Shipping a car is a pain in the @ss!!

So I sold my 1940 Stude to a fella in Texas. I'm in Southern California. I made the mistake of posting the move to one of those websites that lets multiple carriers give you a quote. It's been a nightmare. I've had over 30 calls. Prices ranging from under $700 to over $1000. So I selected a company on Friday that said they could get it moved this week for $680. Since then, they took a deposit and assured me that they'll get a driver this week and would keep me updated in the meantime. Since then, I've gotta over a dozen more calls from other haulers trying to put the fear of God in me about using any service that is not theirs. Plus they all say the same thing..."we all use the same drivers and haulers, there's no way you're getting that done for $680!" So after hearing this a few times, I decided to call the shipper and verify that they could do it for this price. (mind you I asked this 3x when placing the order) The guy says, "actually it's more like $730, but yeah, we can do it this week." I had NO idea this was such a cut throat business. My Bel Air was shipped to me without a hitch at a great price. But of course that guy doesn't run to TX, just my luck! Has anyone had any recent experiences with shipping?

 

had my LaSalle hauled from MD to Pa (in the winter) for a great price by a real "stand-up" professional guy I found on that "multi-ship" website.

at the price of fuel today I think your getting a decent deal even at $730. just my 2c
good luck

 

I agree, which is why I agreed to pay that. Trouble is, these other companies keep calling me telling me there's no way I'm going to get it done for $730. That the company I signed up with is going to wait a week then tell me that can't find a hauler at that price and need more money. In the meantime, I have a guy who paid for a car in full and wants it yesterday! Hopefully they're just blowing smoke. We'll see.

 

Why did you book the shipping? Now it is on your shoulders, should have let the buyer deal with it.

730 is a good price but that car may be on and off trailers for the next three months, sitting in yards waitin for the next load with space going that way

 

^^^Exactly - you sold the car, got paid, technically title passed - new owner's task to arrange shipping. I always photograph the vehicle being loaded and on the transporter and e-mail these to the new owner so there are no comebacks. When I buy a car I never use a broker which half the guys on these websites are - just trolling for the next victim and lying to suit their purpose - gouge more money from the customer....

 

Are you talking to a regular shipper or a bull-shit commission broker?

 

That would suck. Also sucks that I agreed to cover shipping, but it is what it is. I figured I'd call who I used before and it wouldn't be a big deal. Now here we are. They told me 1-4 days to get it picked up. 2-5 to get it delivered. I suppose it's anybody's guess.

 

You hired a broker. The HAMB has shippers in the HAMB-O-Dex. I know it's too late now but in the future stay away from brokers and hire only owner operators.

 

I definitely should have checked on the HAMB first. That was my 2nd mistake. 1st was agreeing to cover shipping, 3rd was hiring a broker in an effort to save money.

 

I never arrainge shipping. The buyer has to arrainge it and pay for it. I will however meet the transport ONE TIME at my shop 24/7.

 

I went through similar situation...that's why I decided to rent a U-Haul and go get it myself!!!

Helped that I was on vacation, and I drive 440 miles a day for work anyway so the drive wasn't that big of a deal.

11 hrs each way, 1281 miles total

I also got to check out the car first before the sale was final.

 

Yep its a huge PITA .

Like this :

PITA

 

I know the guy who owns the local U-Haul that you may have rented the trailer from.

He is on US 19 North and he has a few other locations.

He is an old racer from up north who travel the country for years racing stock cars and he really knows what he is talking about.

The other day some guy walked in and asked for a local truck for the day rate of $19.95 @ day plus mileage so they usually use the old glucker trucks for any around town moves.

The guy calls back about five days later and tells my friend your truck is parked outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma with the keys in it!!!

True Story and I guess this happens every once in a while to U-Haul dealers.

My friend was in shock that the truck even made it that far the way it was running when the guy pulled out. The around town trucks are the oldest ones in the fleet with many miles on them and they are just about ready to be put out to pasture!

I guess he got his money worth out the deal and I have no idea who's credit card he used to do it.

Jimbo

 

You said it 31Vicky.

That's a pretty wild story Jimbo.

I wish I could pull that off upspirate!

 

Main reason to use Hamb haulers,,might cost a little more ,maybe not but they all are dependable and do exactly what they say they will.HRP

 

Another thing special and specific to your situation is that the amount of cars going east from southern California is overwhelming for the shippers. They get a premium because the volume is high and will support what ever they want to charge. Cheaper bids sit as long as higher ones are available.

Brokers are the worst aren't they? Will call with a phone script and use time share high pressure tactics

 

I watched the TV series, "Shipping Wars". They sure seem dependable.

 

i to hired a brocker not knowing what i was doing the
broker hired a peace of crap from md.
he loaded my car on his trailer at 11.30 at nite he was supposed to be there at 5.30
the owners advised him the top was not secured do to the latch being loose
long story short he ripped the roof off my t bird and kept the car 5 days longer
when asked what he was going to do about it his answer was it was my fault
his insurance company wouldnt do nothing the broker wouldnt do nothing and i still hafd to pay him in hundered dollar bills be fore he would unload car lesson learnd

 

from your original post it sounds like you used Uship.. so i can see the difference between $680 -$730. as Uship charges a "booking fee"... just because you are using Uship, doesnt mean you arent dealing with a broker, i had a project shipped last week via a hauler from uship , had many many bids,but most were brokers,,,found a guy that was an INDIVIDUAL and had him do it.... so everything went pretty smooth.


but yeah, i never arainge shipping a car if i am selling, i will meet the hauler when it comes time to pick up, but the rest is up to the buyer...

