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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car to or from Michigan, which roads the carriers use between Detroit, Grand Rapids and the Upper Peninsula, and how snow and spring weight limits move a pickup date.
Written by Adam Scott, Coordinator at Broadway Auto Transport · October 20, 2026 · Prices updated October 20, 2026
Live carrier rates · ~30 seconds
Prefer a human? Call (917) 594-5566. A coordinator answers.
The short answer
In October 2026 a running sedan on an open carrier costs about $1,040 from Detroit to Orlando and about $1,300 from Grand Rapids to Miami, the busy direction this time of year. Detroit to New York runs about $540 and Detroit to Los Angeles about $1,350. Heading north, Miami to Detroit is about $1,015.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the Michigan addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
What it costs
In Michigan the pickup address and the month move a quote more than the mileage does. Metro Detroit sits where I-75, I-94 and I-96 meet, and carriers pass through it every day on their way to Chicago, Toledo and the East. Grand Rapids and Lansing are a short run west on I-96. North of Saginaw the traffic thins out, and past the Mackinac Bridge the Upper Peninsula is a separate trip with its own waits.
The prices below come from Michigan lanes we priced in October 2026, for a running sedan on an open carrier. October is when Michigan's seasonal residents start heading for Florida and Arizona, and the southbound lanes already cost more than the same trips going north. The sections after the table cover the snowbird calendar, the campus and auction traffic, what the bridge and the spring frost laws do to a schedule, and the Secretary of State's rule for new residents, which gives no grace period at all.
These are October 2026 figures for the state. Your exact lane, vehicle, and week take about 30 seconds.
See my exact priceLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Approximate prices, October 2026 · open carrier · running sedan · 27 Michigan lanes
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, from the Michigan lanes we priced in October 2026, meant for planning. Southbound lanes to Florida sit higher than northbound ones right now because the fall snowbird run has started. Your ZIP pair, vehicle and week set the final figure, and the calculator prices them in about 30 seconds.
What moves the number
Approximate October 2026 prices for a running sedan on an open carrier. Larger vehicles, enclosed trailers, and peak weeks cost more; the calculator prices your exact shipment.
Lanes · October 2026
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, with the range most trucks on the lane land in. “Truck assigned in” is how long it usually takes to find a carrier. Transit is what one driver covers at 400 to 500 miles a day after that.
$1,040most trucks $915–$1,165
1,165 mi3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
I-75 carries the truck for most of the 1,165 miles, leaving it at Wildwood for Florida's Turnpike into Orlando. The lane costs about $1,040 this month, most trucks between $915 and $1,165, and stays busy southbound through November. Plan on about three days in transit.
Price this route$1,300most trucks $1,025–$1,575
1,429 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–25 hours
Trucks leave Grand Rapids on US-131 before joining the interstates south, about 1,430 miles in all. At about $1,300 it costs more than Detroit to Fort Lauderdale at about $1,010, though the two trips differ by less than 90 miles.
Price this route$1,285most trucks $1,090–$1,475
1,949 mi4–5 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–40 hours
A snowbird lane of about 1,950 miles, usually by way of Chicago, St. Louis and I-40 west. Grand Rapids to Phoenix costs about $1,285 this month, with most trucks between $1,090 and $1,475, and late October is its busiest stretch.
Price this route$1,350most trucks $1,235–$1,470
2,281 mi5–6 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–3 days
Trucks cross Chicago and head west on I-80 or I-40, about 2,280 miles and five to six days on the road. Detroit to Los Angeles costs about $1,350, and its band of $1,235 to $1,470 is narrow for a trip that long.
Price this route$1,015most trucks $805–$1,225
1,362 mi3–4 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–24 hours
Coming north in October, Miami to Detroit costs about $1,015, against about $1,300 for Grand Rapids to Miami. Trucks run I-75 nearly the whole way. The price climbs in April and May, when Michigan's winter residents ship their cars home.
