Who has or knows of a legitimate shipper to get a non running rolling project car shipped from Eagles Bridge, NY to the Monterey bay area.
Good luck. I had a non-running car shipped from Denver to Long Island in 2014, which was 1800 miles. NOBODY wants to cross the GW Bridge. Going west should be much easier.
Be careful with shipping brokers. I once had a car shipped from port of NY ( JDM import) to my house in upstate NY and I forget the name of the company but it sounded professional…. It was a guy with an old Suburban and a rickety trailer with his business name on paper taped in the window. It came to me fine but I paid pretty good money for that
The Hamb-O-Dex guys do a good job and will deliver your car on time and undamaged. I have used Bill Squires before with excellent results. All will have fair rates, but it is 3000 miles, so it will be a fair chunk of change. Using shipping brokers via the internet is a crapshoot. Most don't want to fool with a non-running car. A haul is offered up on a "load board" and who knows who the hauler or haulers will be. Often the price quoted will be higher on delivery. My experience with this method is poor. Other avenues such as hiring a private party you know or if the car will fit in a PODS container could be an option or go get it yourself.
In case you haven't seen it, the Hamb O'Dex is here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/the-h-a-m-b-odex.12/ Bill's Auto Works and Truly Vintage are right up at the top of that page. They're one man shops, so you'll have to wait until they're able to fit the trip into their schedules.
The first half of the last sentence is all that matters to me! Last year I imported what was to be my dream car (still is) and I got the runabout.. reputable place.. they couldn’t have organised a handjob in a brothel. Two futile attempts to get it out of Chicago after playing dumb with measurements and weight.. sending wrong carriers.. paid top dollar for enclosed, it was transported on open, they tried to weasel out of repaying the difference when I called em on it.. once the car arrived the builders tag was missing - I blasted em and turns out ‘oh it was on our desk’ Then their cleaning mob obliterated the interior.. you get the picture. I’d sooner give whatever money to average Joe blow with his paper taped to the window as opposed to a buncha apparent big dogs who care about nothing but what’s in your pocket or bank account. to the OP - get in touch with some people who have USED said shipper, have good results and go with them. Not someone who KNOWS a good shipper but hasn’t used em. Ask me how I know
Ditto on never using a broker. Reliable shipped a non running car from Colorado to Florida with no issues. Car was on a trailer and I backed it up to the transporter and used the trailer winch and snatch block to load it facing the rear so it could be rolled off at the destination.
Post topic comes up often enough for a 20 year member to have seen it before. Shippers have the law on their side, trucking in general and shipping cars in particular has become very cutthroat and lowest bidder, often to people that have no real insurance, assets or roots. That means you have no recourse. There are honest, hard working shippers. This site is a good source. Don't go with the best price, be flexible on timing and research the actual person doing the job. Middle men won't know and can't tell you ahead of time who's doing it. Air tags or other means of tracking should be an option to consider. Get video of it as loaded and when arriving.
Eagles Bridge is NE of Albany so no bridge but it must be a heck of a project car to haul it that far.
I've shipped several running and non running cars with Reliable with no problems. My current problem is my location. While they've been here several times in the past currently their story is I'm to far off the interstate hwy's to come here. I'm 50 miles south of I80 and 100 miles north of I70 and 3/4 miles off a major north/south 4 lane HWY 81, I've even offered to meet their driver but it's still no go?
Bill Squires or the person he trusts and suggests who may be making a delivery up in the North East and could use a haul out of that area. My Hamb geography lesson for the day shows that Eagle Bridge NY is 3034 or 3101 miles from Monterey. Many of the convoy style transport outfits don't want to deal with a non runner or aren't set up to deal with a non runner.
I’ve shipped a few cars through Montway with no problems. Never quite that far though. They must screen their contractors because the price and pickup/delivery were as negotiated. Good communication. One was just a guy with a pickup truck and a nice open trailer but it was inexpensive and he was dead on his pickup and drop off times. One guy was Ukrainian and spoke no English, he used a translator on his phone to communicate. Non-running project car. Nice hard working guy, nice rig and a complete success. But things change, there’s no guarantees these days. Maybe I just lucked out….
Thank you everybody for the suggestions and yes I'm trying my best to avoid the brokers I've already been burned on a previous car by one.
I sold a running car (1959 Chevy) to a guy in IA and he use Montway. I shipped a non-running car (Jaguar sedan) from TX to VA using Montway. Each trip was around $1000. Both cars arrived just fine and setting up the transport was smooth. I could even get quotes online. Both trips were in an enclosed trailer because that's what was available. The downside: Both drivers were Russian and did not speak English. The second guy unexpectedly arrived a day early, on a Sunday, when the banks weren't open and he needed to be paid in cash. So, there was a lot of back and forth with central dispatch to get it sorted. It all worked out, but you need to be prepared for stuff like that.
