Every fall, a steady stream of Illinois snowbirds ships cars south to Florida and Arizona, then back north in spring. Done right, you fly down rested and your car is waiting — no two-day drive through Midwest weather, twice a year. We move snowbird cars on these lanes every season, so here is how to time both legs, plan a round trip, protect the car from salt, and skip the worst of the peak-season rush.
The short answer: Illinois snowbirds ship south October through December and return March through May, usually on open transport — about $900 to $1,350 to Florida and $900 to $1,300 to Arizona. Book two to three weeks ahead of each rush, or lock a round trip to reserve both legs. Rinse winter road salt off before shipping south, and expect a meeting-point hand-off at a gated or 55+ community.
Illinois snowbird shipping runs on a predictable calendar, and the calendar drives the price. The southbound rush hits October through December; the northbound return runs March through May. In each window, thousands of Midwesterners ship the same direction in the same few weeks, so trucks fill and rates firm up.
The single biggest money-saver is simply not booking at the last minute during a rush. Reserve two to three weeks ahead of your departure, or ship in the early-fall shoulder before the peak fully lands. Our cheapest-way guide stacks the rest of the savings.
Most snowbirds ship both ways every year, so plan both legs together. Some carriers discount a paired fall-south, spring-north booking, or at least let you lock the return ahead of the spring rush.
The honest caveat: a round-trip rate depends on the carrier and your dates, so ask directly rather than assuming a discount. Even without one, reserving both legs early beats scrambling for a truck home at peak demand — the return rush catches more snowbirds off guard than the departure does.
The logistics rhyme, but the routes differ. Illinois to Florida runs down I-65 and I-75 — about 1,380 miles, 4 to 6 days. Illinois to Arizona is a longer 1,750-mile haul out west on I-44 and I-40, also 4 to 6 days.
Both are heavily traveled snowbird corridors, so service is dependable either way. See the Illinois to Florida and Illinois to Arizona route guides for lane detail, or weigh the destinations in our Arizona vs Florida comparison.
Here is a step snowbirds overlook. A car heading south in fall has usually picked up a winter's worth of Illinois road salt. Left sitting, that salt keeps working on the underbody all season in the warm destination.
Rinse the undercarriage before the trip and again on arrival, so the car spends its winter away free of corrosive salt. It is a small effort that protects the underside during months of sitting. Our salt-belt protection guide covers the full routine.
Many snowbird destinations are gated resorts or 55-and-older developments, and a full-size hauler usually cannot fit through the gate or down tight resort streets. The driver arranges a meeting point at a nearby store, lot, or wide road instead.
This is routine on both Florida and Arizona routes, and the driver sets it up before delivery. Expect a short final drive from the hand-off rather than a doorstep drop inside the community — a normal part of snowbird shipping, not a problem.
For a normal snowbird car, open transport is the right call — a single seasonal trip's exposure is nothing for a daily driver, and it saves 40% to 60% over enclosed. Reserve enclosed for a classic or high-value vehicle.
Keep any in-car load light and uninsured items out of the car. When you are ready, price your lane on the calculator, verify the carrier with our FMCSA lookup, and start at the Illinois auto transport hub to plan both legs of the season.
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You ship the car south in the fall to Florida or Arizona, then back to Illinois in spring, usually on open transport. Many snowbirds book both legs early or arrange a round trip so a truck is reserved each way. The car arrives near your seasonal home so you can fly down rested. Plan around the peak windows, because thousands of Midwesterners make the same trip in the same weeks.
The southbound rush runs October through December, so book two to three weeks ahead of your departure to lock a truck and a fair rate. Shipping in early fall, before the peak fully hits, often books more easily. The single biggest mistake is waiting until the last minute during the rush, when trucks fill and prices climb on every Florida and Arizona lane.
Roughly March through May, as snowbirds head back north for the warm months. That northbound window tightens trucks and firms up rates the same way fall does southbound. Book ahead of it, and if you can, reserve the return leg when you book the southbound trip — locking both early beats scrambling for a truck home at peak demand.
Often it pays off. Some carriers discount a paired fall-south, spring-north booking, or at least let you lock the return ahead of the rush. The honest caveat is that a round-trip rate depends on the carrier and your dates, so ask directly rather than assuming a discount. Even without one, reserving both legs early beats booking each separately at peak.
To Florida, expect about $900 to $1,350 open; to Arizona, roughly $900 to $1,300. Peak-season demand pushes rates toward the top of those ranges, while the off-peak shoulders price lower. SUVs add $150 to $250. Our Illinois to Florida and Illinois to Arizona route guides have the lane-by-lane detail.
The logistics are similar, but the lanes differ. Illinois to Florida runs down I-65 and I-75, about 1,380 miles and 4 to 6 days. Illinois to Arizona is a longer 1,750-mile haul, also 4 to 6 days, out west on I-44 and I-40. Both are heavily traveled snowbird corridors, so service is reliable either way. Our Arizona vs Florida comparison weighs the two.
Yes, it is a smart step. An Illinois car heading south in fall has usually collected a winter's worth of road salt. Rinsing the undercarriage before the trip, and again on arrival in the salt-free destination, keeps that salt from corroding while the car sits all season. It is a small effort that protects the underbody during its winter away. Our salt-belt guide covers it.
A full-size hauler usually cannot fit through a community gate or down tight resort streets, so the driver arranges a meeting point at a nearby store, lot, or wide road. This is routine on both Florida and Arizona snowbird routes, and the driver sets it up before delivery. Expect a short final drive from the hand-off rather than a doorstep drop inside the community.
Open transport is the standard and the value choice for a normal snowbird car. A single seasonal trip's exposure is nothing to worry about for a daily driver. Reserve enclosed for a classic or high-value vehicle you are protecting from salt and weather. For the everyday cars most snowbirds ship, open is safe and saves 40% to 60%.
A light load is usually tolerated — often up to about 100 pounds in the trunk, below the window line — but it is not covered by the carrier's cargo insurance and adds weight. Many snowbirds tuck in a few seasonal items. Keep it modest and ask first. Anything valuable or essential is better carried with you on the flight than left in a shipped car.
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