Auto Carrier Referrals (Enclosed) - Somewhat Urgent

Discussion in 'Site News, Feedback, Suggestions and Help' started by Dandy, Sep 12, 2017.

  1. Dandy

    Dandy Member

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    Good Day All,

    I am wondering if any of you have any experience with auto carriers? As the title states, I am looking for referrals for an auto carrier that offers enclosed services - even if you didn't use an enclosed service from them.
    Have you used a carrier?
    If so, which carrier and how was the overall experience?
    Would you recommend them or use them again?

    We have a carrier near us that runs "limited routes" with their enclosed haulers and my pick up location is NOT on their line.

    In the event you are wondering, no I do not want to transport on an open carrier - this car has a ragtop and I would rather is not be driven through a storm to potentially have it delivered with a wet/damp interior. No I cannot drive it back, not only do I not have the time in my schedule, but I am not going to hop in a 69 Air Cooler VW and trust it will make a 1200 mile journey.

    I have a car waiting pick up in Duncan, SC for delivery to St. Cloud, MN

    Thanks in advance for any feedback you can provide.

    -Dan
     
  2. n2fordmuscle

    n2fordmuscle Well-Known Member

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    I've used Mercury Transport twice. They are a broker. Both experiences were great, but it did take them a few weeks both times. Also, both times was with open carrier, so I'm not sure if they have enclosed carriers that they work with.

    Good luck!
     
  3. ModelT1

    ModelT1 Still Lost in the 50's

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    I had three of my cars shipped from NW Florida in Dec. 2015 in 90+ temps and clear skies to central Illinois, roughly 1050 miles. Two days at most.
    Rather than go north and make delivery before it rained and turned cold, the driver went 150 miles south to spend the weekend at DisneyWorld.
    He then had several breakdowns which made delivery two weeks late. Snow and freezing rain from Birmingham to central Illinois on a mesh and open channel flat floored trailer.

    All three cars arrived snow and salt covered. At the receiving end my oldest son and son in law were to put them in my garage here. They neglected to remove the road salt.
    Nearly a year later we moved back to find all three basically ruined, from paint, to stainless, and chrome.
    Whatever it costs, get enclosed delivery!
    Shipped A (3).jpg <------------Clean and shiny!
    Salty Shipping.jpg <---- Road salt and snow.
    The driver was to get to Illinois before the weather changed. :cussing::bs:
    You can see the road salt on all three yet my kids didn't bother to have them cleaned. The stainless trim, wheels, and all chrome are ruined.:badwords::cussing:

    I haven't looked in the garage in over a year!:rant2::cry:
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. Dandy

    Dandy Member

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    So, @ModelT1 what you are saying is that I am making the correct choice going with an enclosed hauler :D?

    Sorry to hear about your luck, that photo is heartbreaking!
     
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  5. ModelT1

    ModelT1 Still Lost in the 50's

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    Yes Dan, especially since your VW will be going north. The weather can change over night. As for me, it was in the 90's and everyone was sweating. Two weeks later when the truck finally arrived in Illinois everyone was freezing.
    The cars look much worse now that the salt has worked on the trim. The bumpers were like new since I'd replaced them in the 90's and the cars were kept inside except for a few trips. Bumper chrome pits become "outies" so they are very rough to feel and see. I had chrome on engines, rear,etc. Basically all cars need redone and I can't do it any longer.
    The only vehicle that made it high and dry was the 1948 Chevy panel truck my son in law came to Florida and hauled on his open trailer. It never rained and was still warm out. Just like the others had been scehduled to travel in, warm dry weather.
    Our driver was hired thru a broker like most in Oct of that year. It was nearly New Years eve when he left our house in Florida. He went south with family to celebrate New Years at Disney. So I basically was waiting for him to come down anyway.
    He seemed to know and love old cars but by going south for a week then having break downs winter came suddenly. A closed van would have helped.

