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.
I need to get my 2011 Ford Edge (leather interior) driven from Los Angeles, CA to Ontario, Canada and then another car brought back from Ontario, Canada to Los Angeles. My lease is up on my vehicle and I need to switch it to another vehicle. If you are interested in one or both of the trips, please email me at [email protected] I need to get this done in the next 30 or so days. Thanks.
I would be interested in learning about the Ontario car to LA, please contact me at [email protected]
Call will at 951 375 8895 mmurrieta ca. Can do it all as this is what I do locally or cross country I am here for you
My wife and I will drive your car from Greater NY ( we live in CT) to Southwest Florida for Christmas 2011 Perfect driving records, non-smokers, retirees. Please email at [email protected]
Hi, looking to drive a van or small truck to either West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauterdale, or Miami Florida from NYC. Date available Nov 22/23 arriving Nov 25.
Email: [email protected]
your sure move through moving truck rental company,, have it for good as you try to look for a better move.
My retired fireman brother and sister in law are looking for a car in Santa Monica California area that needs to be driven to Florida. They just spent 3 months riding a bicycle from Florida to California and are now ready to come home. They are super safe drivers with zero traffic tickets for over 30 years. They are ready to leave asap. Email me at [email protected] and let’s set it up!
try to discover the great things through setting a good move through the help of your rental company, truck , car , van or any vehicle for good.
I would also issue a warning about driveaway companies, not only drivers. In 1971 I used several driveaway companies`cars for a roundtrip from the east cost to the northwest and also back fom the west coast to the east cost. When delivering the car to the orthodox jewish owner on a Saturday in NYC he would not hand out the deposit because of Sabbath. He said I would get the money through the driveaway company. I had planned a trip to Canada immediately, went there and then back home to Europe the next weekend. I wrote several letters to the driveaway company, never saw a single cent of my 300 $ deposit, which was a lot of money at that time being a student. So as a driver be sure to collect the deposit immediately, especially if you will not stay around where the company is.
I have a Utilimaster (fedEx Like truck) From Phoenix to League city TX, to be driven this Saturday (11/5)
None smoker……….will pay and pay flight back, with clean license
Hi Looking to drive a car from Denver area to LA area or almost anywhere in CA ..Or get my sons things from Denver area to CA in the next couple weeks.Let me know on this site if anything is available. Thank You. Denise
I’m in Utah heading toward Bham Alabama. I’d like to leave before Thanksgiving…. Any cars out there that need to be driven???
Thx,
Jessie
take the lead of your moving days where in rentals company are to be consider.
My husband (age 59) and I (49) are visiting VT and NYC, possibly Philadelphia and DC, and can drive your vehicle from the northeast to Florida (we live in central FL) (or can deliver anywhere in between), starting mid-october 2011. We are both non-smokers with spotless driving records, clean, respectful of your property; my husband has a Class-A CDL. We have two suitcases and a small cooler with us. [email protected] or 386-804-6324.
Available to drive personal vehicle from metro NY/NJ to So FL thru the end of the year. Professional (CPA) with flexible schedule, clean driving record, no accidents or points, over 500K miles driven, ins & references, non-smoker, auto & manual trans. Lower cost & shippers place restrictions on amount of “stuff” in car, I don’t!
[email protected]
Professional motorcycle driving instructor, with impecable record, looking for a couple extra $$. Will drive your 2 or 4 wheeled vehicle to where it needs to be when it needs to be there. Based in Vegas contact: [email protected]
Mark, I’m due leaving Rancho Mirage CA 10th Dec’11 and have two options Pay a car hauler $600 or perhaps you’re available to chat? Destination is 33462 Lantana, FL. best contact: yes dot rent at gmail dot com
Hello,
My wife & I are have been looking to move her car out
from NJ to San Francisco, and we have been discussing the idea of using a
driveaway service. There’s no timeline in place, as we’d be looking for something between thanksgiving & the new year. If this sounds like
something you’d be interested in, please contact me and we’ll go from
there.
[email protected]
* UPDATE *
We’re actually going to be in the NJ area the weekend of NOV 11, so if someone would like to drive from the area to San Francisco around that time, it may be a great fit!
Have you had any bites on moving your car yet? My husband is looking to drive a car for someone to get from DC to SLC, UT. Would that be a possibility?
Hi,
We are looking to drive from Minnesota North Dakota to the Las Vegas area or vice versa. We are a couple going to Vegas and i am going to propose when out there. We are planning on leaving Minnesota on November 5th if driving from Minnesota to Vegas or Leaving Vegas to be back in ND or MN by November 12th or 13th.
If interested please drop us a line at [email protected]
I am looking to drive from San Diego, Ca. area to Memphis, Tn. area in October or November.
I am 49 and have a great driving record and reliable. Email [email protected]. Thanks Tony
I will drive your suv, van or rv from Boston area to San Diego area…Leaving this coming week. Age 61, non-smoker, no pets, good driving record and reliable history! email me at [email protected] or [email protected]
I will drive your car to south Florida from the central New York area. Excellent driving record.My e-mail address is [email protected]
I am looking to drive from St. Louis, MO (or somewhere in the midwest) to New York (or somewhere there) in the beginning of October. christoff(@t)recyclemats(d.t)com
Moving from Vermont to Montana. To reduce moving expenses, I am looking to transport a Box/Straight truck from the Northeast to any location on the Northwest. Excellent driving record and have driven cross country multiple times. I can work with your preferred route and timeframes.
jasonjmoore@hotmail:disqus .com
802-272-0961
I am looking to drive an RV from Seattle to Florida in January or Feb. Retired couple. References.
Looking to drive a car from Florida to NH. I am 43 years old and moving due to job relocation. I will be traveling with my 10 year old yellow lab who sleeps the entire trip in the car. The reason I am looking to do it this way is because I have to leave my car here for my wife and two small children, who will be joining me at a later date, as I will be driving a company vehicle with my new job.
Please contact me if you have any interest in this post. Thank You!
My time frame is the end of October the car would be in NH before November 1.
[email protected]
I want to drive from San Fernando valley to Sacramento. If you have a vehicle you need transported please contact me at [email protected]
I want to drive from north Florida to New York City area, responsible, mature man, clean record. Contact me at lacner07@@gmail:disqus .com.