My daughter found a job in SF bay area and may need a car. Any experience good or bad shipping cars cross country?
Any advice for shipping car X-country?
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tim self
Member
My recommendation is if you have access to call a local military installation, call and inquire who they use. Could give some valuead info
mostangrypirate
Member
I drive a truck and I can tell you that a "frieght" option will almost be as much as her getting a used car where she is. when I lived in montana, I used to drive "chaser" cars. when someone needed a car to go somewhere, it would amount to a road trip for a couple of trustworthy young people. one of us drove the vehicle in question, the other chased him, for the ride back. you might just ask one of here friends if they'd like to see her again, and toss them the keys and some money.
markgum
Member
I-80 is a great drive... well,,, except through the vastness of Nebraska, and the BORING road in Nevada... :biggrin:
mrcook4570
Member
Sell car, send funds to daughter, daughter buys car.
OldWrangler
Member
In the long run, it will be easiest and cheapest to find a reliable college student or retired person to drive it and fly back. Put an add in the paper, there are lots of folks who will do it. I know a retired couple who earn extra money delivering cars from a dealer to the buyers. Sometimes nearly across country. They drive both the car and their car and then come back in their car.
GouletPens
Member
My dad and I have bought several vehicles on ebay and had them shipped. There are truckers who do just that....they wait for a full load then drive a rig full of vehicles to wherever. The furthest one we had shipped was from Texas to here in Richmond, cost I think $850 or so, this was last summer when diesel was $5 a gallon. To go all the way out to SF....whew, it would cost a penny. Good experience though. We've shipped 3 cars that way.
pipecrafter
Member
Several years ago I shipped a car from RI to CA, then back again a few years later. I want to say it was in the realm of about $800 to $1000 to ship. When the car is worth more than that, it's worth it, but not if it's just some used car.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, at the time I registered my car in CA, I had to pay an additional fee with the registration because the car, even though it had CARB-approved emissions (Bought in MA), was not a "California car". I don't know if they're still doing that or not, but keep it in mind.
Another thing to keep in mind is that, at the time I registered my car in CA, I had to pay an additional fee with the registration because the car, even though it had CARB-approved emissions (Bought in MA), was not a "California car". I don't know if they're still doing that or not, but keep it in mind.
TellicoTurning
Member
In years past this was very common.. a cheap way for a college student to get home or across country, etc... in today's society, suggest you check them out pretty good for driving record, drug usage and make sure your insurance will cover them, even if you have to list them as a driver temporarily. If you are near a military base, you might see if there's a serviceman/woman looking for transport home for a leave?
There are a number of companies that transport cars... I've been retired out of the transportation industry for nearly 4 years, so prices have undoubtedly changed, but depending on distance to be transported, you may be looking at between $500 and $2500 for a car hauler. If you know someone on a military base, check with them, or call a moving and storage company and check with their prices... or, it may be far more economical to do as suggested, sell the car, send your daughter the money to put down on another... the difference in price may well be cheaper than the transport costs.
jdoug5170
Member
Having recently made the move back to Oregon from Michigan, I was faced with this same challenge. We had two cars and did not want to make the drive alone.
We got quotes from $900-$1200. Found it interesting that there is a different rate for lower level and upper level, and while you have to attest to your vehicle being leak free, they are not responsibile for any fluid damage caused by a car on the upper level...so I would opt for the upper level myself.
In the end, we drove both vehicles ourselves, loaded to the hilt with goodies that we could not bare to leave behind, and in March, it was along drive...took 3 days longer than planned.
We got quotes from $900-$1200. Found it interesting that there is a different rate for lower level and upper level, and while you have to attest to your vehicle being leak free, they are not responsibile for any fluid damage caused by a car on the upper level...so I would opt for the upper level myself.
In the end, we drove both vehicles ourselves, loaded to the hilt with goodies that we could not bare to leave behind, and in March, it was along drive...took 3 days longer than planned.
workinforwood
Member
Is there anyone that makes boats or RV trailers in your area..lets say within 100 miles? Those are the people to find. ie...in Mishawaka IN there's a huge RV trailer manufacturer. All the trailers are hauled by private haulers, mostly retired guys with pick-ups and dualies, and these days many of them are hauling single level car decks so they can move 2-3 campers at a time. These guys haul out then search for a back-haul to help cover the fuel expense..no backhaul, they still have to go back for more campers so they lose money and many can't find a backhaul these days. You find a manufacturer that makes campers, boats, pontoons, you might find your ride....oh, wait...you need to find a manufacturer in Central California that is. Your car is the back haul to get back to California.
If the car is worth under $2000 then sell it. Send her the money and tell her to go to Nevada and buy a replacement.
If the car is worth under $2000 then sell it. Send her the money and tell her to go to Nevada and buy a replacement.
