Car Transport Anxiety

[zippy_gg]

I had actually good luck with DAS when I bought my 86 cab and had it transported from Boston to SOCAL a bit over 2 years ago. I had to pay an extra $100 to have the car top loaded because they don't want a cab on the bottom level and have the car above leak oil on the canvas. My cost was around $1,000. The car arrived somewhere in their deport in Carson (I think) and there was an extra charge to have it transported to my door' BTW that extra charge (another $100) was part of the $1,000 total fee.
I used DAS because they worked with eBay and that is how I bought my car.
My experience was positive, even thought it took about 13-14 days to get my cab in my driveway. This took place around June time.

[POS]

I've used Intercity several times - no worries with them. I'd bail on the DAS and pay whatever I had to. Cheaper than damage the was NOT caused by you.

[pete3799]

Szyzygy (did i pronounce that right?) If i can do anything for you on this end shoot me a PM.

[djantlive]

Dependable outsources the shipping to independent truckers like 95% of shippers. Your experience may vary depending on the trucker. I had a daily shipped with a small scratch, which is typical of low to mid end shippers. They cover a $200 deductible at the time.

[szyzygy]

I'm hoping that I get the good drivers and that I can report back with no issues.
My car is a daily driver here in SoCal, I can handle a couple of nicks and dings, but still I try to take care of it. The only other person I've ever let drive my car is my FIL, because I know he knows how to shift and I was in the car with him.

feels like this:

LEIA
Hey, are you awake?

HAN
Yeah, I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not gonna see her again.

Chewie, hearing this, stops his activity and looks longingly out at the
Falcon, too. Leia puts a hand on Han's shoulder.

[dsfnctn]

Intercity is number one customer service based company. The best thing as stated is to leave the car and let them pick up the car based around when they can dispatch truck to make a full load.

[whiz05403]

Hey SZY,

Where are you moving to in VT? South Burlington here. The roads are all salted up already, I don't reccommend driving your 911 till mid April at the soonest.

If there is anything I can help with on this side let me know.

MIke

[szyzygy]

thanks whiz
I'll be in Montpelier at first until we find more permanent housing. Not sure where that will be. It's pretty much up to where the missus says she's happy and she likes the schools for the kids.

yeah, I'll be keeping the car in the garage this winter. I may have to find a rental heated garage until we get a house which will probably be in the spring. The company has a guest house with a garage where we will be living in at first.

thanks for your help, maybe you guys know of a good place to store a car for the winter in case we don't fund a rental with one. Seems like most places DON'T have garages.

[szyzygy]

Originally Posted by dsfnctn

Intercity is number one customer service based company. The best thing as stated is to leave the car and let them pick up the car based around when they can dispatch truck to make a full load.

Ok, I will look into this. Not sure at the moment where I can leave the car. My buddies around here in SoCal all live in densely populated areas with street only parking...not ideal.

[szyzygy]

Another option would be to drive to my mom's place in NC and leave it in her garage until the Spring, but then I wouldn't be able to work on it or gaze at it throughout the winter. Plus she'd be mad about the oil leaks on her floor . And my brother would want to drive it and that's not gonna happen without me sitting next to him!

[MJEMotorsports]

Originally Posted by szyzygy

Another option would be to drive to my mom's place in NC and leave it in her garage until the Spring, but then I wouldn't be able to work on it or gaze at it throughout the winter. Plus she'd be mad about the oil leaks on her floor . And my brother would want to drive it and that's not gonna happen without me sitting next to him!

Now thats a good idea. Stay well south. Places like OKC are getting snow tomorrow (8"). Will be a mess there for a few days.

Hide the keys from your brother and a drip tray on the floor and you're good.

[szyzygy]

I'm going to craft a very polite email tonight asking for intercity to be my shipper instead and work like mad to try to take care of this as soon as possible tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, I took some vids of my car, inside and out, and showing that it starts, drives, and stops. Actually, my son took the vid below. The inside/outside vids are about 15min total, showing the condition of everything.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zATKxaBpdg

Now I'm wondering if I should leave little notes on the car explaining that if the door doesn't unlock (in cold weather), insert the key and just get the knob to move up a little, be careful with the key so it doesn't break off in the doorlock. When she starts (esp. in the cold) sometimes it takes a minute or so for it to find the right idle. I'm worried it's going to cut out on them when they're backing out and they'll lose power and not have brakes and crash into something. Ay yay yay. So many worries.

[goldenbear]

14-18 days? Wow that is too much time. Try to contact other shipping companies, e.g. uShip, Montway auto transport.

