Car shipping from Syracuse to Florida
This is the run we are known for. Every week, both ways, in our own trucks - Syracuse and the rest of Upstate New York down to Florida in the fall, and back north in the spring. We have been doing it for twenty-four years.
When we run
This run is our own trucks and our own drivers - not a load handed off to whoever bids lowest after you book. The schedule below is our equipment, and it repeats every week of the year.
Syracuse to Florida
Pick up Thursday and Friday
Your car is usually delivered the following Tuesday, and sometimes Monday through Wednesday depending on where in Florida you are going.
Florida back to Syracuse
Pick up Tuesday and Wednesday
Delivery is usually that Friday or the following Monday. Florida pickups stay on those two days - that is when the truck is down there.
Picking up somewhere else in the Northeast rather than Syracuse itself? We can usually arrange any weekday, Monday through Friday, and bring it onto the same southbound run.
How long it takes
Most trips take three to five days on the road. The dates above are how the run normally goes rather than a promise - weather, traffic and the hours rules drivers have to follow can move a delivery by a day either way. If that happens you will hear it from us, not find out by waiting.
What it costs
We do not publish a flat rate, because an honest one does not exist - the price depends on the car and the week. What we do instead is give you a flat quote up front, usually the same day you ask, and then that is the price. No haggling, and it does not move later.
Five things change the number:
| What | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where exactly in Florida | Jacksonville is a shorter run than Miami or Key West, and some places are easier for a full-size carrier to reach than others |
| The size of the vehicle | A pickup or a three-row SUV takes the space of more than one sedan on the trailer |
| Whether it runs | A car that does not start has to be winched on, which takes longer and needs the right spot on the deck |
| Time of year | This lane has a season. Southbound fills up in the autumn and northbound in the spring, and booking early on those is worth real money |
| Door to door, or terminal | Meeting us at a terminal takes $50 off - see below |
- 7230 Schuyler Rd, East Syracuse, NY 13057
- 930 NY 104, Ontario, NY 14519 - Monday to Thursday only, no Fridays
Door to door, and what that really means
We come as close to your door as we safely can. A car carrier is around eighty feet long, so some streets simply are not possible - a cul-de-sac, a low branch, a tight condo entrance. When that happens we will ask you to meet us somewhere nearby that works, usually a plaza or a wide shoulder a few minutes away. If you have no ride back, the driver can run you home in your own car, though that short trip is not covered by our insurance.
What we can carry
- Cars, trucks and SUVs, on open carriers that take up to nine at a time
- Vehicles that do not run. Tell us when you ask for the quote so we put you in a spot with winch access
- More than one car on the same booking - snowbird couples do this most weeks
- Dealer and auction vehicles, dealer to dealer
Before we pick up
- Keep the fuel at a quarter tank or less. It keeps the load legal at the weigh stations and stops us losing a day
- Take the E-ZPass off the windshield. It will scan on the road and bill you if you leave it on
- Take off anything not factory - tire covers, spoilers, roof boxes. Loose parts can move at speed and are not covered
- Empty the car if you can. By law we carry vehicles, not freight. If you do leave a few things: nothing in the front seats or under them, keep the back seat load below the window line, no plants, and nothing time-sensitive like medication in case a day slips
How it works, start to finish
- Ask for a quote. Pickup city, delivery city, and what the vehicle is. Two minutes, no account needed
- We price it and send it back, usually the same day
- Accept it online. That books the car and opens your portal, where you pick the pickup date you want
- About a week before, we call to reconfirm the day and the details
- The driver calls ahead on the day, and again before delivery
- Pay online by card, or pay the driver by cash, check, Zelle or Venmo (Venmo adds 3%)
Questions we get about this run
Can I book a one-way trip south and come back in the spring?
Yes, and most of our snowbird customers do exactly that. They are two separate bookings so you are not committed to a return date in October, and you get the same crew both ways.
How far in advance should I book?
For an ordinary week, a week or two is plenty. For the seasonal rush - southbound in the autumn, northbound in the spring - book as early as you can. Those runs fill, and the price is better when they are not full.
Can someone else hand over or receive the car?
Yes. Just tell us who, and give them your phone number. They will need to walk round the car with the driver and sign the report at both ends, so pick someone who will actually look at it. If you are not there for delivery, paying online ahead of time keeps it simple.
Is my car covered on the way down?
It is covered by carrier insurance while it is on the truck. Check it over at delivery and note anything on the report before you sign - that report is what a claim rests on. We do not cover normal wear, anything already wrong mechanically, items left inside, or damage under $250.
What if my plans change?
Cancel or move it, no fee either way. We only ask for as much notice as you can give us, so we can put the space to use.
Do you go anywhere in Florida, or just the big cities?
The truck runs the length of the state. Tell us the delivery address when you ask for the quote and we will tell you straight whether we can get to the door or whether we should meet nearby.
Ready when you are
Tell us where the car is starting, where it needs to be, and what it is. We will send a flat price back, usually the same day.
Empire Auto Transportation Group INC · 3546 Walters Rd, Syracuse, NY 13209 ·
(315) 488-2523 ·
dispatch@empirets.com
Dates on this page are how the run normally goes, not a guarantee - weather and road
rules move things by a day now and then. The full terms are on the
terms page.