Auto Transport
 

I received an online quote to transport (open trailer) my 1930 tudor from Vero Beach, Fl. to Salem, Oregon for less than $1000. This is a distance of more than 3000 miles. It seems quite low to me--what say Fordbarners?

Re: Auto Transport
 

There's a "barner" that advertizes on the EV8 board and the HAMB, try getting a quote from him, says open trailer and 55mph.
Paul in CT

Re: Auto Transport
 

That's about .33 cents a mile. Cheaper is not always better.

Re: Auto Transport
 

Wow, I agree with Rusty! What is your car worth?

The one thing that might be influencing this price quote is transporters are bringing snow-bird vehicles down to that area in FL, and I doubt there is much freight going out at this time of year so anything coming out would be better than coming out empty HOWEVER, transportation companies like to sub-broker out vehicles where multiple carriers will move it. Let's just suppose this scenario played out on your vehicle...

John Doe company picks up your vehicle in VB and takes it to Atlanta where he drops it off at a terminal down there (It may be nothing more than an auction company storage lot). For his efforts he takes $400 of the $1,000, and puts the word out on the "load boards" that from Atl to Salem pays $600. After a couple of weeks, Jim Bob's Transport says he has an empty slot going to Los Angeles and that he will take it that far for $400 however on the way he gets a better load in Phoenix so the car is dropped off at a terminal in Phoenix where the driver says he's just taking $300 for moving it that far and leaves it setting in a terminal lot for another few weeks until someone dropping off snowbird's cars out there says they will take it to San Francisco for $250. Now its in SF sitting in the backlot of a terminal waiting on someone to take it from SF to Salem for $50. Now the big problem is no one is interested when there are other cars that are paying better. Well, you have already paid the money, and everyone has moved it and taken their "share of the pie", ...and since you are on stand-by the freight company tells you they are just waiting on a truck going into your area that has an empty slot. At that point, you either wait for them to make good on the original quote, --or you become frustrated and offer to pay additional money to get it expedited more rapidly to Salem.

This has happened to a couple of customers of mine (one waited impatiently 6 weeks to get his car delivered) and it caused me enough grief that we started freighting our customer's cars or putting them on a Hauler's dedicated load where their point of destination is direct and within a certain time frame. Sure it costs more, but what is your car & your time worth to you?

..

Re: Auto Transport
 

I recently had a car shipped from Tampa, FL, to southern California. The cost was less than $900. It was top loaded on an open transport on a Wednesday evening and was unloaded in California Sunday evening. The transport was arranged through a broker after much web research. The actual hauler was top notch with cars on that rig worth seveal times more than my car. The only hitch if at all was the car was picked up a day later than originally expected.

Re: Auto Transport
 

Mark;

Would you be so kind as to email me with the info?
[email protected]

Re: Auto Transport
 

Eh...seems about right to me. Maybe throw another $50-100 on the job if you are really worried about it moving but $1,000 seems pretty reasonable for auto transport to and from those locations.

The wheels on the bus go round & round ....
 

Paul,

Thanks for the post - that would be me ;)

Rusty-Rocker you are on target :)


The wheels on the bus go round & round ......

By that - the economy operates smoothly when a fair
price is paid for goods & services - it is in everyones' interest
to help keep the wheel turning :D

Transport for me is a break even proposition
but I get to see the country - haul some nice cars
and trucks - meet some great people

Yesterday I dropped a 38' GMC off in Ohio for
a guy who had waited & waited for cheap transport
from South Dakota that never happened

There is a " hard cost " for vehicle transport
if you expect your vehicle to ship on the same
trailer from pick up to drop off with the same
driver

Bulk transport thru a broker is below cost transport

Independent statistics reflect a 70% to 80% satisfaction
rate from customers who choose to report their
experience

Do you perform your job at a satisfaction rate
of 70% to 80% ?

It all depends on what you are content to settle
for - that is a personal choice

I maintain a Transport Thread here on Fordbarn

@ http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...ight=transport


Jim