Shipping Companies

I am new to TW and tried a search but does anyone have any experience shipping your truck across the country?

 

I used Uship with great success. You apply for the shipping and shippers quote for your business. You can specify the trailer style, open or closed etc. I opted for a mom and pop duo and it worked out fantastic.

https://www.uship.com/vehicles/

 

I just did some quick googling and there's several companies that'll do it. I saw one that was like $0.33 a mile. It all depends on where the pickup/drop off is, and how many miles, etc...

It will more than likely be cheaper to fly there and drive it back yourself. bring a tent and a sleeping bag and camp along the way, and load up on beef jerky and redbulls. I'm sure there's plenty TW members along the way that are more than willing to give you a hand if you run into trouble along the way.

Honestly, I'd rather see it in person before I take full ownership anyway.

 

We've gone through a few transport companies for shipping new cars but it ain't cheap; about $1200 or so to Texas from CA (and people pay it).

Why don't you just get a 1 way flight (100-200), a night at motel 6 (40), and drive it back?

 

I would totally fly out and drive it home. It would be an adventure and a great way to get acquainted with your new Taco, plus you can tell people that you did it.

 

Not my Tacoma, but my F150. I bought a cherry barn find '78 F150 Ranger Lariat in Oklahoma City 1.5 years ago. Family talked me out of driving a 40 year old truck back to Tampa, Fla. I went through Uship. Coast me $600. Smart money in my mind. Gas(9 mpg), hotel, food and breakdown costs would have been more.

 

I used Uship from Missouri to CA and got robbed. It was at least $1800, because it wasn't near a hub. Seemed like they had a couple of middle men. You can just call the carrier directly and save.

I really wish I would have flown out and drove back though. Oh well.

 

If you factor in gas it might be cheaper to ship it

 

It's expensive either way. If you don't wrench and things go bad on the drive back imagine what a tow will cost in bumfuck Egypt. You can only prepare so much. For some it's easier to ship it and forget it. I would rather take a road trip myself given I could get the time off from work.

 

Plus, with the TW community, you're more than likely to be driving through an area with some members that are willing to help a fellow enthusiast if shit his the fan and you break down or something.

 

I've been shipping sportscars that I've bought and sold for over 35 years and two things I've learned is that NEVER use a broker and best price is typically Never the best value in auto shipping.
I've used most of the major shippers over the years but have been only using Intercity Transport enclosed shipping over the last 15 years or so.

If you had success with U-ship then count yourself as fortunate. They are a broker and you have no control over your vehicle after they pick it up. You were fortunate that you got a responsible mom and pop duo.
That's not usually not the case.
Check out the horror stories on the Corvette forums from those who used them to ship Corvettes.

Here's one from just yesterday:
We used UShip to get our C6 from Chicago to California, did the paperwork about a month in advance. The vendor we picked on UShip was Montway, not the cheapest quote but they had good recommendations.
We contracted for an enclosed trailer at a specified price.
A few days before scheduled pickup, Montway informed us that we had to accept an open trailer or nothing. It turns out they never did have an enclosed trailer for us, just hoped they could get one somehow. They tried to charge us much more than their previous (rejected) quote for open shipping. The car arrived about 3 days late in Sacramento, covered with a thick layer of frozen mud and sand. Literally, I was flushing mud out of the doors for the next year. The driver, despite agreeing otherwise, unloaded the car without calling our house a block away, and he used the wipers on that frozen sand windshield; deep scratches.

If you read their Terms of Service, it translates to:
"We'll pick up your car when it's convenient for us, deliver when we get around to it, and when things get damaged, too bad."
A truly horrible experience from UShip. A friend used them during summer, delivery was slow and the windshield was cracked. Too bad, so sad.
That's the extent of my experience with UShip, and I don't plan to get any more.

No all experiences are that bad, but far too many.
UShip is a broker, and the advice I've received from others many times is "Absolutely avoid brokers. If you'll have to use a broker, hire somebody to drive it instead."

 

I paid $1100 to ship from Arizona to ft.lauderdale fl. A year and a half ago. Uship wanted $1500 for same job, try contacting peterbilt auto service inc. 813-503-8372 they treated me well.

 

Form where and to where? Reason for shipping instead of buying local?

 

From Prescott az. To ft lauderdale fl. Found truck while on vacation there. Rust free original ca. Truck

 

Same boat here. UShip makes it easier, but you get what you pay for in the long run. The idiots I used (under the name Door to Door Transport) cracked my windshield and managed to also rip the AM/FM antenna off when I had my truck shipped from CO to ME.

Spent a long time trying to get them to pay for it, but eventually figured my time was worth way more

 

I think the ones to avoid are the ones that act as brokers for other transporters. I had a 04 DC that I bought in Midland Texas out of a field with a bad motor. I was up front with the transporting companys in that it was going to HAVE to be winched to a place where it could be loaded and they all said no problem... when the loader arrived they were pissed that it was extra work and denied the job. This happened 2 times and each time the shipper tried to charge me extra for what they agreed to up front, i.e. the disclosue about winching it to a loadeable place. In the end it finally arrived after a month. Before the driver would drop it off they wanted cash, no credit cards, no checks. Kind of tough to come up with $1100 in 15 minutes. Use a reputable company... it is worth the extra $

 

i got the 1st gen camp set up on i80 in the middle USA cornfields


someday i will ship my truck to and from Hawaii to cross it off the bucket list

 

I honestly don't think it's worth it. I considered bringing my dirtbike over there before, because there are some cool trails. It's just prohibitively expensive.

Just rent a truck there, and make sure you get the extra insurance, lol...

Most rentals (all?) won't let you go up Mauna Kea, though.

 

$1200 is the quote I got for California to Texas. Me and a buddy are going to fly out and drive it back...it'll save me about half the cost.

 

I requested a quote from Intercity and got a quote from Montway on the next screen - I am confused! Any insight @Kevin Jones

[EDIT - I think it was a non genuine "intercity" lines page... I have the right one now... still looking for options!]

I am looking to ship a car from east to west coast... I'll take your recommendations for non broker shippers!

Thank you!