    I should have followed my son in law home and been there. My kids are not really into old cars and didn't even think what a coating of road salt would do. It totally shocked me as the arrival photos don't look too bad.
    Still as I look at late model vehicles here in central Illinois I am seeing what salt does in a few short years. I never forgot that. Just expected the cars to be at least rinsed off.
    PanelProgress 5-5-06 032.jpg
    The panel truck still looks the same after being hauled on an open trailer in nice weather.
    I'd originally hauled seven different cars south one at a time when we moved and none got a drop of rain on them.
    I suppose that's how I should have taken those back north. But us and the vehicles aged since 1994!
     
  6. jaunty75

    jaunty75 Middling Member

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    OK, let's slow down a little bit here. We're all sorry your cars were damaged by being stored with salt on them, but this was not the fault of the open carrier. If your family had simply seen fit to wash the cars before storing them, you wouldn't have had a problem.

    Also, we're not talking December or January here. It's only mid-September, and even the northernmost points in the U.S. are not going to see snow and salt for another month and a half or so. If he can get his car shipped in the next month, he should not have to worry about road salt getting on it during transport. And even if it did, he could....rinse it off when it arrives!


    I had my '78 Toronado shipped from Georgia to New Mexico last February by this company:

    http://dependableautotransport.com/

    They're based in upstate New York, but they work nationwide. I've had cars shipped three times in the last 10 years, and all were very good experiences, but this most recent was by far the fastest. Signed and returned contract by email on a Friday. Car was picked up the following Sunday and delivered to my city by the following Thursday. Less than a week from beginning to end. Cost was $950 for a non-operable vehicle on an open carrier. I think it would have been about $100 less if the car was able to move under its own power. I don't know what the cost would have been for an enclosed carrier.

    One of the three vehicles I've had transported was a convertible, and it was on an open carrier. Fortunately, the top is quite water tight, and even though the trip involved rain along the way, no water got inside.
     
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  7. MAK

    MAK Well-Known Member

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    for what it's worth here is my earlier post to a similar question

    I just had my car shipped from Il back to VA, Used U Ship from eBay cost $720 including Insurance
    Have read the horror stories, but have read the great ones too. Because of Christmas New Years and weather delivery was delayed by 3 days. U ship did the work found a carrier, sent me their info, DOT numbers their insurance carrier etc.. Final carrier gave me drivers phone number, great guy!!! he couldn't deliver to home address - truck too big - we arranged to have delivered to a friends Lincoln dealership - gave the driver the UShip paper - that's was it.
    As the car was shipped on an open car carrier - it was filthy - couldn't see out he windows This driver had 7 stops between IL and VA - 5 dealers and 2 auctions - everyone of them asked if the Colony Park was going to a dealer for sale = As much as I want the car and happy to finally get another CP - I like cash more - Driver and I had a good laugh about it.
    It was painless and easy.
    Worked out well - lucky I guess
    https://www.uship.com/ship/vehicles/cars-light-trucks/create
     
  8. n2fordmuscle

    n2fordmuscle Well-Known Member

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    Found a few pics. Mine was surprisingly clean when it arrived. Was shipped from San Fransisco to Georgia. Actually, both cars that I had transported arrrived very clean. The other was shipped on a similar carrier from Washington state to Georgia. Both cost a little over $1000 each. This was 5 years ago, and then 2 years ago.

    Being loaded onto the carrier.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    After being removed from the carrier.

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. Dandy

    Dandy Member

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    Thanks for the replies and input everyone. I had looked at UShip in the past, but I struggle with the bombardment of people sending quotes and trying to push for a commitment with things like "I can pick it up tomorrow" and by looking at reviews, they use that tactic to get the bid but then push it back or call and state, "things have changed, it will be 3 days, but I have another driver that can get there tomorrow and it will be $XXX additional". This is why I looked for referrals. I am also a regular contributor to a few boating forums and figured that most boat people are also car people. Through one of the forums, I was referred to Passport Transport (https://www.passporttransport.com/) by a member that has provided good information to myself and others in the past. They are exclusively enclosed equipment. They are not a broker and own their own equipment, some of the drivers are employed by them and some a contracted which they were very upfront about. The pick up and drop off window is fairly large, but I understand that there are not really regular routes and they need to try and work in as many other vehicles on the transport between point A and point B as they can. Again, thanks for the feedback, I will be sure to follow upon this once the car is delivered. Hopefully I will be around to take a few pics, otherwise my wife will hopefully remember.
     
