Vetting Transportation Companies

[Richard Davis]

I'm looking to purchase a B-Body and from up in MA and need to look into transportation. I thought about purchasing my own trailer but this is only a one and done. I reached out to the web and found a site that connects people to shippers and brokers. Now I have a ton of people blowing up my phone and need to pick one.

I have moved cars before but only as part of a household move. I'm looking for advice on how to choose a good carrier. Beside asking about being bonded and insured, having a valid license, references, what should I be looking for and what are the red flags that I should watch out for? Are there bad actors that I need to avoid? The car is just a driver quality but I don't want someone to take off with it.

I'm also surprised on the range of prices. I've been quoted anywhere from $400 to $800 to transport a running car 1000 miles (open trailer). That seems a little low to me.

Thoughts?

 

[dadsbee]

SC to MA... go get it yourself and skip the nightmare.

 

[John Folz]

I second Wayne. Even if you have to rent a U-Haul trailer. Much better peace of mind doing it yourself

 

[1STMP]

I'm looking to purchase a B-Body and from up in MA and need to look into transportation. I thought about purchasing my own trailer but this is only a one and done. I reached out to the web and found a site that connects people to shippers and brokers. Now I have a ton of people blowing up my phone and need to pick one.

I have moved cars before but only as part of a household move. I'm looking for advice on how to choose a good carrier. Beside asking about being bonded and insured, having a valid license, references, what should I be looking for and what are the red flags that I should watch out for? Are there bad actors that I need to avoid? The car is just a driver quality but I don't want someone to take off with it.

I'm also surprised on the range of prices. I've been quoted anywhere from $400 to $800 to transport a running car 1000 miles (open trailer). That seems a little low to me.

Thoughts?

I've had a few cars shipped.
Each time slammed with
phone calls. It's a cutthroat
business.
Those carriers that charge
the lower prices are volume
haulers with the big rigs. You
are at their mercy for time as
they get 8-10 cars lined up to
move.
I've also moved a couple of
my own using just a tow
dolly from u-haul. If the car
you want shipped, rolls, this
is a viable option. They're
safe to use and I hauled
both cars over a 1000 miles
with them.
I'm paranoid during
transport, and bring a wheel
lock with me to prevent
theft for the overnight stays.

 

[Darter6]

Do yourself a favor and go with Reliable Carriers Inc. I had nightmares with other carriers.
Never a problem with Reliable. One more tip,stay away from brokers,another nightmare.

 

[Dennis H]

Impossible task.

 

[gtx6970]

I've used passport transportation.

Zero issues .
And delivered about 5 days sooner than originally planned

 

[gtx6970]

But as close as you are would rent a haul trailer and get it myself

 

[hunt2elk]

Stay away from all the brokers, usually nothing but a nightmare. I will also vote for getting it yourself since you aren't terribly far away. Take your wife along and make it an enjoyable road trip. You don't know anyone that would borrow/rent you a trailer?

 

[GetX'd]

If you go w/a transport I highly recommend Intercity Transport. They are not a broker co and the drivers are their own employees. I’ve used them twice with very good experiences both times. You’ll have the # of the driver and/or they will call you on occasion from the road. If you did as you say in looking for one - I’m sure you ran into a nightmare - w/Intercity you can arrange online, or call them to set things up. Mine were both enclosed trailers so I don’t know about open transport w/them. You’d have to check.

I just looked it up - they only do enclosed transport. Whatever you do don’t go with a broker co. They farm your job out and the nightmare begins….

 

[WileERobby]

Interesting. The one time I didn't get a car myself ( long story ) I used a broker to get a car from the midwest. The experience was, to put it mildly... great. Could not have been better. Both cost and service.

 

[33 IMP]

I'd go get it myself, if nothing else than to look at it before paying for it.
If you haven't got an "adequate" truck for U-haul trailer standards, rent a truck from em too.

