Question of the Day: Transport Brokers - Great Service or Disaster Waiting to Happen?

[Boomer]

Well....I *thought* I had everything set to book my 300 shipment yesterday. This is the first time I'll be paying a company to transport a vehicle for me. So yes - I'm more or less clueless.

Had a company give me a bid last week, said if I could get the seller to deliver it next to I-5 so the driver didn't have to drive to a residential area, they'd give me a better price. So I talked with him, he agreed, but in the meantime my listing expired. I relisted and contacted the company again (using uShip). Sure, let us know as soon as you're ready to commit. I'm ready. Okay, well, our old price isn't good anymore, it'll cost you another $150.

Now I understand that the world of freight hauling fluctuates some day-to-day, but fuel prices have actually been going down around here at least, I've made the pickup easier for the driver as asked, and my dates are even more flexible.

The seller had offered to trailer it to me for $800 but I told him that wasn't going to be fair to him. Gas would cost that much or more (2900 miles) plus he'd have the expense of rooms/meals, a return trip, and the chance of breaking down along the way. He's almost 74, too.

So I'm back at square one with getting my car here. Have always handled hauling myself or through friends/family before, but this is coast-to-coast. Probably shouldn't have reacted as I did to the price hike, but the broker could've told me that in their first reply today, and it makes me wonder just how stable they will be on other matters.

Oh yes - another one says that by booking with them, you agree to their Terms and Conditions. Two lines down it says Terms and Conditions will be sent after shipment is booked. Uh.....

I am, to borrow commando1's description in another forum, a cheap bastard. But I try not to be stupid about it, if that makes sense. I won't spend a dollar to save a dime.

Have folks here used transport brokers with any success? Like the 300 itself, this process is new to me.

 

[Wollfen]

Hey Boomer, have a talk to Jer (Bigbarneycars) on here, he has a good source for quality transport and can help out.

 

[Boomer]

Thanks, Wollfen. I looked around to see if there was a section on here for transportation but didn't see one, so figured this forum was as good as any. I'll send him a message.

 

[67Monaco]

The company I used to get the car down here in June did the 1700 miles for $525. No real issues til I realized the driver didn't take my advice and prime the carb before he tried to take it off the trailer and killed the starter. On the trip previous from CO to MD, it only ran $750, no issues there and the guy picked it up at the house where it was stored and dropped it off at the house we were at. Both times I used the web to arrange for shipping, let the brokers fight for their cut and find me the best price. The problem with that is, you never know who you're going to get. I count myself lucky.

 

[Samplingman]

Timely thread. I just got the bad end of a deal through uShip. I needed a load of parts shipped from Colorado to NJ. Got a reasonable bid through uShip, payment made and shipment scheduled. The shipper shows up with a truck that was too small, but squeezed the parts in anyway. No harm, no foul, but two days into the trip I get an urgent message from uShip that the shipper was permanently suspended. Too late, the parts are on their way, or so I thought. The next day the shipper calls and says he can't make the trip and is on his way back to Denver. WTF? The parts make it back no problem, but now my money is still tied up after a week trying to get a refund. Problem is with the broker like uShip, the shipper had all great reviews, but what neither I nor uShip didn't know is that they had been suspended several times before under different company names! Anyone heading to Jersey from Denver with a truck?

 

[polara66hardtop]

info@fourcornerstransportservices.com Four corners transport has moved five cars for me, and provide Honest service. The problem with some are they put the bid on their board, and the lower they quote it to you the less likely anyone will be Interested in picking the car up. An honest quote from the Broker is crucial. You can google them, and they Are in Washington.
360-210-7665 Jeff or Diane. Good Luck!

 

[KcImperial]

I've used brokered transport 4 times in the past 10 years. The very first one (2005) was a nightmare. I paid a deposit upfront and then it took 2 months and the start of a credit card dispute before they picked it up. By that time I had already contacted another company and paid them a deposit which I forfeited. I was also charged an additional $250 since the car didn't run and would require a transport with a winch. When it finally showed up, the transport didn't have a winch or any way to get the car off the trailer and he stopped 2 blocks away from my house. I had to spend another $75 on a tow truck to get the car off the trailer and haul it the final 2 blocks home. That broker and that hauler are both out of business now.

