Snowbird
Snowbird Auto Transport Services
South for the winter, home for the summer.
Your car arrives days after you do, both directions, every season. One driver, door to door. Based in Austin, TX, door-to-door, nationwide.
What Is Snowbird Auto Transport?
The car moves south in the fall and north in the spring, timed to your own travel.
Snowbird auto transport moves your car between your summer and winter homes on a seasonal schedule: south in the fall, roughly October through December, toward Florida, Arizona, Texas, and the Gulf Coast, then north again in the spring, roughly March through May, back to the Midwest, Northeast, and mountain states. You fly on your own dates, and the car travels on a carrier timed to arrive within days of you. Service is door to door at both houses: one driveway to the other, no terminals in between.
The alternative is driving it yourself, and for many seasonal residents that is a 1,300-mile trip each way, twice a year. That means two days on the road in each direction, fuel and hotel stops, thousands of miles of added wear, and long highway hours through whatever weather the season brings. Shipping the car removes all of it. You take a short flight on your own schedule, and the vehicle covers the distance on a trailer instead of its own tires.
Many of our snowbird car shipping customers move the same car twice a year, and we set the service up accordingly. Your route, vehicle details, and preferences stay on file, so the second booking is usually a text message confirming dates. One driver handles the car end to end, with photographs at pickup and delivery and a Bill of Lading signed at both houses. Open transport is the usual choice for seasonal car transport; enclosed is available for collector and high-value cars.
Who Snowbird Car Shipping Is For
For households that split the year between two homes.
Snowbird vehicle transport serves people who keep a life at each end of a seasonal move and want their own car in the driveway at both.
Winter residents heading south
- Florida, both coasts and inland
- Arizona (Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale)
- Texas and the Gulf Coast
Summer returns north
- Midwest and Great Lakes states
- Northeast and New England
- Mountain states
Retirees & second-home owners
- Retirees who split the year between homes
- Second-home and vacation-property owners
- Repeat customers shipping the same car each season
Collector & low-mileage cars
- Classic and collector cars kept off salted roads
- Low-mileage vehicles spared the highway miles
- Enclosed transport for high-value cars
If this describes your vehicle, send us the route. Estimates are free and take about a minute.
How Our Snowbird Auto Transport Works
01
Tell us about the car
Origin ZIP, destination ZIP, year/make/model, and when you can ship. The estimate comes back by text, usually within minutes.
02
Lock in the rate and date
We confirm a price, schedule a pickup window, and dispatch a carrier we've worked with. You get the driver's name and MC number before they leave.
03
Pickup
The driver arrives at whichever house the car is leaving from, walks the vehicle, photographs every panel, and signs the Bill of Lading before loading. If you have already traveled, a neighbor, family member, or property manager can hand over the keys.
04
Delivery
You receive updates en route. The vehicle is photographed again at drop-off, and you inspect and sign the Bill of Lading to close out the shipment.
Snowbird Car Shipping Cost
What seasonal lanes run, and why direction and timing move the number.
Snowbird pricing is directional. Southbound capacity tightens in the fall as seasonal volume heads south, northbound tightens in the spring, and rates follow the direction and the week. Booking 2–4 weeks ahead of your travel dates gets better carrier selection than a last-minute call.
- DIRECTION & SEASON
- A car heading south in November moves in the crowded direction; the same lane northbound that week is quiet. Rates firm up with peak-direction demand, so the same route prices differently in October and in April.
- DISTANCE
- Per-mile rates fall as the trip gets longer. Whether the run is Northeast to Florida or Midwest to Arizona, transit takes about one day per 400–500 miles once the car is loaded.
- VEHICLE & SERVICE LEVEL
- Larger vehicles cost more to move than sedans. Open is the standard choice for a seasonal daily driver; enclosed suits collector and high-value cars and runs 40–80% above open.
- Typical seasonal lane (Midwest or Northeast to FL/AZ)
- $700–$1,100
- Enclosed transport (collector and high-value cars)
- 40–80% above open
Send the route and the vehicle. We'll text your snowbird estimate within minutes.
Why Choose Nick's Auto Transport for Snowbird Auto Transport?
Most auto transport is booked once. A snowbird move repeats every fall and spring, and the service is built around that.
Timed to your travel
We schedule pickup around your departure and aim delivery at your arrival, so the car reaches the second house within days of you in either direction.