Price this route$540most trucks $495–$580
616 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–2 days
The shortest outbound lane in the Michigan table, 616 miles, mostly on I-80 across Ohio and Pennsylvania. Detroit to New York runs about $540, with a tight band of $495 to $580, and the car is on the truck one to two days.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN → Detroit, MI | 538 | $660 | $510–$810 | 1–6 days | 2 days | 538 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Jefferson City, MO → Bay City, MI | 688 | $710 | $535–$885 | 1–2 hours | 2 days | 688 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–2 hours |
| Atlanta, GA → Detroit, MI | 721 | $820 | $650–$985 | 1–15 hours | 2 days | 721 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Birmingham, AL → Detroit, MI | 727 | $900 | $725–$1,075 | 1–3 days | 2 days | 727 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| New York, NY → Grand Rapids, MI | 747 | $815 | $695–$935 | 1–16 hours | 2 days | 747 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–16 hours |
| Charleston, SC → Detroit, MI | 845 | $910 | $685–$1,135 | 1–15 hours | 2–3 days | 845 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Dallas, TX → Detroit, MI | 1,167 | $870 | $730–$1,010 | 1–8 days | 3 days | 1,167 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–8 days |
| Orlando, FL → Grand Rapids, MI | 1,205 | $1,050 | $930–$1,170 | 1–3 days | 3–4 days | 1,205 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Fort Myers, FL → Detroit, MI | 1,303 | $1,180 | $965–$1,390 | 1–39 hours | 3–4 days | 1,303 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–39 hours |
| Miami, FL → Detroit, MI | 1,362 | $1,015 | $805–$1,225 | 1–24 hours | 3–4 days | 1,362 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Phoenix, AZ → Detroit, MI | 2,021 | $1,335 | $1,000–$1,670 | 1–24 hours | 5–6 days | 2,021 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Los Angeles, CA → Grand Rapids, MI | 2,179 | $1,430 | $1,175–$1,685 | 1–24 hours | 5–6 days | 2,179 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–24 hours |
| Loma Linda, CA → Ypsilanti, MI | 2,213 | $1,395 | $1,140–$1,655 | 1–4 days | 5–6 days | 2,213 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI → New York, NY | 616 | $540 | $495–$580 | 1–2 days | 2 days | 616 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Detroit, MI → Huntsville, AL | 648 | $670 | $500–$840 | 1–6 days | 2 days | 648 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| Detroit, MI → Columbia, SC | 728 | $975 | $780–$1,170 | 1–47 hours | 2 days | 728 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–47 hours |
| Detroit, MI → Memphis, TN | 744 | $880 | $795–$965 | 1–7 days | 2 days | 744 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–7 days |
| Detroit, MI → Savannah, GA | 886 | $1,060 | $855–$1,265 | 1–3 days | 2–3 days | 886 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Redford, MI → Soperton, GA | 893 | $1,050 | $765–$1,330 | 1–4 days | 2–3 days | 893 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Grand Rapids, MI → Dallas, TX | 1,102 | $1,070 | $925–$1,220 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,102 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Marine City, MI → Walker, LA | 1,147 | $1,185 | $1,005–$1,360 | 1–46 hours | 3 days | 1,147 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–46 hours |
| Detroit, MI → Orlando, FL | 1,165 | $1,040 | $915–$1,165 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,165 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Detroit, MI → Fort Myers, FL | 1,303 | $1,180 | $920–$1,440 | 1–4 days | 3–4 days | 1,303 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–4 days |
| Detroit, MI → Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1,343 | $1,010 | $815–$1,200 | 1–13 hours | 3–4 days | 1,343 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–13 hours |
| Grand Rapids, MI → Miami, FL | 1,429 | $1,300 | $1,025–$1,575 | 1–25 hours | 3–4 days | 1,429 mi · 3–4 days · truck in 1–25 hours |
| Grand Rapids, MI → Phoenix, AZ | 1,949 | $1,285 | $1,090–$1,475 | 1–40 hours | 4–5 days | 1,949 mi · 4–5 days · truck in 1–40 hours |
| Detroit, MI → Los Angeles, CA | 2,281 | $1,350 | $1,235–$1,470 | 1–3 days | 5–6 days | 2,281 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–3 days |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in Michigan prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in Michigan the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
Metro Detroit is where I-75, I-94 and I-96 meet, and carriers pass through it daily. Detroit to New York costs about $540 in October 2026, Detroit to Orlando about $1,040, and Miami to Detroit about $1,015. Wide suburban streets in Oakland and Macomb counties can take a carrier at the door, while downtown lofts and Midtown side streets usually mean a meet-up off I-75.