 

Sellers

Understanding that the market is tough out there, you might feel
pressured to assist a prospective buyer in facilitating transport

Don't do it .....

If someone needs to facilitate cheap transport to be able to buy
your car - that is their decision - it can come back to bite you
in the @ss if things go bad

Buyers

Don't expect the seller to sell you transport or bundle it
it with the purchase price of a vehicle

Deal directly with who you choose to haul your car

If you can't go get what you bought - don't expect
someone else to do it for less than you honestly can

Everyone

Nothing wrong with U Ship or Brokers .....

Just use common sense

Like any service - you get what you pay for



Jim

 

Went through the same thing. Everybody lied except the HAMB haulers.

 

going thru this as we speak, shipper was supposed to be owner/operator (not so) was supposed to pickup in week or so (has been 22 days) they keep giving me excuses and then all together just ignoring me so today e-mailed them to cancel my order, within a few minutes I get a call from them with more excuses and then they tell me within 2 days will pickup, then I get e-mail saying estimated pickup by the 14th. What can I do "NOTHING" just got to wait and if its not picked up by then I think I will just go get it myself, anyone need a car takin out west from east coast I will deliver it since i'm going that way, lol.

 

I contracted with a mom-and-pop shipper who own two car carriers, each capable of carrying six cars. As it happened, they couldn't make a pickup and delivery within the agreed upon time frame so they sub-contracted to another driver who had a three car carrier and who could make the delivery on time. I was extremely pleased with driver who delivered the car. He delivered the car to a shopping center parking lot (boy, they weren't pleased with that) and when the car wouldn't start he provided a jump battery, tools and starting fluid to get it going. If it's allowed to name companies here, the name of the operation I used is Door-to-Door Transport, sub-contracted to Road Dog Auto Transport. Both are recommended.

A year ago I was arranging the shipping of a vehicle I sold. I contacted one of those sites that give your details to a hundred shippers and brokers. After getting the runaround for several weeks, the buyer finally just came a got the vehicle himself. I'm still getting emails from shippers wanting my business.

 

Does sound like you used uship.com. I had good luck and found a great guy who moved a Tahoe from L.A. to Austin. Uship does take a large chunk of what is quoted though, my quote was around 730 and uship kept over 100 that the shipper never sees. Luckily, I now have a great guy to move parts and cars around the US.

 

Amen to that. What were you thinking?

 

you have my sympathy

now try doing this once per week!

definitely not the best part of my day

 

I've used uShip several times, had good luck I was even on the "Shipping Wars" show recently. If you take your time and check out the shippers, you can find a good deal. The key is to be patient if you have the time to wait for the best deal. Again, check the shipper out! Years ago, I had a guy show up once after claiming to have all this new equipment and he had a 1990s Suburban with 2 clapped out flatbeds behind it. The 1st one had a ball sorta welded to the deck (no bolt!) that the 2nd one was connected to. The wiring was Romex twisted together and wraped in masking tape! The tires were so thin you could almost see the air in 'em. YIKES!!!! He had a really old forklift on the front trailer and my car on the 2nd. Drove his piece of crap all the way from Georgia that way. Told me he topped out at 50 MPH.

The show is NOT what they make it look like. "Reality" is a bit of a stretch! They are NOT sitting there bidding, it's all prearainged long before. Makes for better TV, I guess. No discount for being on the show either. I can tell you Roy has the largest self created ego of anybody I've ever met! I wonder how it fits in the cab with his cat. I have met some very important and famous people (considered legends) that didn't have the ego of that moron. He thinks he's all that and he is very wrong!

 

If you think those Bozo's on Shipping Wars are dependable, you have never dealt with a quality transporter like one of us here on the Hamb that advertise in the Hamb O Dex section.
Those morons on that show do not even know how to properly tie down a vehicle. Uship is strictly for the lowest price, bottom of the barrel jobs

 

Lame shows like 'shipping wars' don't help matters. It used to be back in the day you chose between one of a handful of companies that only hauled cars. Called em up, they dispatch a driver, and life goes on. Now since everyone is trying to make a quick buck, everyone with a trailer hitch and a hundred bucks for a permit wants to be a long hauler. I used to know people that made a couple hundred grand a year trucking. Now the market's so saturated, they're selling their rigs and defaulting on their mortgages.

In any event, tomorrow marks the last day of the window they gave me. If they don't come up with anything, I'm going to cut ties and do what I should've done in the first place and contact someone from the HAMB.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge guys. I just needed to vent. At the end of the day, it's all a learning experience. If I ever sell another car to an out of state buyer, they are handling the shipping regardless of the deal!!

 

Rick Powell, here on the HAMB, treats your car as if it was his own. Open and enclosed trailers. "Racinman" is his screen name.