State-to-state route
Florida to Texas car shipping
Shipping a sedan on an open carrier from Florida to Texas typically costs $965–$1,200 in October 2026, covering 1,134 miles from Orlando to Dallas in 3 to 5 days once the car is loaded. Houston sits on I-10 and is usually the first Texas stop, while Dallas-Fort Worth cars ride on to the end of the load. Source: HaulFare price model, October 2026 edition.
Updated October 2026
$870–$1,230
Open carrier, sedan, across 12 metro pairs, October 2026
1,134 mi
Orlando to Dallas
1–5 days
pickup window
3–5 days
in transit
How much does it cost to ship a car from Florida to Texas?
1,134 miles hub to hub · October 2026 · estimates for door-to-door service, carrier pay and broker fee included.
| Vehicle | Open carrier | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|
| Sedan | $965–$1,200 | $1,370–$1,700 |
| Small SUV / crossover | $1,040–$1,295 | $1,480–$1,840 |
| Full-size SUV | $1,155–$1,440 | $1,645–$2,045 |
| Pickup truck | $1,175–$1,460 | $1,670–$2,080 |
HaulFare price model 2026.09-seed, October 2026. Ranges, not quotes; the licensed transport partner confirms the actual price.
City pairs on this route
| City pair | Miles | Open carrier | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa → Houston | 933 | $870–$1,080 | $1,230–$1,530 |
| Jacksonville → Houston | 968 | $880–$1,100 | $1,250–$1,555 |
| Orlando → Houston | 1,000 | $895–$1,115 | $1,270–$1,580 |
| Jacksonville → Dallas | 1,070 | $930–$1,160 | $1,325–$1,645 |
| Tampa → Dallas | 1,082 | $940–$1,170 | $1,330–$1,660 |
| Tampa → Austin | 1,104 | $950–$1,180 | $1,350–$1,680 |
| Jacksonville → Austin | 1,131 | $965–$1,200 | $1,370–$1,700 |
| Orlando → Dallas | 1,134 | $965–$1,200 | $1,370–$1,700 |
| Miami → Houston | 1,142 | $970–$1,205 | $1,375–$1,710 |
| Tampa → San Antonio | 1,152 | $970–$1,210 | $1,380–$1,720 |
| Orlando → Austin | 1,170 | $980–$1,220 | $1,395–$1,735 |
| Jacksonville → San Antonio | 1,191 | $990–$1,230 | $1,410–$1,755 |
Sedan, October 2026. Distances are road estimates between city centres.
When is it cheapest to ship a car from Florida to Texas?
Jan
$1,040
Feb
$1,030
Mar
$1,070
Apr
$1,105
May
$1,138
Jun
$1,183
Jul
$1,190
Aug
$1,155
Sep
$1,105
Oct (October 2026)
$1,083
Nov
$1,060
Dec
$1,070
- October 2026
- Yearly average
Show as a table
| Month | Price (midpoint) |
|---|---|
| Jan | $1,040 |
| Feb | $1,030 |
| Mar | $1,070 |
| Apr | $1,105 |
| May | $1,138 |
| Jun | $1,183 |
| Jul | $1,190 |
| Aug | $1,155 |
| Sep | $1,105 |
| Oct | $1,083 |
| Nov | $1,060 |
| Dec | $1,070 |
Sedan, open carrier, midpoint of the range; columns rise above or fall below the lane's yearly average. Includes the national seasonal index and snowbird direction adjustment for this lane.
Route notes
By HaulFare Research Team. Car shipping price research. Updated Oct 1, 2026
The corridor
Nearly every Florida to Texas load leaves the peninsula on I-10. Jacksonville cars get on at the Atlantic end, while Tampa cars head up I-75 and Orlando cars often take Florida’s Turnpike to its Wildwood junction with I-75 before turning west near Lake City.
From Tallahassee the truck crosses the Panhandle, Mobile and the Mississippi coast, then Baton Rouge, the 18-mile Atchafalaya Basin Bridge and Lake Charles before entering Texas at Orange. Houston is the first big drop. Dallas cars either turn north on I-45 at Houston or leave the coast at Lafayette for I-49 and I-20 through Shreveport.
Westbound trailers usually load in Orlando and Tampa, then top off in Jacksonville or Tallahassee. For a carrier based in Houston or Dallas, a Florida car pays for the drive home. The squeeze comes from March through May, when Florida trucks fill with northbound snowbird cars and a Texas-bound car competes for space.
Timing and season
February is typically the cheapest month to ship a car from Florida to Texas, and July is typically the most expensive. February relocations are slow, and the northbound snowbird rush has not yet claimed Florida’s outbound trucks. July stacks up summer job moves, families settling in before Texas schools open in August, and military transfers.
Fall can also shorten the pickup wait for a westbound shipper, since carriers that hauled Northeast and Great Lakes cars into Florida from October through December want any load heading out.
