Advice on shipping a car.
 

I will be getting the eff out of Afghanistan in 10 days. My car is in Chicago, I will be in NY State (Ft. Drum). I will not have any time off until February so me driving it from IL to NY is out of the question. Also I don't want my mother or sisters driving it out for me because of the turbo and clutch. Friends are all busy with school and jobs.

So I have decided having a shipping company move it from IL to NY might be a good option. I have heard horror stories from a few military guys who have had cars shipped. I am even more scared since there is a lot done to the car.

Can anyone recommend a good company? Maybe recommend some things to keep in mind..

Thanks.

1-2 Go2 is the company I used to have my car shipped up from SC to CT when I purchased it back in february. Nothing but positive things! cost me about $800 in a covered trailer. GL

Why not let the Army (or whatever branch you are, I assume Army since you mentioned Drum) ship it...

I recommend U-Ship. uship.com

So far they've been MUCH cheaper than all the other options, for everything from in town to across country, for me. No problems, and great people so far.

Of course, this assumes you're paying for it. If not, go with the gold plated enclosed transport.

The Army will not pay for me to ship my car to New York. I bought my car in IL over R&R so as far as the Army is concerned they are not obligated to ship it.

I'd sacrifice price for piece of mind. Just looking for some people who have shipped cars and what their experiences have been. I will check out uship.com. Thanks.

DAS, or Dependable Auto Shippers, while not inexpensive, tends to get high marks on m.net and some of those guys tend to ship a lot of cars.

I shipped my Miata from Jax, FL to DLI with DAS. Dependable Auto Shippers, Auto Transport Company: Free Car Shipping Quote Online

Good experience overall. No damage, car was even on schedule. IOT avoid extra cost for convertible (must ride on top because of drippings from other cars) and lowered car I told them on the phone that even though the car was sold as a convertible that it had a hardtop now, and I had my coilovers raised before the trip too.

It would have been over $1900 for a lowered convertible, but I paid $680 since it was raised and hardtopped.

As for damage, I put comprehensive on the car before it shipped and that would have covered it should there have been a need, I checked.

Good luck man, welcome back (soon).

Again, thanks for your service, and welcome home!

I used Express Auto Transport, and didn't have a great experience with them. It took the better part of a month to get my car from FM in Colorado to me here in Albany. They didn't communicate well with me, IMO, nor with the guy who ultimately shipped the car, as there was a dispute over the amount owed upon shipment. This is a very large shipping company, but it's obvious from online comments that people have varying results from them.

My advice to you: to keep the amount of time required for the ship down, try to have it shipped to and from larger metro areas. So, if you know someone in Syracuse or Buffalo, have it shipped there. The ship from Chicago to Buffalo/Syr will be more marketable to a shipper than to Watertown. That was my problem, the shipper couldn't find anyone willing to pick up in Grand Junction, CO. If you can't find someone in one of those cities, I'd be happy to either look for someone for you or take delivery in Albany for you, my office is adjacent to the airport and there is a very cheap fare from Wtown to Albany on Cape Air, and I would have no problems picking you up from the Albany airport.

Let me know if I can help.

Here is the deal, each and every company is NOT the actual shipping company.

Your car is input on a database with amount price you want to pay for delivery and all truck drivers have access to it.

How does it work?

To give you an example, if I were to ship the exact same car as yours, but I am willing to pay 1,000 and you 800. Who do you think they are going to pick up first?

That is why many companies try to tell you to go a little higher to guarantee pick up and delivery date. Thats how it is, they are crooks and are there for every penny they can squeeze out of you, honestly they do not want to strip your car apart. They ship very expensive cars and the last thing they want to do is to pull out an intercooler or a gauge from your dash.

This I do know, they get pissed off if the car is too low to the ground, so my recommendation is to put the stock springs back if the car is way low.

My personal experience, I had my car shipped from CA to FL, during that time gasoline was at its highest so I offered 1200 for delivery (usually play difficult and plan to have extra days to burn before delivery). It is like a gamble game between you and the delivery company (mediators in fact). So they said 1200 may guarantee pick up in two weeks.

My plan was to pay no more than 1400, but I go low as 1200 to play difficult and then bump it (remember gasoline was way high back then, if I recall 4.50 a gallon). So they said that maybe in two weeks they will pick it up, but in reality I wanted to be picked up within a month. I had numerous calls from the mediators stating truck drivers were willing to pick it up for 1600 (like within days) and I said hell no, I will wait the two weeks. Playing difficult and trying NOT to sound desperate will save you some money...