[IDGAF27]

Originally Posted by MJEMotorsports

szyzygy - PM IDGAF27. He maybe able to help you out with transportation. He is a nice guy.

Thank you Michael.

p.s. I ,also, can drive your car, my self, from LA to NYC ...there is no snow on I-10 and I-20 , and I-95 up pretty clean too

[OttoB]

I had as crappy as an experience as anyone ever has with having my car transported by DAS... I bought my MB off eBay 2 years ago out of NY and hired DAS after getting 3 quotes for open trailer as its half the price, and the car had a little (less than 12x 6) area where the clear coat was lifting. After 2 plus weeks to have it trailered to Miami, I am told the car sustained some damages during transport. I asked them to document the car with photos and when they finally delivered the car, it had 1,000's of scratches ALL OVER the dang car. I called up to start a claim, got 3 quotes, and the POS adjuster (inhouse) eventually denied my claim because although it was clearly evident that the entire car needed to be repainted, it was "DAS's policy not to give a customer his car back in better shape than it was before" - this was because of the small spot of clear coat peeling - which coincidentally, had multiple scratches in the SAME area.

Being an attorney, I fired off a letter about storage fees (I refused to drive or wash it), loss of use & enjoyment, attorney's fees, etc. which went ignored. I then went ahead and paid to have the entire car painted 1 month later, to then draft a complaint with all photos, emails, invoices, etc. and they eventually settled with me within the week (took me 3 + months to get it prepared in the first place b/c too many other things) and was told the same adjuster had been fired.

But - it really makes you think about buying cars out of state/transporting them. When you risk gas money, wear & tear, hotels possibly, something mechanically going wrong with the car, etc. - not many other options. But let me tell ya, the experience sucked!

[cobra935o]

I had a bad experience with DAS as well, shipped a car from NC to Mn, and it took them almost a month to get it there, was way beyond expected date (no holidays), no updates to ever speak of from them or any of the drivers, the car finally shows up, front end wrecked, $2500.00+ worth of damage. Supposedly they couldnt judge where a curb was at, and ran into it, another story from them that I didnt buy, as the damage wasnt consistent with hitting a curb. On a good note, at least the claims person answered the phone, and did get me a check, on a bad note, they took their deductible of $250.00 out of my check so bottom line is I will never use this company again, and I will tell everyone I know not to use them either.

[McLovin]

I sold a car to a guy who used DAS.

My god, what they did to that poor guy. I felt horrible for him. He didn't get his car until literally MONTHS later. And they jerked him around, didn't return his calls, etc. for pretty much the whole time.

On the other hand, I've used Intercity for my personal cars, and have always been 100% satisfied.

As you'll see, DAS is a "broker" who just hires out a bunch of crappy truckers, whoever they can dig up that is cheap. So they have very little control over who actually has your car, where it really is, etc. When they don't know what happened to your car, or where it is, they'll dodge you, and when you do get them on the phone, they'll just make stuff up to get off the phone.

Can you get lucky with them, or other low budget shipping brokers. Yes! There's a chance you might get your car delivered on time, with no damage, for sure. But how lucky do you feel?

Intercity is a family owned company, that owns their own trucks. They always pick up the phone, always know where your car is, and are straight shooters. Their prices are a little higher, but I've always found them to be well within the realm of reason.

[szyzygy]

Ok, good news, I cancelled DAS and am scheduling with intercity now...the new employer let me do it. Just hoping there's still room on the intercity truck

Thanks guys, it's really down to the wire now!

[ClickClickBoom]

Sweet Jeebus man, drive, it's a freeing awesome experience. I have driven coast to coast, delivered airplanes to every joke of an airport you can imagine. Take the transportation costs, and trade for mileage and per diem. Take the southern route, have fun, sitting in the Pcar has to be better than sitting in a middle seat on a jet. Oh yea take a camera.
Whatever happened to the olden days when your dad would throw all the kids into the back seat, tuck a cold beer between his legs androad trip?

[zippy_gg]

I have bought 3 motorcycles and 2 cars out of state, one of which was my 86 Carrera cab.
The Carrera was the only vehicle I did not drive myself because it was in MA and I am in CA and I wasn't sure if the car was in driving condition at the time as it was in storage for a while.
I flew and rode my bikes from TN, PA, and FL, and my wife and I drove our Benz back from FL to CA in 2 and half days. We love road trips, even if they cost more than shipping!

I guess I was luck with DAS since my car arrived un-damaged and on schedule.