Don’t look now but the open road is calling. Faced with onerous security regulations, endless add-on fees, and uncomfortable planes that squeeze customers in like sardines, more and more travelers are opting for the highways rather than the skyways. Americans are rediscovering the joy of driving cross-country with the wind in their hair, the music cranked, and the freedom to check out quirky attractions that would forever have been overlooked from 30,000 feet in the air.
This resurgent love affair is also revitalizing driveaway companies, services that match drivers with customers who want their cars delivered to distant destinations. Vehicles need to be moved for a variety of reasons, including corporate relocations, military transfers, and quite often in the case of snowbirds who want to have use of their own car at their winter home but don’t want to do the driving. Car owners pay driveaway companies to move their cars and the company contracts with drivers to make the one-way trips. Driver are responsible for all but the first tank of gas, meals and accommodations along the way, and must put down a deposit (generally $300-400), which is refundable upon delivery of the car to the owner.
There are some limitations to this type of travel. Your schedule must be flexible and you must be willing to drive between the destinations required by the customer. The route and schedule are agreed upon prior to departure and offer enough flexibility for drivers to do some sightseeing along the way, however customers will often load trunks and back seats with their personal belongings, so there is room for only one additional passenger and limited luggage. Drivers must also have a clean driving record, three forms of identification, and be willing to undergo a criminal background check. If none of this is problematic, driveaways are like getting a free rental car, especially for those who have no car or own a vehicle that is not dependable.
Although driveaway companies can be found all over the country, some locations need more drivers than others; routes between eastern Canadian cities and Florida or Arizona, for example, are in high demand due to annual snowbird migration in the spring and fall. For more information, contact one of the following driveaway firms, or check your local Yellow Pages under “Auto Transporters”:
Auto Driveway (43 offices across the U.S. and Canada)
Toronto Driveaway (Toronto based)
Cars To Florida (Toronto based)
Photo Credit: Nate Steiner
Feel free to leave a comment below, however this site is solely a travel blog and as such is not in any way involved in the business of arranging for the transfer of vehicles. Use of this blog for such purposes hereby releases and forever discharges and holds harmless Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel, Barbara Weibel, and all successors and assigns from any and all liability, claims and demands of whatever kind or nature, either in law or in equity, which arise or may hereafter arise from such use.
Hi, my name is Emma and myself and my partner are coming over from Australia and looking to do a straight trip from New York to Los Angeles, we both will have an international licence and clean driving record, both are over the age of 30 and we would love to help get your car from anywhere around New york, we don’t mind travelling a little bit and can deliver anywhere near LA within a 250km radius.
We would not charge you anything it would just be purely we would do you a favour as you would be doing us a favour saving us money on a car hire.
We are looking at 15th April 2016 and return date around LA or even Vegas around the 22nd April-24th April.
If anyone is interested please feel free to email me, [email protected]
We can provide driving record for last 3 years, current inter nation licence, pass ports and anything else you shall need.
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon
Need my car and small dog picked up in Atlantic City and delivered to Las Vegas asap.
Available to drive your car during the Month of March to Atlanta GA area.
from where to GA ? california?
wendy pls email me thx
Currently available to drive your vehicle on Thursday, February 18 one way to any point between Indianapolis, IN to Raleigh, NC. Send an email with details of how I can be of service for you. Contact me at [email protected].
Hi my name is maachah falkner and I need somebody to drive me to atlanta georgia from overland park kansas me and my bags and tote they can all fit in a van or a mini bus but I need driver and I cand rent a car because I dont have a licence its only 12 hrs and stops are ok but can you help me I got promoted in Ga please email me at [email protected]
Asap I need to leave this feb. 20th
Its on saturday can u help
I am looking to drive someone’s vehicle from anywhere in Michigan to the San Francisco area the week of Feb 14th. I would even exchange this for my plane ticket to San Francisco on the 20th of Feb. I would rather drive and take my dog with me than fly and leave my dog behind for 4 months.
Hi am looking to drive a car from new Orleans or a major city in Texas to las Vegas from may 7th to may 14th. Live to help me help you ?
Looking to drive someone’s car from Denver, CO, to Los Angeles, CA, the week of June 12-18th, 2016. In need of making one way trip and do not want to pay the ridiculous drop off fees laid on you by the rental car agencies. Please contact if this is a need you have.
