Driveaway Cars – Like Driving Someone Else’s Automobile for Free

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.

Hit the road for free in someone else's automobile, with a driveaway car
Hit the road for free in someone else’s automobile, with a driveaway car

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.

Save

2,255 thoughts on “Driveaway Cars – Like Driving Someone Else’s Automobile for Free”

  1. Hey!

    My name is Jake! I’m a safe, (friendly!) responsible, mature driver, looking to drive from the northeast (NY/NJ/MA/CT/New England/Eastern PA) out to the LA area. I have a clean driving record and only drive the speed limit. I also come from a serious eco-friendly family, and drive economically to maximize my tank.

    I’m looking to drive in early August. If I could just get (only) some travel-relevant expenses covered (just gas, tolls, auto repairs, etc.), I can deliver the car in less than a week (~ 4-5 days maximum). I’ll use the most economical route to LA, and happily keep in touch with you throughout the trip. Happy to chat/meet beforehand!

    Reply
  2. I\’m interested in having my car driven from 15 minutes south of Boston to San Diego or Los Angeles. Only mature responsible person should respond. The date I would like to receive it there is 8/25/2017. Please respond by email and then we will discuss details thru this organization or direct.

    Reply
    • Anthony!

      Couldn’t have come at a better time – I’ve been looking at this trip pretty much exactly for a couple months. Trying to figure out how to email you from this but couldn’t! Just added it though – hope this gets to you!

      Reply
    • Hi Anthony! I’m looking to travel from CT-CA in early/mid August, so this could line up perfectly! Feel free to email me to discuss details about the trip and hopefully we can work something out. [email protected]

      Reply
  3. Me and fiancé are going to Detroit MI. From Philadelphia.Anyone need there car relocated. Willing to drive it for them.. clean driving record!! Age 37 male. May 31

    Reply
  4. Me and fiancé are going to Detroit MI. From Philadelphia.Anyone need there car relocated. Willing to drive it for them.. clean driving record!! Age 37 male.

    Reply
  5. Greetings!

    Looking to drive from Evanston (chicagoland area) to New York City around June 9. Picking up my son at college and we are looking for some father-son time!

    Thanks,
    Bob

    Reply
  6. I’m looking for a car to drive from Los Angeles to Salem Oregon. The dates will be August 16. 17 and 18, 2017. Let me know if I can help you in transporting your car to Oregon. I will deliver your car to most cities in Oregon. Thank you, Larry.

    Reply
  7. Hello, I need a car that I can drive from Savannah, GA to NYC on June 8 or 9,2017. Can you please contact me!

    Reply
  8. Two of my childhood best friends and I all just graduated college. We live in New York and want to drive across the country to the west coast in July/August. We don’t have cars that would be able to do the trip.

    Were respectful smart guys with clean driving records. We’ve talked about this since we were kids. Help us out!!!!

    Send me an email and we can talk more.

    -Joe
    [email protected]

    Reply
  9. I live in Georgia and am going to spend a week with family at a time share in Arizona in September. Our time share week is 9/9- 9/16. I’m hoping to find someone nearby each end of that trip who needs a vehicle driven either way. Obviously, if I could find trips both ways, that would be ideal. I have some flexibility on the dates. I’m dependable, responsible, and a very good and safe driver.

    Reply
  10. If you are in the New York area and need to get your car to South Florida and need someone to drive it there in June please email.

    Reply
  11. I would like to drive from Atlanta, GA to Boulder, CO to drive my child to school in August. Looking to leave around the 22nd.

    Reply
  12. I am looking for people who need a driver from michigan to florida, prefer the gulf side starting in November 2017 (dates flexible), I wish to stay in Florida until end of March or April 2018 and return to michigan, I am also looking for a place to stay for the three months so if you need help we could work something out for the lodging, write me at [email protected]

    Reply
  13. Reliable and safe driver with a clean record will drive your car from east coast to west coast at the end of May. Please contact me if youre interested. I’m a professional 29 year old woman re-locating.

    [email protected]

    Reply
    • Are you available to drive a car from Virginia to Colorado within the next 2 weeks? How much would that cost?

      Thanks

      Reply
  14. I need to get to Chapel Hill North Carolina from Scranton Pa.area in the next week and a half if your car needs to be transported contact directly.I’m in the delivery business for the past 33 years.Call 570 842 7928 or 570 445 8409

    Reply
  15. I need to pull a single axle trailer from kenai alaska to idaho. Any chance there’s a truck that needs to go along that route I can drive?
    Thanks
    S

    Reply
  16. A retired police office from Westchester, NY looking to drive a car for someone from NY to FL in September.

    Reply
    • Don I’m looking for some adventure,and my sister lives in Olympia, who I would like to visit. When do you want the car delivered, would you care if I spent a few days visiting family. Contact me call or text 301 616 1335, non smoker, don’t drink, love cars.

      Reply
    • Hi Don! When were you hoping to get your car delivered? I’ll be leaving Seattle and heading back east sometime around mid August. If that could work for you, please email me to discuss more details! [email protected]

      Reply
  17. Will drive a vehicle from Houston, TX to Panama City, Fl. any weekend month of May.
    I need to get to the Air Base.

    Reply
  18. Two safe drivers, 31 and 30 will drive your car from west coast to east coast in June, 2017.

    We’ve done a similar trip in Europe two years ago and we have had our drivers licenses for over 10 years. We haven’t decided our route yet so any distances from east to west might be of interest

    Contact:
    [email protected]

    Best regards,
    Erik & Kasper

    Reply
  19. Will be driving from Los Angeles, California to El Paso, Texas the weekend of May 12, 2017 give or take a few days. Do you have a car that you need driven from L.A. to E.P.? Email me if so.
    Non smoker, no drugs, no alcohol, clean cut, dependable, honest, and reliable. Please let me know. Maybe we can both save some money! Thanks!

    Reply

Leave a Comment