The other 3 times was through Uship and were flawless transactions. They were all picked up within 3 to 5 days of signing contract. They all delivered directly to my home (I do live in an industrial part of town that is borderline considered residential). The prices were all reasonable and cheaper than I could have done it using my own rig and my own fuel.

In fairness, none of the cars I had transported were high dollar show cars. None of them needed enclosed trailers or special delicate handling. 3 of them were slightly better than parts cars so it made it easier to take a risk on a cheaper broker than a specialized or individual transport.

 

[polara66hardtop]

I should mention also that I never paid any deposit until the order was accepted by the trucker, and he provided his cell phone number, and provided the day of pickup and delivery. never were they late, and often they were early. The quality of the Broker has a lot to do with the quality of the driver.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I have never had a car transported so I am limited on real info. However I am a owner operator truck driver for longer than I care to admit. I have never transported cars but I have had a lot of different stuff on or in my trailers over the years. First off brokers suck they have very little invested in the transportation business, a computer, a desk, phone, a list of phone numbers. They take a cut off the top of what you pay just for listing it on a load board that's why they want that deposit. The best way to do it in my opinion is contact a transportation company directly, first question do you have a U.S. Dot number answer no hang up call someone else 2nd question do you own any trucks or lease owner operators, answer no hang up on to the next. If yes to both questions they are someone to talk to. Another option is contact a local/long distance household goods movers, not a lot of companies pay to move employees cars anymore but these agents still have contacts of car haulers or you may be able to get it on a moving van as a fill out, never hurts to ask.

 

[Boomer]

Love the Hickman avatar, bigblock. Best car chase ever, even if half of it was a previous scene from a different angle.

I appreciate all the information. Talked with Jerry aka Bigbarneycars and got some good info on enclosed transport along with a shot of cold water in the face with respect to price. As with anything else, you get what you pay for. Thanks Jer.

My car is certainly no show-stopper. Open transport is fine. Paint is badly faded and worn, windshield is cracked in several spots, upholstery is cracked and split, on and on. But I got a good deal on it and basically bought it based in several online bids between $1169 and $1500. More money means less available to put into the car once it's here. Of course, a shoddy shipper could also mean a lot more to fix.

A bit of a dilemma but I'll figure something out. I'll start tomorrow with the folks polara66 suggested from WA state and see where it takes me. There are a lot of them listed online too, folks with their own trucks tend to have a lot more reason to answer questions and do a good job.

Have learned a lot in the week I've been a member, thanks again to everyone. I've got to travel soon anyway, so I'll probably just put it off until I get back. Seller said to take my time, car is garaged and he's in no rush.

 

[72Fury]

I have shipped many vehicles. Just take your time since the seller is ok. This pic is one that I didn't bother asking what he was using to haul it with. That's a F250, and the truck I was shipping was a M818, 22,000 lbs. Wow!

 

[march]

It looks like you've made a decision, but just in case it helps, this is a recent example:
-I sold a car and it was shipped on May 23rd. The buyer selected this carrier / broker:
http://www.midwayautocarriers.com/

That broker assigned it to this shipper:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/auto_trans/a-1.html

We owned the car for several years and sold it on e-bay to an individual 3,000 miles away. It was a 6-time national award winner, in perfect condition w/ 22k original miles. When his shipper showed up here in upstate New York with the rusty truck, I could barely watch, but took lots of pictures and sent them to the buyer. I never heard what happened when the car arrived in Los Angeles. I don't think I want to know.

 

[patrick66]

I shipped a complete Dana axle assembly from OKC to just North of Los Angeles a few months back. The guy has a late-model Ford F350 and an 18' open car hauler, and he is out of Los Angeles. Very good and timely. Cost $300 to ship that axle. Pretty reasonable. PM me if you want the contact info for him and you can deal directly with him. I'm no fan of dealing with brokers and other middlemen.

