Finally got a Tacoma, again :) but I need advice..

Hey guys, first time really posting on this forum. I hope this is the right spot to show off my new truck, as well as get some real advice about an issue I have. Forgive me if the formatting of this post is weird or I should post for help someplace else.

I had a 2015 TRD-Sport that I lost last year due to an accident. As a student, I never had the chance really give it a go besides using it as a daily driver. Fast forward a couple months and now I own a 2019 TRD-Pro in Voodoo Blue.

These are photos of my now gone, Tacoma.


These are photos of the new one. Whoever owned it last already did some mods themselves. Blacked out trims are nice, as well as the lightbar and raptor lights. I don't really like the wheels and I may search for the TRD-Pro ones.



Story on the delivery:
At the time of purchasing the vehicle it had approx 22,258miles. I have a LemonSquad report from a week prior to buying it showing 22,187mi. No big deal because I flew out to check it out and drove it to and from the airport. I then bought it from Ohio and had to get it delivered to me in Arizona (just over 2000mi delivery).
I used uShip and found a company to deliver to me. According the the BOL, it was an Open Transport with a Multi-car Open Trailer. I was not there to see it picked up from the dealership. The person drove the vehicle to my house. So I never saw the trailer they used. Up to now that makes sense, it is hard to bring the trailer inside the neighborhood. However I was simply expecting to meet them in an open parking lot. This was my family's first experience buying a vehicle from out of state.
Upon delivery they immediately confessed that they were unsure of how, but after they washed off the snow that came from the blizzard in the Midwest this last week, there was a dent on the tailgate. I am certain this will get resolved. It is unfortunate, but I remained calm and happy. The delivery person was picked up by their wife and went home. He claimed to live in Arizona and the rest of his crew went on without him to do the rest of the delivery in California. This was his reasoning for why we did not see the trailer upon delivery. It seems they dropped off the vehicle with him and took off.

The dent in this image does not appear so bad, but its ugly and clearly at the fault of the shipment.

This is what I need advice on:
Like I said, I should have expected ~22k miles on the odo. I received it with 24,700mi. I did not realize this immediately. But I quickly compared it to the CarFax, LemonSquad, and paperwork from purchase. Coincidentally, my vehicle added nearly 2,500miles to do odo during shipment. IS THIS NORMAL? If it was not towed how they said, and they used a dolly is that possible? Or perhaps the onboard GPS registered miles to the odo??
None of this makes sense to me. I am a bit frustrated. I am happy to have a new vehicle. But this whole process has been such a mess.

Any advice on how to approach this (besides communicating with the delivery company insurance) is gladly appreciated. Any solutions to the tailgate would help as well. I'm upset I would have to buy the decals and blackout. Also any tips on mods I should do to the vehicle would help a lot too.

 

Welcome to TW! Sorry about your other truck, hope you weren’t hurt. I’ve never dealt with a shipping company so I don’t know what to tell you. Have you contacted the shipping company yet.

 

Hey man thanks! I wasn't the driver of this crash. In fact I was away in another state. However, everyone was fine! And insurance was very generous.
I will be contacting shipping this afternoon as I talk more with my family.

 

Sounds to me like the dude didn't want to ride in the transport truck with the rest of the smelly crew and drove it all the way to you. And the dent looks like something was placed on the bumper and they opened the tailgate on it and it pinched between the two.

I have no solutions for you. I think the burden of proof is yours and you got nothing. Dealer will blame the transporter. Transporter will ignore your calls. Sorry.

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Do you have a copy of the contract? Did it specify that the vehicle must be trailered, or just that they get it there? Most vehicle shipment companies have you sign paperwork confirming the mileage when you leave it there, and check it again as part of the walkthrough upon delivery.