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Looking for a reliable auto shipping company

I

ivillarreal

V2
Looking for any referrals for a reliable auto shipping company. I had seen a discussion a while back about some good company's and some to stay away from but I can't seem to find the thread. Google has not been much help, as it seems most of these company's write their own reviews. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
I shipped my wife's minivan with http://kellysautotransport.com/?page_id=10 for a trip from Norfolk to North Island and then two years later from North Island to Newport RI. I was really happy with both moves.

They were able to provide a 3 day window vice 7-10 days that some of the cheaper companies wanted.

Things you want to know:
What is the pick-up window (number of days).
What is the expected delivery time. This can vary since they may be dropping cars off in East Bumf*ck before dropping your car off.
Will it be an open carrier or closed. (Closed is more expensive. We talked to the driver about putting our car in the middle of the rack and never saw a ding from either move)
Will they come to you to pick up or do you have to go to a central facility. (Could be an hour or so away)
How much stuff can you have in the car (usually less than 1/4 tank and under 100 lbs).
Will they deliver to a specific location or do they drop off at a central facility.
Can someone other than the car owner sign at pickup or drop off, if so, what documentation do they require.

I made sure I tipped the driver about $30 so he could get a couple of meals while moving my car. Don't know if it made a difference or not, but both times, I've been very happy with the result.
 
I've used 2 so far and have had good experiences with both. Not sure if you are looking for enclosed or open transport, but here are my recommendations:

DAS Auto - Open trailer transport like you normally see on the freeway, great customer service, delivered ahead of schedule and the car hadn't been driven or soiled in any way (which are common complaints that I hear). Meridian --> San Diego cost about $1000, door to depot.

Concours Auto Transport - Enclosed carrier, they deal with a lot of high end exotics and collectors cars. They moved my project car (that wasn't driveable at the time), and did a great job with it. Oregon to Atlanta ran about $2000, door to door. My only complaint was the timeframe it took for the move, but they are a fairly small specialty carrier, so they really only have 1 or 2 trucks moving and they try to fill the trucks (read: extra stops en route) before they make the trip.

To answer some of the questions lumpy posed, both of these companies allowed us to store stuff in the car; DAS wanted items in the trunk only, while Concours had no limit (I shipped a whole boatload of car parts I needed for the completion of my project). Having them deliver or pick up at a central facility/depot can save you some money, but of course you have to think about convenience for that one. The depot in SD was about 45 mins from my house up in Oceanside. Also, neither company had a problem letting an authorized release agent sign off on the car (my dad for the OR->GA move, and a friend from Meridian for the MS->CA move); you just need to make sure they have contact info for that person.

I'd highly recommend either of these carriers depending on what kind of transport you are looking for.
 
Concur on DAS - Dependable Auto Shippers. I moved a car from Whidbey Island, WA to Rhode Island and had no problems. The car arrived early and without any damage. I paid extra for "on top" shipping - I'm not sure it was worth it. I also paid extra for their insurance but I hear USAA will cover your car during transport. I am about to move back to Whidbey and I'm going with DAS again.
 
Depends on what price you want to pay. I shipped from Corpus to Jacksonville, via uship.com. You set a price window, and brokers bid on what they want to get paid, then it is contracted out to a hauler. During the process, I felt a little lost because my hauler didn't speak english very well, but my vehicle arrived earlier than expected, and still in great condition.
 
BourneID said:
Depends on what price you want to pay. I shipped from Corpus to Jacksonville, via uship.com.
Click to expand...

Little late for the OP, but for future searchers: I have used Uship.com a few times and never had a bad experience. You can post an ad and a price range and wait for offers, or send emaisl to specific shippers who's profiles and reviews you like.

I've always worked direct with the shipper, usually small time companies with one or two trucks, and gotten good service. I'd recommend it as a first stop for anyone shopping for shippers for anything that can't be sent USPS.
 
I recommend to use auto transport broker companies. They are the industry chain with freight business. Check the broker company have the license and authority of FMCSA and DOT for the broker vehicles. The basic broker's job is to find a carrier that may be individual or company that employs drivers and done the auto transportation. They have the resource of the vehicles around the area we need for the shipment. Not all broker companies done mistakes. Choosing a right company is in our hand.
 
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