 

[polara66hardtop]

The good thing about brokers is they know the most reliable and trustworthy, and disregard the rest. The Problem for us is determining which Broker that is. My Demon came from San fransisco with one day notice for Pickup, and 48 Hours later it was In my Driveway. $612.00 Bucks. The driver was the Nicest Moldavian I hade ever met. 25 years old, driving a Kenworth, and a seven car Hauler. When I met him, he said in very Broken English: What is demon car? it was on the back of the trailer. I told him what it was, and his response was quite humorous. He said: Every stop on the way, people would come out to see the "Devil car" on the trailer. I had Mercedes, Lexus, Corvette, infinity on the trailer,( he was headed to Chicago)
Nobody cared. They all wanted to look at the Devil car! He asked what it cost, and I said 5-8k. He laughed, and said " I( have $500,000 in cars on this trailer, and everybody wanted to see the Devil car!! I have to buy one!( Delivered June 2014)

I laughed all the way home. I love truckers!

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

Todd. I'm not saying you can't get a good deal price wise with an open trailer. What I said waz that when I had the Batwagon hauled from SoCal to Michigan back in the mid '80s it damn near got launched off the upper deck in transit. Obviously that driver didn't know what he waz doing in loading or positioning of my 4500 car on that trailer for a 2400 mile ride and I got very lucky even with the damage and torn railz from the T-hooks. You've been given some great advice by our friendz here. Do your homework, take your time making your decision on which way to jump and who to go with because you have the time, and then pull the trigger. Lookz like ah fine Slabside. Keep us all in the loop, Jer

 

[Boomer]

No, I know that Jer - sorry if I implied otherwise. You gave me excellent info. I just should've done more research before getting too far into this. Thought I had - clearly not. I do appreciate your words of wisdom that come from experience in the School of Hard Knocks. Sorry about your car getting trashed by a nitwit.

Got some calls out now including to Four Corners transport, waiting to hear back.

 

[Boomer]

So.....all I can say is WOW, and I owe you one, polara66. What a difference a day makes.

Spoke with Jeff at Four Corners Transport in Vancouver. Great guy, no line of BS or sales pitch. I told him about my situation, disappointment with the results I got from brokers on uShip (didn't give him a price, though), and asked what he could do.

First he explained to me about the drivers they use - if they're late to deliver more than 3 times, they drop them. If they damage a car(I'm guessing through poor handling, not an act of God), they drop them. And so on. Says they don't mess with online sites like uShip because of the potential problems and negative affect on their name and reputation.

Then he looked at loads going from WA to the east coast. Found a '48 Merc going to Asheville and checked the cost. Told me what his fee is. Their website said they weren't the cheapest but put service ahead of price. Turns out they were $20 less than my lowest bid on uShip.

Told him I had planned to wait until I got back from my upcoming trip, he said not to worry - it's a 10 day trip for the truck and he'd put in a note not to deliver until the day after I return. They're going to pick it up tomorrow.

From confusion and frustration to results, in less than a day. All thanks to a tip from a member here, and advice from others. Thank you all!

 

[68plymouth383]

Glad you got it all sorted out.

 

[polara66hardtop]

Great! I would hate to look stupid! A person never knows when they refer somebody that the service will be the same. I do enough of that already. What Chrysler 300 is it, by the way?

 

[Boomer]

It's a '66 2dr disc brake car. Posted a bunch of shots here:

http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?19761-Newb-with-66-Chrysler-300-Questions

Jeff at Four Corners was very easy to work with. He was able to answer all the questions folks here suggested, quickly and directly. When I asked him about removing the hubcaps he said 'not really necessary'. Told him they weren't rare but not plentiful either. He said 'if you're nervous about it, you should remove them'. I relayed some of the horror stories I'd been reading about theft and damage done to cars in transit. Then he said 'Okay, now you're making me nervous - remove them' which was pretty funny.

I really appreciate the tip, and all the help and suggestions from folks here. Whenever possible, I prefer to give my money to someone in the given group who is known and trusted, not a wildcard. And I've never minded paying a higher price for a better product. In this case, it just worked out financially in my favor (so far).