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.
Responsible 33 year old PhD Archeologist traveling from Milwaukee WI between March 21-31, 2012 to the Flagstaff AZ area where I work for the U.S. Forest Service (have background check and clearances). Clean driving record, non smoker, no passengers. Please e mail through [email protected] (not mine) where all responses will be forwarded.
I have a Sprinter 10 Passenger Van in Philadelphia area needs to get to Los Angeles in the next week or two. Contact me if you have an interest. [email protected]
hi I am an artist with aq 5 x5 storage unit in chelsea wanting to move stuff to san diego california downtown 9172575704 share gas or part of truck or van
Have you received any responses? I am moving from Boston to downtown san diego and would be interested in sharing van or truck.
[email protected]
53 year old nursing student and 54 year old Engineer looking to transport a vehicle from New York to California in the summer. Please contact Ray.
Very responsible, 52-year-old would like to drive from Detroit or Lansing, Mich. to Los Angeles in the Spring of 2012. Please e-mail [email protected] Thank you.
Looking for a driveaway from Detroit to Florida (Port Charlotte or nearby) in March or April, 2012
Responsible driver with clean driving record
email [email protected]
Responsible 33 year old PhD Archeologist traveling from Milwaukee WI the week of March 18, 2012 to the Flagstaff AZ area where I work for the U.S. Forest Service (have background check and clearances). Clean driving record, non smoker, no passengers.
Please e mail through [email protected] (not mine) where all responses will be forwarded.
Wife and I looking for driveaways from Seattle,Wa to San diego,ca like to depart from Seattle on April 4th…Both are very responsible and respectful to your property have clean DMV records, dont smoke……Thank you
Please email me @ [email protected]
I am looking for a driveaway on Thursday, May 31st, 2012 from the Detroit area to Lynchburg, VA. I am 49 years old with a spotless driving record. Please e mail me at [email protected].
My friend and I are looking for driveaway from New York City to Ft. Myers on or about March 17,2012.
I am fifty years old and am a theatrical producer. My friend is a retired Federal Customs Agent and he is 67 years old. Both with clean driving records.
please email me at: [email protected]
My friend and I are looking to drive a car from New York to South Florida (Ft. Myers) – on or about March 17th, 2012.
I am a theatrical producer and my friend is a retired Federal Customs Agent. Both have clean driving records. I am 50 years old and my friend is 67.
[email protected]@yahoo-2OHCMSTXJOOODWCSF6RCUUCBWY:disqus
cell – 917 653 9371
My husband and I (both early 30’s, non-smokers, clean driving records) are looking to drive a car from either Chicago or St. Louis to Southern CA. Either this summer or fall, we are flexible. Please email [email protected]. Thanks!
Looking for car to drive from AZ/NM to Cincinnatti, Ohio or near by 3/12 to 4/30/2012. Retired big rig driver (65yrs young) with good references,clean record and same personal car ins company(Allstate 37 yrs). Do not smoke/drink/use drugs. Contact [email protected] Thanks Best Regards
My daughter and I would like to drive a car from Washington D.C. or thereabouts to anywhere in California. Leave DC around May 21. We both have impeccable driving records.
Please email [email protected]. Thank you!
I’m have a bunch of costumes that need to get to my Godmother in Los Angeles. If there’s any room in the car and you’d be willing to take some of them with you, I’d really appreciate it. [email protected]
I have a 2012 Ford Focus that needs driven from Akron, Ohio to Simi Valley, CA. If you are interested please email me at [email protected].
I’m available after August 12, 2012; if that still works for you, please advise back by July 19, 2012. Perfect driving record, non-smoker.
I was so excited to find this web site. But now I wonder: Is it real? Does anyone who has posted ever answer the people who respond to their posts? I responded very politely and sincerely to a post, both on here and by personal email (twice) to the person who placed the post, and have not had the courtesy of any answer. It really doesn’t cost anything or take much time to click on “reply”, and just say, for example: Thank you, but I’ve found someone”. Also, I see responses to posts on here but no answers from the “posters” who were responded to. Can anyone explain? (NO, not all the responses have personal email addresses shown.)
BritAmeri: I am the owner of the site. I wrote this article about Drive Away services some time ago for informational purposes only – I have no relationship with these types of companies. However, over time, people have begun to use this article on my site as a sort of forum to connect over the potential to drive cars to various destinations. I do not interact al all with the posters, but it seems from some of the responses that people have indeed been able to connect and make arrangements. Perhaps the person you emailed already had it sorted out.
Barbara: Yes, thank you, I know you’re the owner of the site, and I thank you for the travel emails I’ve been getting. I have gone through the site a few times, and very few people seem to answer questions posted to them about their ad; they are definitely in the minority. The person I responded to still has their ad on here, but I never did receive a reply. Even if they had resolved matters, it doesn’t take but a few seconds to click on reply, and say, “Thanks, problem resolved” – just a sign of the times that he didn’t bother, I guess. I won’t be trying again, unless I want to actually place an ad. I do thank you for the site, however,
looking to drive a car from Chicago to phoenix on March 14 and returning on march 27 Chicago Police officer. thanks
Wanting to do a driveaway from Kansas city missouri to any where in GA, Have past experance doing Driveaways also have a CDL class B lincens. wanting to leave by the end of Febuary.
Can do:
Car’s
Short bed trucks “U-hauls”
Buses “long or short with or with out airbreaks”
Please send request along with Info on what your needing transported, at [email protected]
Looking for a car to drive from Seattle to San Diego end of March 2012. I am 60 years old and have a spotless driving record. Have done trip many times. Email [email protected].
My wife and I would like to drive a car from Fort Myers area to Chicago area leaving on or around June 1st 2012. Late fifties excellent driving record. Excellent refs. Please email [email protected]
MY wife and I are flying from our home in Victoria, B.C. to Toronto Feb. 27 to pick up our classic vehicle we just purchased. We want to take it to Valencia California (near LA) ourselves, and have looked at the option of renting a Uhaul with a trailer. However, Uhaul will only rent a moving van with a trailer, which we would have to drive empty across the country and that would be a real drag. Does anyone have a pickup, SUV, or large car with a hitch that they want moved to southern California? The car is a Mercedes Benz and weighs only 2900 lbs. My wife and I are over 60, spotless driving records, non-smokers. Your vehicle would be treated as well as we treat ours. E-mail [email protected], or phone Hal at (250) 658-4336
Responsible, non-smoking 52-year old male with excellent driving record seeks to drive a car from the midwest to the northeast at the end of March 2012. Ideal situation would be St. Louis to Philadelphia, but am flexible in terms of pick-up and drop off cities. I.e., pick ups in Chicago, Kansas City and Memphis are OK, as well as drop offs in Baltimore, Boston, New York, or Washington, DC.
[email protected]
I am in the real estate business and I have a customer who needs to be driven from Kansas City to Florida on 2-28-12
Two professional women with clean driving reputations seeking drive away to Oregon leaving from Colorado or New Mexico departing approximately May 26. Please call 505 891 4782
looking to drive a car to or from West Palm Beach, FL- area. We live in New England. Depart April 20-21 and return 27-28.
were looking to leave sacramento today or tommorow to south carolina, will drive your car and pay for gas, call 530-822-7995, both licensed drivers with clean driving records no accidents.