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.
Do you need your vehicle driven from Boston to Phoenix? I’m a single who can accommodate. Excellent driving skills/record. If you can name it, I’ve driven it! Let me know…asap…leaving apx. 8/11/17. I’ve been coast to coast countless times! You’ll be glad you chose me…dependable, forthright and punctual.
If there is anyone looking for a dependable, honest, and safe driver to drive a vehicle to pennsylvania july 24th, then please contact me. Thanks
Ps. From florida to pa
I need my car driven from Tampa, FL to Pittsburgh, PA as soon as possible. This is Sept. 24, 2017.
Mother and daughter team looking to drive a car east in next two weeks. Let us know.
I am trying to get a car from Phoenix AZ to Ohio
I am driving a uhaul to Portland eta july 11 , planning to fly back to east coast, but if any one on the west coast that needs a car driven to the east, contact me 301 616 1335. good references, non smoker, safe. thankyou.
Are you near Alabama
I am going to be a grandma!!!! ? I need to get to Brooklyn NY before July 17th. I will drive your van or car from Colorado to New York. I am a safe driver… dependable and responsible. I need space for my ‘stuff’ and will be a clear communicator throughout. Thank you for your consideration!
check
I am an excellent driver and would like to drive a car from portland to Palm Springs/LA in mid to late June.
I’d like to give my Toyota Camry to my son. Car needs to be driven from a Boston to Salt Lake City.
Hello, together with my husband we will be travelling from NY to Seattle between 8/5 and 8/25. Feel free to reach out if you need help with driving your car.
Safe, responsible 38 year old woman looking to drive someone\’s car from Seattle area to northeast Ohio area (or nearby). Nearly perfect driving record. Looking to go in late July sometime
From VEGAS back to WISCONSIN (Milwaukee) First week of August after moving a friend there. 58 yo CDL. Responsible.
Commercial drivers license. 58 yo. Clean record. Want to drive your car back to Wisconsin from Vegas after moving a friend there in the Beginning of August.
Contact Todd
Good Day I need to get back to East Coast Coastal Carolinas and am available to drive ASAP
Myrtle Beach and Raleigh are home
I am a 63 y.o. man clean driving record have driven all over the world I am in Medford Oregon at present
MICHAEL W. JOHNSON
Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
7345317873
Anyone looking for a driver from San Francisco/Sacramento area to Denver second week of August? Excellant driving records, own insurance, just need a one-way trip….
Experience drive – I am 43 years old with wife and 2 kids will drive your car from Orange county – California to Seattle SEA WA . Planing to go on 21 June. If you need me, please contact us.
Looking for driver to take my Very Good condition 1995 Land Cruiser from Seattle to Fairbanks, AK. Also, looking for driver to take my also Very Good condition 1998 BMW 740iL to Fairbanks too. Early July 2017.
Thank you.
Frank
Albuquerque , New Mexico to Southern California area . car , truck or uhauls. Clean record all around.
I’m a responsible, licensed driver willing to drive from Seattle area down towards OK or Arkansas anytime in June, July!
Im looking to driving a automobile from around New Orleans and to Co. I can go the 1st of july .. Ty God Bless
Ty God Bless
I am available to drive a car from Denver to San Diego / So Cal / LA area from July 15 – July 31, 2017.
Mature female, good driving record, flexible dates from mid-July to end of month.
Thank You.
Hi…my husband and I are in our early 60s and both have perfect driving records. We are available on 8 Oct…or within a couple of days afterwards, to drive your car from Fort Lauderdale to Detroit.
I am looking for a car to drive from Denver area to Mid Atlantic (Baltimore) to bring my daughter home from college. Sometime during the rest of June would be great.
Looking for someone to drive our car from San Diego to Des Moines Ia. Mid July after the 15th, arrive in Des Moines by the 23rd.
OR San Diego To Denver after July 15th, arrive in Denver no later than the 21st.
I need to travel from Los Angeles to New York in July, 2017 and I will be willing to transport a car to New York area from Los Angeles area. I have been driving for many years without accident and my driving record is perfect.
Traveling from CT to Seattle in early August and heading back sometime after 8/14. If anyone needs their car driven in either direction during that time, I am flexible with starting/ending destinations. Feel free to email me to discuss details! [email protected]
We are planning to visit the US sometime between June 14th and August 9th and are very interested in delivering a car to another state, mainly California to Florida, since our plan is to cross the country from San Francisco to Miami.
We are very flexible about departure and arrival city. If a car is not going exactly where we hope to go, we are able drive one car from point A to point B, then another car from B to C, and so on. Starting somewhere in California and ending in a state along the way towards Florida.
Of course, we both have a driver’s license and in addition an International driver’s license. Both of us have clean driving records. We have Swedish passports and will be able to provide a copy of our passports if needed.
With regards to our US VISA, it stretches from March 1st 2017 to March 1st 2019.
Driver information:
Fredrik Eriksson
Age: 28
Citizenship: Swedish
Sofia Bertilsson
Age: 27
Citizenship: Swedish
If you want us to send copies of our driver’s license, ESTA-confirmation, Motor Vehicle Record or our passports beforehand on mail, we would gladly do so.
If offered a drive away option from you, we might add that we will keep the car tidy and clean before drop-off. You can count on us delivering the car in the same condition as on departure and keep the condition report unchanged.
If there is anything else you need, any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Mail: [email protected]
or [email protected]
Thank you very much for your time.
With best regards
Fredrik and Sofia