Grand Rapids sits on I-96 and US-131, and its winter residents head for both Florida and Arizona. Grand Rapids to Miami runs about $1,300 this month and Grand Rapids to Phoenix about $1,285. Coming in, Orlando to Grand Rapids is about $1,050. Lake-effect bands off Lake Michigan can stall a December pickup here for a day.
The University of Michigan is close to I-94 and US-23, so most Ann Arbor pickups are a short drive from the interstate. Avoid home football Saturdays, when traffic around Michigan Stadium jams the south side of town. Ypsilanti, the next town east and home to Eastern Michigan, has a priced lane from Loma Linda, California, at about $1,395.
Price a pickup in Ann ArborMichigan State's campus lies between I-96 and I-69, with US-127 running north and south through the Lansing area. Students arrive in late August and leave in early May. Wholesale buyers also move cars out of the ADESA sale near Lansing, and the driver will ask for the auction's release paperwork before loading one.
Price a pickup in East LansingKalamazoo is on I-94 about halfway between Detroit and Chicago, with US-131 crossing it north to south. Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College set the late-August and early-May calendar. Trucks on the Detroit to Chicago run pass a few miles from campus, so a pickup here rarely waits long for an assignment.
Price a pickup in KalamazooTraverse City is about 50 miles west of I-75 at Grayling by M-72. Summer residents arrive for the lake season and the Cherry Festival around the Fourth of July, and leave in the fall. A truck has to give up part of a day to come this far, so expect a longer wait or a meet-up in Grayling.
Price a pickup in Traverse CityMarquette is on Lake Superior along US-41 and M-28, home to Northern Michigan University and more than 150 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge. Few carriers make the run, and winter lake-effect snow adds days on top of that. Meeting the driver in St. Ignace, at the north end of the bridge, often shortens the wait.
Price a pickup in MarquetteFrom late September through November, many of the cars leaving Michigan are going to Florida's Gulf Coast or to the Phoenix area for the winter. That traffic is why Grand Rapids to Miami costs about $1,300 this month while Miami to Detroit costs about $1,015. The trucks heading south are full and the ones coming back are looking for loads. Detroit to Orlando is about $1,040, and Grand Rapids to Phoenix about $1,285 over 1,949 miles.
The return comes in April and May, once the roads up north are clear. If you own a place in Florida or Arizona and keep a second car there, ship in the weeks before the rush: early October going south, late March coming home. A pickup window of three or four days lets a coordinator put the car on a truck already passing through. A single fixed date in the first half of November is the costly way to do it.
Michigan's big campuses sit on or close to the interstates, which keeps student moves simple. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is just off I-94, Michigan State in East Lansing is close to I-69 and I-96, Western Michigan in Kalamazoo is on I-94, and Grand Valley State in Allendale is a short drive west of Grand Rapids. Michigan Tech in Houghton is the exception. It sits near the top of the Upper Peninsula on US-41, more than 500 miles from Detroit by road, and fewer carriers make that run. Move-in runs late August and move-out falls in late April and early May.
Dealers and wholesale buyers keep a steady flow going all year. Manheim's Detroit auction in Carleton, just off I-75 south of the city, and its Mt. Morris sale near Flint send cars out in every direction, and ADESA runs a sale outside Lansing. Auction lanes price well because carriers already plan routes around them. If the car was bought at one of those sales, the gate release and the buyer number are what the driver needs at pickup.
The Lower Peninsula's south half is well covered. I-94 runs from Detroit through Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo to Benton Harbor and on to Chicago. I-96 links Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Muskegon. I-75 heads north through Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, and I-69 crosses from Port Huron through Flint and Lansing toward Indiana. An address within a few miles of those roads usually gets a truck within a day or two of the window opening.