 

[moparedtn]

I agree with others - you can rent a rig from U-Haul:
How to Load a Car onto the Auto Transport | U-Haul
Also:
One of their box trucks makes a perfect tow vehicle - and of course, also gives you ample
storage for any extra parts that may come with the purchased car.

 

[0DegreeEngineer]

Go get it yourself I drove from Minnesota to the northern Oklahoma border and return trip and was able to inspect the car and get it back faster

 

[Runner 68]

I'm looking to purchase a B-Body and from up in MA and need to look into transportation. I thought about purchasing my own trailer but this is only a one and done. I reached out to the web and found a site that connects people to shippers and brokers. Now I have a ton of people blowing up my phone and need to pick one.

I have moved cars before but only as part of a household move. I'm looking for advice on how to choose a good carrier. Beside asking about being bonded and insured, having a valid license, references, what should I be looking for and what are the red flags that I should watch out for? Are there bad actors that I need to avoid? The car is just a driver quality but I don't want someone to take off with it.

I'm also surprised on the range of prices. I've been quoted anywhere from $400 to $800 to transport a running car 1000 miles (open trailer). That seems a little low to me.

Thoughts?

I feel your pain brother. I stepped in that pile of $hit last year. They are relentless.
I agree with the above. Buy, rent, barrow a trailer and get it yourself. SC to MA sounds like a fun road trip to me.
I just recently road tripped from CO to AR with a buddy to pick up a new enclosed trailer. Smoking deal. We had a blast.

 

[Richard Davis]

I only know one guy with an adequate trailer. The thing is buried in scrap and I wouldn't trust the tires or brakes. The Uhaul/Penski option requires that you also rent a truck. It would require 4 - 5 days truck rental plus the trailer, unless I could do a one way on the trailer.

I might check into a dolly but I haven't checked the date code on the car's rear tires. I would also have to make sure I never have to back up anywhere.

I thought about buying a trailer and then selling it after the move, but that is a hassle.

I don't mind if I have to wait for the car to arrive but the sleepless nights I would have waiting might not be worth it.

I don't have a wife (that is how I am able to afford the car) and my part time GF isn't an option. I don't have any friends with trailers or that are even car guys.

I will do more research and see which of the respondents are real shippers and not brokers.

 

[1KoolBee]

Ditto what everyone is saying. I had that nightmare back in 2022 with my son’s wheelchair van.

Trucker was a lying POS, excuse after excuse, 1 week turned into 2 months, damaged the van, used it to help deliver other vehicles, finally abandoned it in Albuquerque. I had to fly down, pick it up, and drive it home.

 

[Dennis H]

Ditto what everyone is saying. I had that nightmare back in 2022 with my son’s wheelchair van.

Trucker was a lying POS, excuse after excuse, 1 week turned into 2 months, damaged the van, used it to help deliver other vehicles, finally abandoned it in Albuquerque. I had to fly down, pick it up, and drive it home.

Who?

 

[1KoolBee]

It was through a broker. I’ll double check the name once I get home, but they were out of Florida.

 

[71RRHI]

I used Montway Auto transport to ship a car from Iowa to Honolulu. There is a few extra steps to ship a car to Hawaii. Several transport companies I called only wanted to handle the tranport to from Iowa to california, and wanted me to handle the shipping from california to Hawaii. But Montway did the whole process.
Their customer service was excellent, sent me emails of when the car was picked and when it was dropped off at the pier.
I had asked the seller to send me pictures of it being loaded on the truck for my scrap book of the journey with this car. But he forgot. I emailed Montway, I figured the driver probably took pictures of the when he picked it up. 15 minutes after emailing Montway, I recieved 12 pictures of when the driver picked up the car, and how it was loaded. They also automaticaly sent me pictures of when it was unloaded at the pier.
They had also arranged my car to be flat racked. So the only person to drive my car was the delivery driver who drove it on to his truck, off his truck, and onto the rack.
After saying all that, I would still recommend picking it yourself if possible.