A quick search didn't pull up what I wanted.. And hopefully I'm asking this in the right area. I'm looking at buying a 50's pickup that's in Ontario, and need it to be delivered to me in Florida. The truck is nice and fully operational. Can anyone (who might have actual experience) recommend a shipping company that I can trust? I'm going cross-eyed on google.. Thanks!
Probably more than you want to know, but I used a shipping service, United Routes www.UnitedRoutes.com who intern hired Angel Wings Transport, Barnesville, GA and driver Tim Knap (C 912-237-3607) to move my car from the Cleveland area to Tampa in a fully enclosed trailer, insured, etc.. I flew into Canada, bought the car, drove it thru customs at Detroit and did my own paperwork (the car is old enough there are NO duties or EPA / DOT / etc.). It took an hour of waiting and 20 minutes of paperwork, and a $5.00 bridge toll to get the car to the US. Kind of a breeze, actually. No brokers or other agents are needed. I imported the car on a Canadian title signed over to me and the previous owner's plates / registration. I sent his plates back, of course. Then I drove the car to a friend's place near Cleveland, where it was picked up for transport to my place in Tampa. The charge for all this was nearly identical as one of the big "Reliable" type carriers, but I was able to arrange shipping dates much closer to my needs by using a service that had a lot of small operators. Of course, if the shippers have to pick it up in Canada and possibly do the customs, there may more fees. Or you can do the customs thing when you get your car to Florida but you have to live close to a US Customs office and they must see the car. You can't get a Florida title without the correct US Custom's form first. Gary
Thanks, Gary. I'm in Tallahassee and it looks like there is a customs office here. The seller of the truck says he can get it to Buffalo, NY easily. Are you saying I can get it shipped here, and THEN do the customs paperwork? Flying up and driving it back isn't really in the cards.. I'm just trying to figure out my options. Looks like a few calls need to be made..
You should call US Customs in Tallahassee to be sure, but I'm 99 percent sure. To get my Florida paperwork done, I had to take my US Customs form (one page, their is no charge for it, even) to the regional FL DMV office. They are the ones who check the customs forms for the state, verify the VIN, etc. Their approval then lets you go to the local tag office to actually apply for your new title and get tags (and pay taxes!). Having fun yet? Gary PS forgot in my first post a bill of sale, too.
Hi mbstude I handled car payment to seller by bank. I had a company by the name TFX transport transport my hotrod. I filled out a package they sent me via email. They picked my car up did all border transactions delivered it (enclosed) to my garage. I felt cost was reasonable, service was good and I was well informed. I would do it again. This was a US to Canada transaction but they do it any which way.
Here are a couple of Transporters I always use, 1. TFX Auto Transport. 1-888-415-3158 2. Thorsons Vehicle Transport. 1-416-742-0854 You would have no problems with either both are 1st Class.. Larry
It might be worth the trip to the customs office in Tallahassee to ask about the procedure in person and obtain what ever forms you might need. It's a lot easier to ask the right officials about the exact procedure prior to importing the truck than having an "oh shit" moment if you didn't follow the procedure.
Was the vehicle imported into Canada from the US ? Was the original country of final assembly the US ? Was it originally titled in the US & is there a " paper trail " you can review verifying that before purchase ? You want to make sure you can register it to drive on the street- don't assume you can before you buy it. You might consider having the Seller deliver it to the US side of the border as a condition of sale - that way you can be sure it can be imported. Jim
Yup...the guys / gals at TFX are excellent and move beaucoup vehicles between Canada and Florida all the time. The 'snow bird season' is about to begin...give 'em a call and they'll set you up.
It sounds like TFX is the way to go. I'll be giving them a call in the morning. The truck spent its life in Michigan, until the current owner bought and imported it into Ontario 2 years ago. It's a made-in-USA truck that was always in the USA with the exception of the last 2 years. I'll keep everyone posted.
Tfx gave a great quote, but the soonest they can pick it up is late November. Is there another company that's comparible to them? Thanks..
They will ask for the port of entry. Make sure the seller asks ahead of time what he needs to say and bring to US Customs when he brings the vehicle across the border, answering questions the wrong way can bring extra expense, for no reason.
I settled on a broker and Mackie's transport. They had the best price and communication. I'll post an update when I get the truck. Thanks everyone for the help.
This topic is timely. I'm considering buying a non-running project (w/title) from Ontario. Final destination is outside of Philadelphia. Anyone have experience bringing a vehicle through customs on a trailer? I'm considering this as an option, but I'd have to rent both the truck and trailer since my pickup isn't rated to haul a car trailer. In the end, that may be more expensive than using a pro shipper. Don't want to hijack the original poster's thread, but maybe any other info can help us both. Thank you.
Not hi-jacking.. I hope someone can chime in and help you out! When I was filling out the info for the transport company, they had an option for "Is the vehicle operational?" I don't think it would be any different to bring a non-op into the US than bringing one that runs. I'm surprised at how relatively easy the whole process turned out to be.. My truck is scheduled to be picked up in Ontario on Thursday, and should be here on the 31st. Getting excited!
This question has nothing to do with the border crossing. Large carriers have to load & unload your vehicle many times during the trip to get other ones off the truck. This is why their damage rate is so high. If yours does not run they will probably charge you more & some of them will NOT transport a non running vehicle for this reason.
I'd say that was very exciting to see the truck getting loaded and on the way. Some peace of mind. That could be very hair raising doing an international transaction. Keep us posted as to progress. Tim
So far, Mackie's has been nothing but a pleasure to deal with. There was an issue with them processing my debit card.. I don't have a credit card and the debit card wouldn't go through at their office in Canada. They replied, "Ah, just give the driver a certified check when he delivers your truck. No problem." Just really great and easy to deal with.
+There is no issue in bringing a non-op vehicle over the border, there is no cost to you just make sure you have a B.of S. and the Title the car has to have a Serial number on it, you also need your Pass Port to get into Canada. You will get a Import Document from USA customs it is required when you change title at your local D.O.T. where you will also pay your State tax. Hope this helps. Larry
Thought I'd follow up since everything is done... The truck is here, Mackie Transport is absolutely fantastic, and I couldn't be happier.
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