Miami Is America’s Moving Crossroads: 225,036 Movers Lose Up to $2,319 Per Move by Driving Instead of Shipping
Key Takeaways
- Miami appears in more of the nation’s top 10 busiest relocation corridors than any other city, five out of ten, with three outbound routes (to Atlanta, Houston, and Charlotte) and two inbound routes (from NYC and Los Angeles). Together, these five corridors account for 225,036 annual movers.
- Shipping a vehicle on Miami corridors saves an average of $850, or 36.8%, compared to driving. Savings reach $2,319 on the Los Angeles to Miami route, the highest of any corridor in the entire national study.
- Gas represents less than 10% of the true cost of driving on every Miami corridor studied. Depreciation alone costs 2.25× more than fuel, yet most movers only factor in the price at the pump.
MIAMI – Miami is at the center of America’s moving map. No other city in the country appears in as many high-volume relocation corridors, five of the nation’s top 10. Whether people are arriving from New York and Los Angeles or leaving for Atlanta, Houston, and Charlotte, Miami is the nexus. But a new route-level analysis reveals that the hundreds of thousands of people driving their vehicles on these corridors each year are dramatically overpaying. Across Miami’s five highest-volume corridors, driving a vehicle costs an average of $1,938, while shipping that same vehicle averages just $1,088. That’s a gap of $850 per move.
With 225,036 people making these moves annually, the collective overspend from driving tops $179 million every year.
The study, conducted by RoadRunner Auto Transport, isolates every Miami corridor from a broader national analysis of the 10 highest-volume U.S. relocation routes (500+ miles), identified by the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. Driving costs include fuel, depreciation, maintenance, lodging, meals, and lost wages. Shipping costs are based on Kelley Blue Book data (January 2026) reflecting average quotes from eight transport companies.
Ship It or Drive It: Miami Route-by-Route Breakdown
| # | City Pair | Miles | Total Drive | Ship Cost | You Save | Days | % Saved |
| 1 | Miami → Atlanta | 662 | $1,081 | $838 | $243 | 2 | 22.5% |
| 2 | Miami → Houston | 1,187 | $1,778 | $1,068 | $710 | 3 | 39.9% |
| 3 | NYC → Miami | 1,280 | $1,827 | $1,092 | $735 | 3 | 40.2% |
| 4 | Los Angeles → Miami | 2,750 | $3,866 | $1,547 | $2,319 | 6 | 60.0% |
| 5 | Miami → Charlotte | 770 | $1,138 | $896 | $242 | 2 | 21.3% |
| AVERAGE / TOTAL | 1,330 | $1,938 | $1,088 | $850 | 3.2 | 36.8% |
Shipping saves money on every single Miami corridor studied. The average Miami mover stands to save $850, with savings percentages ranging from 21.3% on the shortest corridor (Miami to Charlotte, 770 miles) to 60.0% on the longest (Los Angeles to Miami, 2,750 miles). Across these five corridors alone, 225,036 people relocate each year, meaning the collective overspend from driving could exceed $179 million annually.
Where Shipping Saves the Most: Miami Routes by Dollar Savings
| # | City Pair | Miles | Total Drive | Ship Cost | You Save by Shipping |
| 1 | Los Angeles → Miami | 2,750 | $3,866 | $1,547 | $2,319 |
| 2 | NYC → Miami | 1,280 | $1,827 | $1,092 | $735 |
| 3 | Miami → Houston | 1,187 | $1,778 | $1,068 | $710 |
| 4 | Miami → Atlanta | 662 | $1,081 | $838 | $243 |
| 5 | Miami → Charlotte | 770 | $1,138 | $896 | $242 |
The Los Angeles to Miami corridor tops the savings chart at $2,319, the highest of any route in the entire national study. NYC to Miami follows at $735, and Miami to Houston at $710. Even the shortest corridors deliver meaningful savings: Miami to Atlanta saves $243, and Miami to Charlotte saves $242. The pattern is clear: the longer the drive, the wider the cost gap between driving and shipping.
The Gas Illusion: Why Miami Movers Underestimate the True Cost of Driving
| City Pair | Gas Cost | Total Drive Cost | Gas % of Total | Depreciation |
| Miami → Atlanta | $85 | $1,081 | 7.9% | $191 |
| Miami → Houston | $152 | $1,778 | 8.5% | $343 |
| NYC → Miami | $164 | $1,827 | 9.0% | $370 |
| Los Angeles → Miami | $353 | $3,866 | 9.1% | $794 |
| Miami → Charlotte | $99 | $1,138 | 8.7% | $222 |
Across all five Miami corridors, gas accounts for less than 10% of the total cost of driving. On the Los Angeles to Miami route, fuel costs $353 out of a $3,866 total, just 9.1%. On the shortest corridor, Miami to Atlanta, gas ($85) is only 7.9% of the $1,081 total. Meanwhile, depreciation consistently costs 2.25× more than fuel on every route. The finding is universal: whether you’re driving 662 miles to Atlanta or 2,750 miles from L.A., gas is never more than a tenth of the true cost.