BullDurham
Member
When my daughter moved to Washington state we found it was best to drive it or sell it here and buy one there. She sold it here and got one there for about the same price, but that was ten years ago.
dalemcginnis
Local Chapter Leader
Kurt's right about that. Don't know what the fee is but with Ca's finances the way they are right now and a legislature that only knows how to raise taxes,not cut expenses, it's sure to be a lot more. My recommendation is to buy one here.
amosfella
Member
If she wants the car out there... Drive it out yourself, or hire someone to do it... The auto haulers are usually not as reliable as one woudl like to thing. Many will siphon fuel out of the car, some take the cars for joy rides.....
nava1uni
Member
California emissions are pretty strict here. It would probably be easier to get a car here that meets those standards. There are a lot of cars available here. Where is she moving in he Bay Area? If she needs help of any kind or finding her way around then I would be happy to assist her. Send me a PM and I will send you my contact information.
workinforwood
Member
Although my opinion is to sell and buy another. The fact that "Many" auto haulers will siphon fuel and go for a joy ride is ridiculous. Chances are, my truck is far more enjoyable than your car. My truck can't use your fuel. And I have dignity and a name to protect, so it wouldn't even cross my mind or most others, because we truckers are mostly family people that care about the work that we do. Sure, there's a bad one in every crowd, but for the most part, you can trust a trucker to handle your merchandise with respect and speed, so we can get on to the next job as quick as possible and be recommended by you in the future. Remember..if the Auto companies go bankrupt, life will go on. If the truckers stop trucking, the world stops on a dime. Everything comes and goes on a truck. yep...got me in a soft spot
dntrost
Member
Well stated Jeff.
amosfella
Member
Although my opinion is to sell and buy another. The fact that "Many" auto haulers will siphon fuel and go for a joy ride is ridiculous. Chances are, my truck is far more enjoyable than your car. My truck can't use your fuel. And I have dignity and a name to protect, so it wouldn't even cross my mind or most others, because we truckers are mostly family people that care about the work that we do. Sure, there's a bad one in every crowd, but for the most part, you can trust a trucker to handle your merchandise with respect and speed, so we can get on to the next job as quick as possible and be recommended by you in the future. Remember..if the Auto companies go bankrupt, life will go on. If the truckers stop trucking, the world stops on a dime. Everything comes and goes on a truck. yep...got me in a soft spot
Maybe I should clarify... I shipped a diesel mercedes across the country, and when it left the dealer there it was full. I had a foto of the instrument cluster while it was running, and it showed the tank as full. There was only one more mile on the odo, and the tank was just about empty. I had to put fuel into it to get it to the next fuel station (about 12 miles).
I used to drive truck too, and some of the things that I saw car haulers do......
In one case, I saw a guy pull a mercedes out of the trailer (they were being shipped covered), and drive it to the downtown high end club. I know where he was going, because I was invited to go as we talked over lunch.....
amosfella
Member
That being said, it doesn't mean that all car haulers are like that....
When I moved from STL to CA, I used http://www.aacrossusa.com/ to ship 2 cars, was very pleased. Much cheaper than other options, although still I think $1500 for both.
daniel
daniel
Sabaharr
Member
Advice? DON'T do it. As said before there are the emission differences to consider, value of the car V/S cost involved, and other things like when my sister did it. Last time she saw the car was when it was turned over to the shipper, and that was years ago. I agree with sell it and buy another one over there. That way she can get the full value of the car without you losing the expense of getting it there.
Nothing against this opinion, but I disagree. There is the underlying assumption that in this economy you can sell a car for what it's worth and do so in a timely manner, and I don't think that's a safe assumption. Also, the emissions issue is moot unless it's an old car - CA emissions aren't insanely more stringent than other states, or there wouldn't be all these clunkers driving around.
If you're looking at using a shipper, make sure you get one that's bonded and insured, and "disappeared" cars aren't something you have to worry about. In fact, you can hope it happens, because then you immediately get the insurance value of the car. When I shipped both of ours with the company I mentioned, the driver showed up, we both walked around the car and marked every little scratch/etc. on a carbon-copied sheet, then he took the car and loaded it up. It was delivered less than a week later and we did the same walk-around to inspect for damage. For each of the horror stories out there about disappearing or damaged cars, there are hundreds of responsible, ethical, professional truckers that do a great job.
If it were me, I'd get a quote from a company that's insured (research them online) and then make a decision based on the finances.
Edit: Also, I agree with pirate-boy up there.
Ask some friends if they want to go see her, then let them drive it out. I have some wonderfully fond memories of road trips, I'd go that route if I had the option. And the time!daniel
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altaciii
Member
Gorges idea is the best and cheapest way to. We have two drivers at my dealership that are willing and able to go cross country. Call your local dealer and see if they can recomend a driver. Most times these guys that do it are bonded and modt trustworthy.
monophoto
Member
Many years ago, our son moved from upstate NY to the Bay Area. He had inherited a car from his grandmother, and opted to drive it out Took five days for the trip (reasonable). However, he did find that the cost of registering the car in California was substantial because it was not configured to meet California emission standards. And the fine that he had to pay for not registering until he was caught only added to the expense.
Based on that experience, my suggestion is to sell the car, and then have your daughter buy something she likes when she gets there and decides that she needs a car. Keep in mind that San Francisco has public transportation, gas is expensive, and parking is scarce/expensive. She could find that using the combination of public transportation, Uber, and rental/car sharing would meet her needs.
Based on that experience, my suggestion is to sell the car, and then have your daughter buy something she likes when she gets there and decides that she needs a car. Keep in mind that San Francisco has public transportation, gas is expensive, and parking is scarce/expensive. She could find that using the combination of public transportation, Uber, and rental/car sharing would meet her needs.
Monty
Group Buy Coordinator
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JimB
Member
Maybe I am crazy but this Thread is from 2009.