That fall window overlaps the June to November Atlantic hurricane season, and this route hugs the Gulf from Tallahassee to Houston. A Gulf storm can halt loading in Tampa or Pensacola and shut I-10 near Mobile, Lake Charles or Beaumont.
Pickup and delivery in Florida and Texas
Civilian car haulers generally cannot drive onto NAS Jacksonville or Naval Station Mayport, so military owners meet the driver outside the gate or at a retail lot. Jacksonville’s Riverside and Avondale have narrow, oak-shaded streets, where Roosevelt Boulevard makes a better meeting point. Around Orlando, vacation-home communities near Kissimmee and Davenport and new subdivisions in Clermont and Winter Garden often have gates or HOA rules that turn away a 75-foot rig.
Carriers typically arrive within 1 to 5 days of your first available date. Wash the car so existing chips show in the pickup photos, clear out loose items, and leave about a quarter tank.
Houston’s Heights and Montrose have tight streets lined with parked cars, and Katy and The Woodlands enforce strict HOA truck rules. Uptown Dallas and Frisco deliveries often move to a shopping center lot. Many drivers skip the Sam Houston Tollway and Dallas North Tollway, so meeting near I-45, I-10 or I-35E saves time.
What moves the price on this lane
In October 2026, Orlando to Dallas typically runs $965 to $1,200 for a sedan on an open trailer. SUVs typically cost $1,155 to $1,440, pickups $1,175 to $1,460, and enclosed sedans $1,370 to $1,700.
The Texas city moves the price more than the Florida one. Houston sits on I-10, so Orlando to Houston typically costs $895 to $1,115 for 1,000 miles, and Tampa to Houston runs $870 to $1,080 for 933 miles. Leaving the Gulf route costs more: Tampa to Dallas typically runs $940 to $1,170, and Tampa to Austin $950 to $1,175.
Expect $150 extra in our model for a winch if the car does not run, and up to $175 more for a rural Panhandle pickup or a Hill Country ranch delivery. HaulFare is a price guide, and a quote request here is referred to one licensed auto transport broker, who confirms the westbound rate and the Houston or Dallas delivery plan before booking. Ask that broker to name the assigned carrier before you pay, then look up the carrier’s operating authority and ask for its cargo certificate.
Lane facts
- Westbound trucks leave Florida on I-10 from Jacksonville or from the I-75 junction near Lake City, pass Mobile and Baton Rouge, cross the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, and enter Texas over the Sabine River at Orange.
- Loads build in Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, the first cars come off in Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth cars finish the trip north on I-45 or by way of I-49 and I-20 through Shreveport.
- Florida to Texas pricing is typically lowest in February and highest in July, and from March through May northbound snowbird traffic ties up Florida trucks and tightens space for Texas-bound cars.
- Houston is the cheapest Texas delivery point on this lane because it sits on I-10 with no detour, and Tampa to Houston typically runs $870 to $1,080 for 933 miles.
Related routes
Sources
- National Hurricane Center: Tropical cyclone climatology (June 1 to November 30 season), nhc.noaa.gov
- Texas Department of Transportation: Hurricane evacuation and contraflow routes, txdot.gov
- FMCSA: Get operating authority (MC docket number) for carriers and brokers, fmcsa.dot.gov
- Car shipping cost by distance, vehicle and month (HaulFare price model), haulfare.com
Florida to Texas FAQ
How much does it cost to ship a car from Florida to Texas?
In October 2026, an open-carrier sedan from Orlando to Dallas typically costs $965 to $1,200. An SUV on the same run typically costs $1,155 to $1,440, while pickups land at $1,175 to $1,460 and enclosed sedans at $1,370 to $1,700. Jacksonville to Houston covers 968 miles and typically costs $880 to $1,100.
How long does car shipping from Florida to Texas take?
Once loaded, a car typically spends 3 to 5 days on the road for the 1,134 miles from Orlando to Dallas. Pickup usually happens 1 to 5 days after your first available date, so budget about a week and sometimes a little more. Houston deliveries often arrive sooner than Dallas ones, since they come off the truck first.
When is the cheapest time to ship a car from Florida to Texas?
February is typically the cheapest month, while winter relocations are slow and before northbound snowbird traffic ties up Florida trucks in March. July is typically the most expensive, with summer moves and military transfers filling trailers. October through December is also a good window, since trucks that brought seasonal residents' cars into Florida want loads going out.
Can a carrier pick up my car at home in Orlando or Jacksonville?
Usually, if your street is wide and the community allows large trucks. Gated vacation-home areas around Kissimmee and newer HOAs in Clermont and Winter Garden often ask the driver to wait outside, and oak-lined Riverside streets in Jacksonville are hard for a long trailer. In those cases the driver meets you at a big store lot near I-4, I-295 or I-10.
Can I ship my car to a military base in Texas?
Car haulers generally cannot drive onto a base, so for a move to Fort Hood or Joint Base San Antonio, plan to meet the driver at a lot outside the gate in Killeen or San Antonio. Orders do not change the carrier's process, but give the broker your report date so the pickup window fits it.