North of Saginaw and Grand Rapids the choice gets thinner. Traverse City, Petoskey, Charlevoix and the lake towns are a detour off I-75 or US-131, and the Upper Peninsula is reached only over the Mackinac Bridge or by going around through Wisconsin. Marquette, Escanaba and the Keweenaw can wait several days longer for a carrier willing to go that far. Meeting the truck at a lot near I-75 in Gaylord or Grayling, or in St. Ignace on the far side of the bridge, often saves those days.
Lake-effect snow hits the west side and the Upper Peninsula hardest, from Muskegon and Grand Rapids up the Lake Michigan shore to the Keweenaw. A heavy band can stop a carrier for a day on I-96 or US-131. The Mackinac Bridge Authority requires escorts for high-profile vehicles when sustained winds reach 35 mph, and closes the bridge to them above 50 mph. An enclosed car carrier counts as high-profile, so U.P. deliveries in a windy week can wait at the bridge.
Spring has its own hold. MDOT sets seasonal weight restrictions once the frost starts coming out of the ground, usually from February into April, and in 2026 they stayed on every state road north of the US-10 and M-61 line, the whole Upper Peninsula included, into mid-April. County road commissions set their own limits on local roads. A loaded car hauler is heavy, so during those weeks a driver may ask to meet on an all-season route. When weather moves a pickup, your coordinator texts the new window and the quoted price stays the same.
Your coordinator confirms the pickup window by text the day before.
Leaving Michigan costs less on 3 of the 6 pairs priced this month. Carriers price the empty miles home, so the busier direction costs more. Each pair below is the same out-of-state city in both directions, running sedan, open carrier.
New York
Dallas
Orlando
Fort Myers
Miami
Phoenix
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the Michigan lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
Michigan rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The Michigan Department of State (the Secretary of State's office) is the source for titles and registration, and the Department of Insurance and Financial Services for no-fault coverage.
Questions
In October 2026, Detroit to Orlando runs about $1,040 for a running sedan on an open carrier, with most trucks between roughly $915 and $1,165. Grand Rapids to Miami is about $1,300, most trucks between $1,025 and $1,575. Those are fall prices, with the snowbird run already under way. The calculator prices your exact ZIP pair and the figure holds for 14 days.
Miami to Detroit runs about $1,015 in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $805 and $1,225, and Orlando to Grand Rapids about $1,050. Northbound is cheaper than southbound this time of year because carriers coming back from Florida want a load. Expect that to change in April and May, when Michigan's snowbirds all ship home at once.
Count a day or two to assign a carrier from metro Detroit, Lansing or Grand Rapids, and longer from the northern Lower Peninsula or the U.P. Transit runs about 400 to 500 miles a day, so Detroit to New York takes one to two days, Detroit to Orlando about three, and Detroit to Los Angeles five to six.
Yes, with more lead time. Fewer carriers cross the Mackinac Bridge, and high wind can hold enclosed trailers at the bridge. A Marquette or Houghton address may wait several days longer for a truck than one near I-75. Meeting the driver in St. Ignace or along I-75 in the northern Lower Peninsula shortens the wait. Your coordinator tells you which applies before you book.
No. Michigan has no periodic safety inspection and repealed emissions testing in 1995. The Secretary of State does say new residents must title and register right away, with no grace period. Bring the out-of-state title, proof of Michigan no-fault insurance and ID to a branch office, and buy the Michigan policy before the car arrives.
Detroit to Los Angeles runs about $1,350 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $1,235 and $1,470. The reverse, Los Angeles to Grand Rapids, is about $1,430. The trip covers about 2,200 miles, so plan on five to six days in transit after pickup.
The carrier waits for the road to clear, usually a day, sometimes two on the west side or in the U.P. Your coordinator texts the new window. Spring is the other slow patch. When MDOT's weight restrictions are on, a driver may ask to meet on an all-season road. The quoted price stays the same either way.
Grand Rapids to Dallas runs about $1,070 for a running sedan on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $925 and $1,220. The other way, Dallas to Detroit, is about $870. Either direction covers about 1,100 to 1,170 miles, roughly two to three days on the truck.
The data
The numbers are rebuilt from our own pricing each month and published with the page, so the dates above are the real ones.
Other state guides
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