Your route stays on file
Ship with us once and the route, vehicle, and your preferences stay on record. The spring return is usually booked with a text message confirming dates.
Driveway to driveway at both houses
No terminals at either end. The driver loads at one home and delivers to the other, and a neighbor or property manager can meet the truck if you have already flown.
Vetted carriers, documented at both ends
Every shipment goes to a named carrier we have worked with, never to whichever truck bids lowest, with photographs, a Bill of Lading at both houses, and the carrier's certificate of insurance shared before pickup.
What Our Customers Say
Fast and efficient service. Nick was able to find me a driver who took good care of my vehicle, and at a very reasonable price. I highly recommend Nicks Auto Transport, for anyone looking to ship your vehicle!
Nick is deff the guy to talk to when moving exotic cars in the state of Texas! Deal in confidence! 🙏🏻
Nick’s Auto Transport is by far the best! He was so kind and helped us with any questions we had about the process. Our vehicle arrived safely, on time, and exactly as promised. Would definitely recommend!!
Nick was great at getting our vehicle transported, his team was communicating to us the entire transport. From pick up to drop off we had ZERO issues. I would highly recommend him and if I need another vehicle transported I'll use him again. Thanks for your…
Frequently Asked Questions About Snowbird Auto Transport
Still have a question? Text or call 1-866-512-1871.
When should I book snowbird auto transport for the fall or spring?
Book 2–4 weeks before you plan to travel. Southbound capacity tightens from October through December as seasonal volume heads for Florida, Arizona, Texas, and the Gulf Coast, and northbound tightens from March through May. Booking ahead gets better carrier selection than a last-minute call, and it lets us time the pickup to your departure.
Can someone else hand over the car if I've already traveled?
Yes. A neighbor, family member, or property manager can release the car at pickup and accept it at delivery. They walk the vehicle with the driver, sign the Bill of Lading, and hand over the keys. Just tell us who is meeting the driver and we will add their contact details to the order.
How do the shipping dates line up with my flights?
Tell us your travel dates when you book and we schedule around them. The usual pattern is pickup a day or two before you fly, or a neighbor handover after you leave, with delivery at the second house within days of your arrival. Transit runs about one day per 400–500 miles once the car is loaded.
How much does snowbird car shipping cost?
A typical seasonal lane from the Midwest or Northeast to Florida or Arizona runs $700–$1,100 on an open carrier. Direction and timing move the number: southbound rates firm up in the fall, northbound in the spring, and booking 2–4 weeks ahead gets better carrier selection. Enclosed runs 40–80% above open. The price you book is the price you pay, with no cash due at delivery.
Is my car insured during seasonal transport?
Yes. The open carriers we dispatch typically carry about $100,000 in motor-truck cargo coverage, and we share the carrier's certificate of insurance before pickup so you can confirm coverage against your vehicle's value. Your car is photographed at pickup and delivery, with a Bill of Lading signed at both ends, so its condition is documented in both directions.
Why book snowbird transport through Nick's Auto Transport?
You work with one person from estimate to delivery, and the service is built for the repeat. Your route, vehicle, and preferences stay on file, so the spring return is usually a text message. Every shipment goes to a vetted carrier we know by name, never whichever truck bids lowest, and one driver takes the car driveway to driveway, documented at both ends.
Will the price change after I book?
Rarely, and never without your say-so. The price you book is the price you pay, and we hold it. Two things can move a locked price: a change to the shipment itself, such as a new destination or a vehicle that turns out to be non-running, or an unusual market swing on your route, meaning diesel, driver supply, or seasonal demand shifting enough that no carrier will run the lane at the quoted rate. That second one is uncommon. If it happens we call you before anything is charged, and you decide whether to go ahead.
The man behind it all
Hi, I'm Nick.
“Cars have been my obsession for as long as I can remember. I build them, race them, and drive them. That hands-on background means I understand the care every vehicle deserves, whether it's an exotic, a restored classic, or a daily driver.
When you book with Nick's Auto Transport, you're not routed through a call center. You deal with me personally, from the first text to final delivery. I treat every car like my own, and my reputation rides on every shipment.”
Let's move it the way it deserves.
Tell us where the car is and where it's going. We'll text your snowbird estimate within five minutes. Fully insured, door to door.