Thank You Gentlemen! I tried & hope I quoted everyone who commented on my service. I absolutely love that picture of Nick & I as I dropped off his car!!!! His is one of the many that embody our hobby. He moved a long distance & wanted someone whom he could trust to bring his "Baby" to its new home. I was honored to be the transporter selected to take care on his car transport. I will not bash other transporters or multi-car carriers to book more transports as I have way more than I can ever do myself. This is why I vetted other guys 100% & feel comfortable recommending them when I cannot do the transport in a timely fashion. I.E. within 6 weeks! The HAM B O DEX section has some Truly Quality Guys that I recommend 100% with my customer overflow! I am a realist & I am a single car transporter who gets 6 or more calls per day for transport. I cannot do 10% of the guys who want me to do their transports! That is why I looked for guys I could trust to handle my overflow. @David Robert Phelps @gearhead78 @BenD Are ALL quality Transporters who are also lifelong car guys that know how to handle your classic/hot rod/exotic car!!!! I will include my comments about Montway, only because it has been mentioned several times. Montway was a transport company for many years with a good reputation. They decided to also become a brokerage & unfortunately they got in over their head. Their reputation took a big hit as the guys who were actually doing their transports did NOT have the reputation of quality transporters. To be clear.....There is a place in the transport industry for brokers & guys who's only ability is everyday cars. However this is NOT what most of the guys on this site are looking for. I am way past the point of "Needing" transports, but very much want to help my fellow car guys get their new toys safely delivered! You can call, email or P.M. me & I would be glad to help you find someone who has a great reputation & NOT someone who creates a FAKE WEBSITE & posts his own positive feedback!!!! Easy to do these days!!!!! For Me....I would be willing to quote this transport to the O.P. if he sends me a request, however it would NOT be until mid/late July as I am booked that far out. @SS327 Not that I am calling you out, but......There is a Gasser Race in London, Ky over the 4th of July weekend!!! I doubt you will have my 57 Poncho ready for that, but hope you might consider coming down to watch me & @Lloyd's paint & glass have our grudge match race! & also maybe have it ready for Lloydfest 2025 in September!!!!! God Bless Bill Squires(owner) Bill's Auto Works
I had my Chrysler and Edsel shipped from West Cost to Texas a few weeks ago. The Edsel does not run, the Chrysler does. The transporter George did an amazing job scheduling and setting expectations. Give George a call and tell him Matt the Greek gave you the number. George is an awesome guy! 1-847-452-9477
@SS327 Not that I am calling you out, but......There is a Gasser Race in London, Ky over the 4th of July weekend!!! I doubt you will have my 57 Poncho ready for that, but hope you might consider coming down to watch me & @Lloyd's paint & glass have our grudge match race! & also maybe have it ready for Lloydfest 2025 in September!!!!! God Bless Bill Squires(owner) Bill's Auto Works[/QUOTE] Bill it’s ok, I’m still in the parts gathering phase. My birthday is the weekend of Loyd Fest I’m trying to work out a way to go to that.
I used a broker finally for my Ford. PDQ Auto Movers and I could not be happier with the service. Someone here recommended them. Denver to Long Island in 55 hours from time of pickup. Actually 50 hours to the GW Bridge. And on an August afternoon... hot. The GW and Throgs Neck Bridge tolls were $66, I gave the driver $100 to cover that. It goes by # of axles, he had 2 other cars on the rig.
Just spent $650 moving a non-running roller 400 miles, it started out a $400 and crept up with "extra fees". it was $250 to get another one from 90 miles away. $900 for $800 worth of cars. It is what it is I suppose.
I'll add that I checked with several guys in the HAMB-O-Dex but none were available within 6 months or operated where I need them. Always a good place to start though.
Still, you have to admire those fellows who were that busy but still answered your inquiry and referred you to others they trusted . That's the right way to do things but we don't hear about it much anymore
With my Ford acquisition, I was at the 3 week mark before I had a shipper. I started with getting a quote from DAS...mistake! My phone and emails were blown up with all sorts of things. I had no idea it went out on teletype. I came very close to flying out to Denver and renting a truck and trailer. My son was game for the road trip.
A roller is more work to transport than a running vehicle and most commercial carriers are not set up with winches. The distance involved brings into question whether or not the vehicle is worth the cost to transport 3000+ miles. When you buy a vehicle at a distance the best way to get it is fly out and drive it home or pick it up with your own equipment. If you don’t have your own equipment, consider renting or investing in the equipment you need to transport it safely. Jim
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