Hi. We\’re looking for someone to either, drive my daughter\’s car (2014 Elantra), or drive with her (female only), from Miami to Seattle, within the next couple weeks. She just graduated college there, but then had to fly to Seattle for a medical emergency rather abruptly. Now that we are past that, we need her car here for job interviews, employment and social freedom. It seems professional transport services are ridiculously over our budget. It IS nice to have the insurances and assurances they provide, but we can’t afford quite that much. This trip offers compensation, and an opportunity to see the country. Call Steve (425) 785-1370 to discuss terms, comfort levels, and meeting for 1st impressions (Skype or FaceTime).
I work for an airline and could fly to Florida and ride/drive up with your daughter. I’m a 26 year old college student myself at Washington State University online.
How soon are you hoping to make the drive?
I am available to delivery your car from Phoenix-Casa Grande-Tucson AZ area to Newark, NJ area from 3/3/16, arriving NJ 3/8/16. Have AAA, insurance, and guarantee to delivery car in same clean condition as when picked up. If interested, call 520-840-1102.
I will drive your car anywhere in US. 58 years old, just looking for extra income. Contact me at [email protected]
I need my car driven to bend Oregon from chicago
Hi I am looking for someone to help me drive two cars from Washington DC to Denver, CO in March 2016. If you would like to drive with me cross country, I am flexible on departure date.
Email me at [email protected]
Thanks,
Doug
I NEED A DRIVER FROM LAS VEGAS NV OR SURROUNDING AREA WILLING TO DRIVE A RENTAL CAR TO LEXINGTON MISSOURI PICKUP ME AND MY DOG AND DRIVE US BACK TO GOODSPRINGS NEVADA I AM PAYING FOR THR RENTAL CAR AND THE GAS ITS A 22 HOUR TRIP ONE WAY
May I ask,How much is the pay? And what all is unculed?
I would like to drive your car or truck for you down south, around Georgia, south Carolina, or north Florida, from southern mi or northern Ohio area for free. I’m going down to visit my daughter who is a offer in the army. Please contact me at my email listed below. Thank you.
Looking for someone to drive my son and his car from Washington State to Houston, Texas. Josh is not good with directions, but wants to relocate.
Hello,I am Greg,an airline pilot. All background checks available and expect the same.Would do it under the correct arrangements. [email protected].
I am looking to have my car driven from pompano, Florida to long beach, my the last week in March
That’s long beach NY
I am looking to drive a car from the west coast to the east coast on/around July 2016. Ideally, I will have six to eight weeks to deliver the car. If you are interested in considering this, please be in touch.
I am looking for someone that needs there car or truck driven from the Toledo Ohio area to savanna ga area around the end of January or beginning of Feb for free. I just need a way down there to work on my daughter s house.
I’m looking to drive cars wherever they need to be driven as a job but what I would really like to do is drive a car from the Ocala/Leesburg fl area to Az.If anyone would like to give me this opportunity plz feel free to call or text me at 386 438 3342.
Thank you
Looking for someone to drive my car from LA to Raliegh the week of January 2016.
Which week?
is this car still avail?
I am looking to drive someone’s car from IN to Denver, CO one way over the Jan 30th weekend. I am a mature responsible driver.
My husband and I are returning back to the USA and will be in Florida for the month of March 2016. But we would like to take your car to visit our family in South Bend Ind. for a monthe and then on to Minneapolis for a month. We plane to leave Minneapolis around the 1st of June arriving in Seattle on the 8th of June where we plan to fly back to our home in Thailand. We are in our 70’s and have both clean drivers license. It is too expensive to fly and hope someone fits into our schedule. We take very good care of any thing that we rent or use. References happily supplied.
Looking to drive someones’ van or small truck from Chicago to New Oleans week of Jan 11, 2015.
[email protected]
Available in Feb. 2016 to drive your car from South Florida to Charlotte, NC.
Hi are you available now
If anyone is looking to have there car driven for free.. From the New England area to Florida around Jan 8th please contact me @ [email protected]
Looking to drive someone’s car from Jersey area to California around February 7th. Southern route. Reliable with perfect driving record. Call 609 433 2867 0 or email [email protected]
reliable adult with excellent driving record will drive your car from Orlando area to ny or ct area in April 2016
must provide one way airline ticket to Orlando
please contact me
Looking for a reliable driver to drive my car from Columbus to Denver.
Please email with details to [email protected]