the run all move the clock. What we give you is a realistic window, a driver who calls before pickup and before delivery, and a call from our office first if the window moves.
Ready to plan the trip south? Call or text (941) 205-0012, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET, or get a quote online.