Auto Transport

[markmac]

Did the search, most of the threads are pretty old.  Need to ship my race car from Redwood City (CA) to Sun Valley (ID).  I would like to get it done this month if possible so I don't have to pay another month's storage.  I have quotes from Intercity and Reliable (+$2000 each), and then one from Gartho Logistics which I found in a Hagerty article.  They came in at $1850.

 

The car rolls/steers, but is non-op (even if you could start the motor, I wouldn't be having it.....) and I have some of the fiberglass parts (molds, spoiler etc., stored inside).  It needs to go in an enclosed trailer.

 

Given the price of fuel and what not - $1850 may be it.  If anyone has recent experience with a good, reliable hauler other than those mentioned above, let me know.  Tx

[hynrgee]

I bought a shell with lots of parts stored inside in Georgia. The shell had a steering wheel but no power and that raised the cost of transport. After getting quotes like yours, I borrowed a friend's diesel truck to drive from California, rent a trailer, and bring the shell back myself. I collected the receipts for fuel, hotels, incidentals, and trailer rental. I didn't save much doing it myself and almost got a ticket in California for exceeding the 55mph trailer limit. In retrospect, while I enjoyed the drive, I should have hired the transport company with the best reviews. Good luck!

[Mike Self]

Go on Hemmings Motor News on-line and look for "services offered"  Lots of folks advertising car hauling.  And I went through a broker in 2019 when we had 3 cars from the BMW CCA Museum's Passion exhibit, all going back to south Florida (both coasts) from Greenville SC.  Cost ended up about $450/car in an enclosed trailer--it worked out very well.  

 

IIRC I posted about that so if you do a search on car hauling, you can find the name of the broker.

 

mike

[mccusername]

Can’t help with the high prices but I have used Intercity several times and they are very good. They are not a broker like most places. The drivers actually work with the company. 

[Charles in PA]

I have used Montway Auto Transport a few times for my 330ci's though it has been a few years.  Was very pleased with their service and the drivers did a good job of communicating on both the pick-up and delivery.  Prices were reasonable too, $500, less if you paid in cash!  Good luck with your shipping!

[Rodolfo Lasparri]

Try Uship and create a listing with all the details. Shippers will bid on it and you can see their ratings. I shipped my shell to my painter in this capacity and also a rolling shell from Utah to Washington; both of which were enclosed.
 

You can save quite a bit here, simply because if a shipper has free space that aligns with your timing / better to fill that and get some money instead of just driving empty on a route.

 

Good luck!

[HLBlanton]

I can STRONGLY recommend Cappy's. Automotive Transportation. They are California based, have competitive if not rock bottom pricing, and are easily the best company I have used. I've used them for everything from a '91 Porsche 911 to a '56 MB 300SL Gullwing.  Perfection. I think they only do enclosed shipping. Great communication.

 

For a more "mainstream" company, my favorite is Montway. Most of their rigs are company-owned, not independent operators. It gives them better control over who goes where and when.  Finally, Passport is OK. You can contact Camille Davis at(417) 650-0972. They are the "official" shipper for the Gullwing Group rallies, so obviously, they know their stuff, but I have had mixed experiences with timing and communications. 

 

That said, I'd put some sort of tracker in the car. I've used this GPS Tracker - Optimus 3.0 4G LTE Bundle with Waterproof Twin Magnet Case - 1 Month Battery which is great. It only costs about $40, and last pretty long, depending on the settings, but it does require a monthly subscription. You can sign up and cancel after you ship. Alternatively, you can just stick an Apple Airtag if you use IOS, or a Tile (both about $35 on Amazon.) Neither requires a subscription. They are not as quick to report but you don't need a subscription and they last hella long. 

 

I have Airtags in all my cars - classic and contemporary- , and also on my keychains. This is both for theft protection and for finding keys and cars when I misplace them. VERY cheap insurance. I misplaced keys at this huge event and the Findmy app got me to within 10 feet of them.

Optimus

[markmac]

Thanks for all the info/tips.  Cheap isn't always good when it comes to this sort of thing, especially when it is a matter of a couple of hundred dollars.  Since virtually everything on the car is one-off/rare/fabricated, anything damaged, stolen etc., would eclipse that couple of hundred bux really fast.  I found a company on hemmings and then just sent a request for quote to Cappys.  We'll see what we see.  Tx again.