What It Costs to Hire Someone to Drive Your Car
Hiring a professional driver to drive your car long distance costs $0.75 to $1.25 per mile with Cross Country Driver. That base price pays for the driver and the driver’s travel; fuel and tolls are added at actual cost after delivery.
✓ 1,000+ trips since 2013 · ✓ Licensed & Insured · ✓ Background-checked drivers · ✓ As seen on CNBC
Quick facts
- Driving customers’ cars since 2013
- 1,000+ trips completed
- Drivers are mostly ex-long-haul truckers and former police officers
- $0.75–$1.25 per mile base price, fuel and tolls at cost
- About 1,000 miles a day
- Door to door in the lower 48 states and Alaska
- Licensed & Insured
How much does it cost to hire a driver for long distance?
Hiring a driver for long distance costs $0.75 to $1.25 a mile as a base price, plus fuel and tolls at actual cost. New York to Florida, about 1,200 miles, is typically $1,000 to $1,400; New York to California, about 2,800 miles, is $1,900 to $2,500. The owner prices every quote personally, not by software.
Coast-to-coast trips come in below our usual per-mile range, because the rate falls on longer trips. The base price covers your driver, the driver’s travel home, and towing, whether that is a trailer or a second vehicle towed behind the one we drive. Fuel and tolls are added at actual cost, with receipts, after delivery.
What the base price covers
- Your driver, door to door. Our drivers are mostly ex-long-haul truckers and former police officers.
- Your base price includes your driver’s travel home, usually a flight.
- Towing, if you need a trailer or a second vehicle towed behind the one we drive.
- GPS monitoring by our office, photographs at pickup and delivery, and premium AAA roadside coverage.
What is added after delivery
Fuel and tolls, at actual cost, with every receipt. We give you a fuel and toll estimate up front.
Real routes and what they cost
These are typical base-price ranges, not quotes. Your exact price comes with your quote. See the full routes for New York to California and California to New York.
| Route | Distance | Base price (USD) | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York → Florida | ~1,200 mi | $1,000–$1,400 | ~1 day |
| Los Angeles → Austin | ~1,400 mi | $1,100–$1,600 | 1–2 days |
| Boston → Miami | ~1,500 mi | $1,200–$1,800 | ~1.5 days |
| Chicago → Phoenix | ~1,700 mi | $1,400–$1,900 | 2 days |
| Seattle → Dallas | ~2,100 mi | $1,600–$2,300 | ~2 days |
| New York → California | ~2,800 mi | $1,900–$2,500 | 3 days or less |
Base prices as of October 2026. Fuel and tolls are added at actual cost.
What changes the price
- Distance. The per-mile rate falls slightly on longer trips.
- Where the trip starts and ends. A pickup or delivery far from a major airport costs more, because getting the driver there and back by ground takes longer and costs more.
- Timing. Rush trips are possible.
- The vehicle. A rental truck or a vehicle towing a trailer uses more fuel and travels at about the same pace, sometimes a little longer.
- Season. Winter weather can add a few hours to a northern route.
How rental trucks are priced
Rental trucks are priced per trip, close to our car rates and sometimes slightly more. You rent the truck; we drive it. A 26-foot truck gets about 8 miles per gallon, about 5 when towing a car, and smaller trucks 10 to 12, so fuel is a bigger part of the total. Tell us the truck size, the route and whether you are towing a vehicle and we will price it exactly.
Driver vs. shipping: a worked example
New York to Florida, a mid-size SUV. A professional driver: about $1,000 to $1,400 base plus fuel and tolls at actual cost, delivered in about 1 day to your door, with a reasonable amount of personal items inside. Open-carrier shipping on the same route comes with pickup and delivery windows of several days each, terminal or curbside handoffs, and carriers usually limit or ban personal items in the car. Driving it yourself: fuel and tolls, one night of hotels and meals, and about 2 days of your time.
Paying for the trip
A deposit is due before pickup. The rest of the base price, plus fuel and tolls at actual cost with receipts, is paid after delivery. Cash or check is fine.
Pricing questions
How much does it cost to have someone drive your car to Florida?
New York to Florida is about 1,200 miles and typically $1,000 to $1,400 base, plus fuel and tolls at actual cost, delivered in about 1 day. Other starting points cost more or less depending on the mileage.
How much does it cost to have someone drive my U-Haul?
Rental trucks are priced per trip, close to our car rates and sometimes slightly more. Tell us the truck size, the route and whether you are towing a vehicle and we will quote it exactly.
Why not a flat price that includes fuel?
Because fuel and tolls vary with the vehicle, the route and the week. Charging you the actual cost with receipts is fairer than padding a flat rate to cover the worst case.
Is the price per mile or per day?
Per mile. Delivery time (about 1,000 miles a day) is a consequence of distance, not a separate charge.
Do you charge more for one-way trips?
No. Almost every trip is one-way, and the driver’s travel home is already in the base price.
How accurate is the quote?
The base price includes the driver’s flight and ground transportation. Fuel and tolls are added at actual cost, with receipts.
Get an exact price for your trip
You get a price from the owner, who prices every quote personally. Reply within one business day.