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  10. MAK

    MAK Well-Known Member

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    Dandy
    wish you the best, look forward to your updates
     
  11. 59 wagon man

    59 wagon man Well-Known Member

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    Pilot transport not a broker , did a good job with my 59. Plus the owner Charlie is a car guy who has driven his personal mid 70's Camaro on the hot rod power tour at least 2x that I know of
     
    Last edited: Sep 15, 2017
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  12. ModelT1

    ModelT1 Still Lost in the 50's

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    We're all sorry your cars were damaged by being stored with salt on them, but this was not the fault of the open carrier.<------------ Yes, it was!
    If your family had simply seen fit to wash the cars before storing them, you wouldn't have had a problem.:cry: I agree! But they are not "car guys", it was very cold, and they do have a family and jobs.

    It's been nearly two years and we all lived through it. Material things can be repaired or replaced.

    Yes and no! Or yes and yes! The cars were to be shipped central Florida to central Illinois mid December when the weather from point A to point B was clear and very warm the entire 1000+ miles.
    The driver was at least two weeks late. Then during a 90 degree week in Florida and 70's in Illinois he went south 140 miles rather than north west. This was with a storm headed north within days.
    Of course no one knew there would be a snow storm from Nashville to the destination in early January. Actual drive time is under 20-hours, or 10 hours in two days.
    The driver appeared to be a car guy, friendly, and thrilled to haul them.

    I agree, my family should have at least hosed the cars off when the weather warmed up. Road salt does not attach immediately. :badwords: happens.

    I only wrote my sob story to show that all brokers and drivers don't always do as they tell you. In fact many will set a date then make excuses to postpone shipment, which involves more money.
    I have no idea what an enclosed trailer costs over an open trailer. I paid $1800 to ship three cars 1000+ miles. Distance, amount of vehicles, and location will change the prices.

    We need a thread here on the forum with names and addresses of reputable haulers and stories of what to expect. There's always a member needing a wagon or something shipped.
     
  13. Dandy

    Dandy Member

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    Just to keep everyone updated, so far so good with Passport Transport. They ALREADY arrived to pick up the SB. Everything was handled between them and the seller and the seller stated that they have been very professional and he is pleased to see the car going with a professional enclosed carrier.
    1969 Squareback Loading.jpeg
     
  14. jaunty75

    jaunty75 Middling Member

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    Looks good. Good luck.
     
  15. jaunty75

    jaunty75 Middling Member

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    When I sold my '73 Custom Cruiser back in December 2014, the buyer also had it shipped in an enclosed trailer. I watched the entire loading process, and I took a few photos. The driver moved all of the cars already on the truck (there were three) off so he could put the wagon in a certain spot, which happened to be up front and on the bottom. When he moved the other cars already on the trailer out onto the street, I thought I had died and moved to Beverly Hills as the selection would have done a Beverly Hills car dealer proud.

    Here's the cars the '73 CC shared the truck with. It really seemed like the wagon, which had a value of a few thousand dollars at most, was a pair of cheap sneakers relative to the values of the other cars. They were probably all worth close to or more than $100,000.


    Audi A8L

    IMAG0244 (Medium).jpg


    Porsche Cayenne Turbo

    IMAG0236 (Medium).jpg


    Plymouth Prowler. Note the truck itself. It was a two-section truck, and it had canvas sides, not solid sides.

    IMAG0250 (Medium).jpg


    Another shot of the truck. The canvas sides could be drawn back like curtains, making it easy to access the cars inside.

    IMAG0247 (Medium).jpg
     
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