The two weeks closed in and I said I was going with another company (mediator) if within 3 days I did not get a truck driver to pick it up, by the second day a driver was willing to do it for 1400, half up front and the other half when it gets to the destination.
I went ahead and approved it, a good neighbor had the keys to the car back in CA. All this happened while I was here in FL, tell you it was not easy to leave the car in CA, almost cried, LOL.

It took the truck driver around 6 days to make it to FL, he had some issues on some of the inspection points in the highway. Truck driver showed up in front of the house, I even told him I had the cash on hand and waiting to pay him his other half, boy was he happy to show up in my house. I tell you, they want that money, you mention cash on hand and they treat you well.

I took pictures of the car, front/back/side/ everything engine bay and placed a newspaper on most pictures that will show the date so this way there was a reference and not only some date posted on the camera digitally which anyone can modify.

Another buddy of mine shipped a twin turbo mustang with another company the other way around, from FL to CA and had no problems. I have noticed from talking to other people whenever you have problems is when you go too cheap and if the car is too low on the ground.


Set a standard on how much you want to pay, low ball them a little and work your way up to your max.

Good luck

That blows, guess I need to start learning these things, I was planning on picking something up next time I went back to the states and getting it shipped over here (Germany) guess I'll need to re-consider that.

I have the FM suspension setup, which makes my car still look like it's on stilts so the ride height shouldn't be an issue. I checked out uship, and they are saying around 600$. The 2 companies that are offering to ship seem to have mostly positive reviews. I may go with one of them.

Ehh I don't know the regs for people stationed over seas. I would assume it would still be on your dime, but you might want to ask your chain.

Why wouldn't you want to pick something up out in Germany? Probably get something decent out there that you can't get in the states.

This is who we use too. I see them about 3 times a year for the last five years. Never had any problems. The can deliver to a specific address or they can deliver to the "hub" in the closest city (and you can go pick it up). They have always been on time too.

I have had someone remove a few fuses so that the car could not be started. They were a little grumpy about it, but were able to transport it anyway.
Stephanie

Hmm I will definitely check them out as well since it seems there is some good feedback about them. Appreciate everyone's help.

Very scared about putting my car in random people's hands.

OCONUS is a different story, you can ship during PCS moves, but I doubt Uncle Sam is going to pay to ship a car to you that you buy abroad during your tour.

CONUS, you can ship a vehicle but the trans office will only cover an amount equal to the mileage compensation had you driven the car from point to point.

I just got out the Marines a few months ago, and I have shipped my car several times. The last time was a horror story (I basically had to leave my car in North Carolina and go back to IL w.o it...only to have it show up here a month later. Make sure to check BBB for reviews and such. I wish I remember the shipping company I used from IL to Cali the first time, they where great and on time. You get what you pay for, don't cheap out, most companies are sub contractors, try and get a company who has their own personal drivers...hope this helps out bro..

Remember money talks, BS runs...

http://creativegreenius.files.wordpr...-the-money.jpg

lol.

I'm just gonna have to try and find a company that is legit, so I don't pay 1000 for what I think is good service, just to get crappy service and they pocket the extra 500.

You still dont get it, all companies are just a mediator, your car goes to a database and a truck driver picks it up. There is no link between the people that you call and the truck driver company, it is NOT the same company.

You follow what I am saying? Your car goes to some kind of highest bid database, many truck drivers from all over see the car and how much the owner is willing to pay. The truck driver is going to pick up whoever puts more money into the table. So if you offer 200 bucks your car is going to be there forever.

There is no way to beat the system, you have to suck it up and cross your fingers. The companies care less who the truck drivers is, in fact they do not even know who is going to pick it up til the last minute. There is no legit company, is somewhat like a stock broker...

It is not as if you are going to call and they have truck drivers available for you and they will say this is a good one and recommend you that one...


What I am saying they really do not want to scam you over, remember your car gets jacked they will not see the money, well half of it and later you can come back with a lawsuit although it will turn out nothing, but they do not want the unnecessary head-ache, all they want is cash money flow!

There is no legit company, LOL!

The man is coming back from Afghanistan psiturbo, he doesn't need you telling him he doesn't "get it". I think he gets it.

I see numerous plugs for DAS, I'd go with them again in a heartbeat.

Are you serious? I fully get it.

What keeps a company from pocketing $XX of my money and putting my bid out there for $YY-$XX.

