Florida to Illinois Car Shipping

Preparing your vehicle for transport from Florida to Illinois is straightforward. Follow these simple steps:

Remove personal items: Clear out all belongings from inside your car. Carriers typically don’t insure personal items, and extra weight can increase shipping costs.

Take out toll passes and accessories: Remove your SunPass or E-ZPass, GPS devices, and any loose interior items. Also remove external accessories like bike racks, spoilers, or roof cargo boxes that could get damaged during transit.

Clean your vehicle: Wash your car before shipping. This makes it easier to document any existing scratches or dents during the inspection process.

Document the condition: Take photos of your vehicle from all angles. This protects you if any damage occurs during transport.

Check fluid levels and tire pressure: Ensure your car is in good running condition with proper fluid levels and inflated tires.

Disable alarms: Turn off your car alarm to avoid issues during transport.

Provide a key: Have a working key ready for the carrier.

For more detailed guidance, visit our Vehicle Shipping Tips page. Following these steps ensures a smooth, worry-free transport from Florida to Illinois.

Yes, your vehicle is fully insured during transport from Florida to Illinois. Every carrier in our network must carry a minimum of $1,000,000 in liability insurance and $100,000 in cargo insurance.

Before your shipment begins, we verify that your assigned carrier’s insurance is active and valid. We also require all carriers to list Sherpa Auto Transport as a Certificate Holder on their policy, giving you an extra layer of protection.

This insurance coverage is included in your quote at no additional cost. If you’d like to review your carrier’s insurance certificate before transport, simply ask your shipping coordinator and we’ll provide it.

We recommend scheduling your pickup at least 1-2 weeks in advance for the best results. However, booking earlier gives you more flexibility and better pricing options.

Here’s why advance scheduling helps:

• Better carrier availability: Carriers can plan routes and bundle your vehicle with others heading from Florida to Illinois
• More competitive rates: Last-minute bookings often cost more due to limited availability
• Flexible pickup windows: You’ll have more control over your preferred dates

If you need faster service, we offer expedited shipping with pickup possible in as little as 1-3 days, though this comes at a premium price.

Best practice: Book as soon as you know your moving dates. This ensures smooth scheduling and the best rates for your Florida to Illinois car shipment.

No payment is due at the time of booking. We do require a payment method on file so that it is available to charge once a carrier is secured. We accept all major debit and credit cards, including Mastercard, Visa, Discover and American Express. The most convenient option is to pay for your shipment in full by credit card at the time a carrier is secured.

We also allow you to pay for your Initial Payment via credit or debit card and then pay the outstanding balance on delivery day via cash or a certified check made out to the carrier.

Your Sherpa shipment includes up to 100 lbs of personal items or household goods stored in the trunk area or secured below the window line. If you are shipping to or from a port or your shipment includes ocean transit, your vehicle must be emptied of all items. Sherpa and your assigned carrier cannot be responsible for personal items left inside the vehicle. See our Vehicle Shipping Tips for more details.

Yes. It is important that you, or another adult that you trust, is there for pickup and delivery of your vehicle. This designated person plays an important role in the shipping process including documenting the state of the vehicle and signing the Bill of Lading, which acts as a receipt of the vehicle’s condition.

Open auto transport uses open-air trailers that expose your vehicle to weather and road elements during the Florida to Illinois journey. It’s the most popular and affordable option, costing about 50% less than enclosed transport. Most standard vehicles ship this way safely.

Enclosed auto transport uses fully covered trailers that protect your car from weather, road debris, and dust. This premium option is ideal for luxury vehicles, classic cars, exotic models, or cars with custom paint jobs making the 1,000+ mile trip from Florida to Illinois.

For most everyday vehicles, open transport offers excellent value and protection. Choose enclosed if your vehicle is high-value or requires extra care. Learn more in our open vs enclosed auto transport guide.

Yes, we offer door-to-door auto transport service from Florida to Illinois. This means we’ll pick up your vehicle at your home or office in Florida and deliver it directly to your destination in Illinois.

Here’s how it works: When you book your shipment, simply provide your pickup address in Florida and your delivery address in Illinois. Our carrier will come to these exact locations whenever possible. This saves you time and eliminates the need to drop off or pick up your vehicle at a terminal.

Important to know: In some cases, large car carriers can’t access certain residential streets due to low-hanging trees, narrow roads, or tight turns. If this happens, our driver will contact you to arrange a nearby meeting spot like a grocery store parking lot or gas station. This is rare, but we want to be upfront about it.

Door-to-door service is included in our standard Florida to Illinois auto transport quotes at no extra charge. It’s the most popular option because it’s convenient and hassle-free.

Many Auto Transport companies try to tease customers with lower rates, only to surprise you with “hidden costs” later. At Sherpa Auto Transport, we do things differently. We provide one locked-in price upfront and stick to it. If unexpected costs arise, we pay them out of our own pocket.

While we may not always be the cheapest option at first glance, our commitment to transparency and reliability offers exceptional value. As a premium service, we ensure an stress-free experience from start to finish.

We transport sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, vans and motorcycles across the nation, including service to Alaska and Hawaii. At this time, we do not service boats, golf carts, ATVs, or RVs. We can ship both operable and inoperable vehicles so long as the vehicle can roll, brake, and steer, and that you can provide the carrier with a key to the vehicle. We can also ship electric vehicles.

Visit Sherpa’s FAQ page to learn more about car shipping!