What Driving Really Costs: A Six-Component Breakdown for Miami Routes
| City Pair | Gas | Depreciation | Maintenance | Hotels & Meals | Lost Wages | Total Drive |
| Miami → Atlanta | $85 | $191 | $73 | $246 | $486 | $1,081 |
| Miami → Houston | $152 | $343 | $131 | $424 | $728 | $1,778 |
| NYC → Miami | $164 | $370 | $141 | $424 | $728 | $1,827 |
| Los Angeles → Miami | $353 | $794 | $304 | $958 | $1,457 | $3,866 |
| Miami → Charlotte | $99 | $222 | $85 | $246 | $486 | $1,138 |
The most expensive Miami corridor to drive is Los Angeles to Miami at $3,866, where lost wages ($1,457) represent the single largest cost component, six days of driving at the national median wage. Even excluding lost wages, driving this route costs $2,409, well above the $1,547 shipping quote. On the outbound Miami to Houston corridor ($1,778 total), lost wages ($728) and hotels and meals ($424) combine for $1,152, more than the $1,068 shipping cost. The pattern repeats on every Miami corridor: time-related costs overwhelm the total shipping price.
Miami’s Busiest Relocation Corridors: Where the Most People Move
| # | City Pair | Annual Movers | Total Drive | Ship Cost | You Save |
| 1 | Miami → Atlanta | 52,371 | $1,081 | $838 | $243 |
| 2 | Miami → Houston | 52,219 | $1,778 | $1,068 | $710 |
| 3 | NYC → Miami | 50,661 | $1,827 | $1,092 | $735 |
| 4 | Los Angeles → Miami | 36,194 | $3,866 | $1,547 | $2,319 |
| 5 | Miami → Charlotte | 33,591 | $1,138 | $896 | $242 |
Miami to Atlanta leads the Miami corridors with 52,371 annual movers, closely followed by Miami to Houston with 52,219. On the inbound side, NYC to Miami draws 50,661 movers per year, reflecting the well-documented Northeast-to-Florida migration. Los Angeles to Miami (36,194) and Miami to Charlotte (33,591) round out the list. Together, these five corridors account for 225,036 relocations annually, more than half the total volume across the nation’s top 10 routes, with combined potential savings of more than $179 million if every mover chose to ship.
Complete Miami Corridor Data: Full Driving Cost Breakdown
| # | City Pair | Annual Movers | Miles | Gas | Deprec. | Maint. | Hotels & Meals | Lost Wages | Total Drive | Ship Cost | You Save | Days | % Saved |
| 1 | Miami → Atlanta | 52,371 | 662 | $85 | $191 | $73 | $246 | $486 | $1,081 | $838 | $243 | 2 | 22.5% |
| 2 | Miami → Houston | 52,219 | 1,187 | $152 | $343 | $131 | $424 | $728 | $1,778 | $1,068 | $710 | 3 | 39.9% |
| 3 | NYC → Miami | 50,661 | 1,280 | $164 | $370 | $141 | $424 | $728 | $1,827 | $1,092 | $735 | 3 | 40.2% |
| 4 | Los Angeles → Miami | 36,194 | 2,750 | $353 | $794 | $304 | $958 | $1,457 | $3,866 | $1,547 | $2,319 | 6 | 60.0% |
| 5 | Miami → Charlotte | 33,591 | 770 | $99 | $222 | $85 | $246 | $486 | $1,138 | $896 | $242 | 2 | 21.3% |
| AVG / TOTAL | 225,036 | 1,330 | $171 | $384 | $147 | $460 | $777 | $1,938 | $1,088 | $850 | 3.2 | 36.8% |
The table above presents every available data point for the five Miami corridors, including the full six-component driving cost breakdown (gas, depreciation, maintenance, hotels and meals, and lost wages), annual mover volume, shipping costs, dollar savings, drive days, and percentage saved. All figures are derived from the underlying national dataset.
Methodology
This analysis isolates all Miami corridors from a broader study comparing the full cost of driving versus shipping a vehicle across the 10 highest-volume U.S. relocation corridors (500+ miles), identified from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey.
Driving costs include six components: fuel (AAA national average, March 3, 2026: $3.109/gal; 24.24 MPG), depreciation (28.89¢/mile, AAA 2025), maintenance (11.04¢/mile, AAA 2025), lodging ($110/night, GSA FY2026), meals ($68/day, GSA FY2026), and lost wages ($242.80/day, BLS Q3 2025 median). Shipping costs reflect Kelley Blue Book averages (January 2026) from eight transport companies.
Data Sources
AAA Your Driving Costs (2025)
https://newsroom.aaa.com/auto/your-driving-costs/
EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline and Diesel Prices
https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
Research Dataset:
Study By:
https://www.roadrunnerautotransport.com/
About RoadRunner Auto Transport
RoadRunner Auto Transport is a leading nationwide vehicle shipping provider, connecting customers with a network of over 25,000 certified carriers. Specializing in safe, reliable transport for cars, SUVs, and trucks, RoadRunner leverages data-driven logistics to navigate complex routes, including severe winter conditions, to ensure every vehicle arrives safely.
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