Yes, there’s a better way to get your car south for the winter than putting it on a truck. Every fall, millions of snowbirds ask the same question: what’s the best way to get my car to Florida, Arizona or Texas for the winter?
Most people type “snowbird car shipping” into Google and get a page full of auto transport brokers. Those companies put your car on a trailer with 8 or 9 other cars. That’s one way to do it. But there’s a car shipping alternative many snowbirds don’t know about: hiring a professional driver to drive your car for you.
Here’s how the two compare, so you can pick the right car transport for your seasonal move.
Option 1: Snowbird Car Shipping (Truck and Trailer)
This is what most “auto transport” companies sell. Here’s how it usually works:
- You book with a broker, who posts your car to a load board.
- A carrier you’ve never met accepts the job, if the price is right for them.
- Your car rides on an open or enclosed trailer with other vehicles.
- You get a pickup window (often several days), not a set pickup time.
- The truck makes stops for every other car on board, so delivery takes longer.
- Most carriers limit what you can leave inside the car.
During peak snowbird season (October–November heading south, March–April heading north), demand spikes. That’s when snowbirds most often run into missed pickups and last-minute price changes.
Option 2: The Snowbird Car Shipping Alternative — Hire a Professional Driver
With a driveaway service, one professional driver drives your car, door to door. No truck, no trailer, no terminal, no other cars.
With Professional Drivers, here’s what that looks like:
- No brokers, no subcontractors. You deal with us directly, start to finish.
- One vetted driver per car. Every driver is background checked and drug screened.
- You know who’s driving. You get your driver’s name and cell number before the trip.
- Fast pickup. Pickup is often the next day, usually within 36 hours.
- Pack your car. There’s no extra charge for luggage packed in your vehicle.
- Bring your pet. Your dog or cat can ride along with the driver in your own car.
- Ride along if you want. Some snowbirds ride with us instead of driving 1,200 miles themselves.
- Door to door. Picked up from your home up north, delivered to your winter home.
Side-by-Side: Car Shipping vs. a Professional Driver
| Car Shipping (Trailer) | Professional Driver | |
|---|---|---|
| Who moves your car | A carrier the broker finds | One vetted, drug-screened driver |
| Brokers involved | Usually | Never |
| Pickup | Multi-day window | Often next day, usually within 36 hours |
| Other cars on the load | Yes, often 8–9 | No, just yours |
| Luggage in the car | Often limited | Yes, no extra charge |
| Pets | No | Yes, they ride along |
| You know your driver | Rarely | Yes, name and cell before the trip |
| Ride-along option | No | Yes |
Which Is Best for Snowbirds?
Car shipping can make sense if you have a standard car, flexible dates, and nothing to pack inside it.
A professional driver is the better fit if:
- You drive a luxury car or SUV and don’t want it on an open trailer next to strangers’ cars
- You want to pack the car with clothes, golf clubs and everything you need for the season
- You’re traveling with a dog or cat
- You want a firm pickup, not a “sometime this week” window
- You want to know exactly who has your car
- You’d rather fly and have your car waiting at your winter home when you land
5 Questions to Ask Any Snowbird Car Transport Company
Whoever you call, ask these before you book:
- Are you a broker or do you move the car yourselves? If it’s a broker, ask who the carrier will be.
- Will I get a set pickup day, or a window?
- Can I pack belongings in the car? Is there a fee or weight limit?
- Will I know who’s driving or hauling my car, and how can I reach them?
- Can you handle my return trip in the spring too?
Book Early for Snowbird Season
Snowbird season fills up fast. If you’re heading south this fall, book a few weeks ahead. And if you’ll be coming back in the spring, set up your return trip early too.
Why Snowbirds Choose Professional Drivers
For more than 40 years, Professional Drivers has helped over 20,000 customers move their cars, with millions of accident-free miles. Our drivers are vetted, drug screened, men and women, many of them retired professionals themselves. We drive your car. We don’t put it on a truck.
Ready to book your car south for the winter? Call (214) 444-7544 or get a free quote.
Related: Heading to Florida? Read Can I Hire Someone to Drive My Car to Florida? Wintering in Texas? See Can I Hire Someone to Drive My Car to Texas for the Winter? Traveling by RV? Read Can I Hire Someone to Drive My RV South for the Winter?
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your car and what you’re bringing. Trailer shipping works for standard cars with flexible dates. If you want one vetted driver, a firm pickup, no brokers, and room for luggage or a pet, a professional driver service like Professional Drivers is the better fit.
Hiring a professional driver. Instead of putting your car on a trailer, one vetted, drug-screened driver drives it door to door to your winter home, with your luggage and even your pet inside.
For many snowbirds, yes. A driver takes your car door to door with no other vehicles, no terminal stops, and no broker in the middle. You can pack the car and your pet can ride along.
Yes. Professional Drivers doesn’t charge extra for luggage packed in your vehicle.
Yes. Your pet can ride with the driver in your own car.
Pickup is often the next day, usually within 36 hours.
No. Professional Drivers handles your trip directly with our own vetted drivers.
Yes. We handle return trips too. Book early, since spring dates fill up.
Every trip is different, depending on distance, vehicle, and whether a pet or ride-along is included. Call (214) 444-7544 or request a free quote at professionaldrivers.com.