Thanks, not sure why I'm getting talked to like a 4 year old. I've managed to keep soldiers alive in a war zone for a year. Pretty sure I get it.

Anyways my friend is now saying he will drive it out.. hoping for no snow!

Thanks for everyones advice, I really do appreciate it.

How soon is he going to drive it out? The weather has been really good, and even long range weather looks better than usual. You should be ok.

Have you stayed at Ft. Drum in the winter before? I feel sorry for a dude going from the desert to Drum in the winter, it is literally a frozen tundra up there! Albany is like Bermuda in comparison! Anyway, enjoy!

Yeah, I'm not envying the Drum thing... That's one of the posts I hope I never get assigned to.

Funny you mention desert.. we are in the middle of a 3 day blizzard, it's about 20 degrees outside, and we are located on the side of a mountain at 7500ft. We def don't get as much snow as drum here, but it won't be horrible.

I have been through a Drum winter... 5ft of snow at one time is not unusual.

OMG, dude whatever...

Man, do not take it personal and please do not pull the veteran card on this subject, you are pathetic.

Dude, I have had people who design elevators, are electrical engineers who work for Motorola and/or work for penitentiaries designing the security system and still come to me asking what is spam, how to get rid of spyware, how to configure wireless secured home network... What I am trying to say your skills of performing as a soldier has nothing to do with understanding how the shipping and receiving of goods work.


It would be real stupid if I am explaining to someone how spyware/spam etc works and all of a sudden the person says; "I design elevators as a living, you do not have to tell me how it works, I get it", and then the person is downloading music from Limewire Pro and trust me I have seen it. "But I thought because I had Limewire Pro, which I pay for it, it does not have viruses"...

What I am saying is ALL companies work with the bidding system unless, which you may try, you go with United Van Lines, Mayflower etc and who knows what there rates are.

The soldier in combat card please save it for another moment, I hope that when you come back from Afghanistan and there is a problem at the Auto Parts store, X, Y, Z situation you dont come out again and again and say the same ridiculous line.

We all know what you are doing, I respect you in every way for the job you are performing over seas, be it if people agree or not with war, but do remember you are not on a pedestal and just because you went there when you come back everyone has to kiss your ass. It does pisses me off badly the "I save soldiers, I know what I am doing" crap...

Trust me, I stumble with my fair share of veterans here in this hometown and many think they are the last coke on the desert just because they went to war. I respect what you do, but be open minded next time when you use such sentence as it has nothing, but NOTHING do to with the subject been discussed.

wow. good luck with that.

Bought my car from Cal. Shipped it to MD using DAS. No problem. Shipping port to port is cheaper, but many times the "ports" are simply car lots, auction houses, or dealerships. They do charge more for a softtop Miata as they have to put it on top. Seems like a scam to me as if they don't have a truck full of cars, some cars on top will be sedans. It was still the cheapest for me.

Frank

I brought up the soldier thing, and wasn't saying that he automatically understands
because he's a soldier, but that he doesn't need
your attitude right now. He asked
a simple question, if you scroll up you'll see it.

Also, throwing this out there if you do ship someday, the extra cost for a softtop car could be spent on a hardtop and you'd have something to show for the money.

I do have a hard top :D

1. The veteran related comment was in reply to you talking to me like I am 4. I'm in the Army, I understand very well being a soldier doesn't make you smart.

2. As for your whole veteran card theory... stfu. Seriously. Don't even talk about it. I don't care who you know, how many veterans you see etc..

3. No, sorry, you do not know what I am doing. Nor will you ever.

Buuuuuuut whatever. :jerkit:

Picture of aftermath of 3 day blizzard.

Def. Not desert lol.

I laugh a little on the inside when people ask my friends who went to Afghanistan how "hot" it was, lol. Also heard Afghanistan referred to as part of "the Middle East" numerous times, that's a good one.

Nothing tops the civilian who was chatting up me, another NCO, a Captain and a Major at lunch one day. He said, with a dead serious look on his face, that he hoped we never had to go to "Dubai or any other awful place like that". We were crying laughing after he left.

FedEx ! Awesome service, enclosed trailers, tracking, etc.

http://passport.fedex.com/

I've used them and the service is top notch!

If the enclosed trailers, point-to-point shipping stuff matters to you, sure. For kicks I just did a Fedex quote from Jacksonville to Monterey, same trip my Miata took with DAS - $2,127! I paid less than $700...