Shipping a car cross country

[AZjeff]

Sometime after this pandemic is under control my daughter and SIL will relocate from Arizona to Maryland and will need to ship their CUV. Any experiences and/or recommendations on car shipping companies? Due to health issues beyond the COVID they'll rent a small RV one way to travel self-contained, so driving it or towing is not an option. Thanks for any help.

 

[Trav]

Lots of pictures, use a well known good company with insurance, do not go for the cheapest. Do a nit picking pre transport inspection and the same upon arrival.
When Houston had those bad floods I sent a car to my step daughter and they damaged the car, they changed the name of their business (claimed the sold it) before I could claim. I ate about 3K on that one.

 

[AZjeff]

Great. My only experience is a friend had a highly modified Dodge Charger shipped to a tuner and the shipper damaged then "lost" the car for several months. It was a nightmare.

 

[skyactiv]

A lot of times this will be brokered out. So a guy that owns his own semi and auto carrier can get a load from "Americas best Auto Haulers" one week and "Not A Scratch Auto Haulers" the next. Or he might have vehicles from different brokers on the same trailer.

The vehicle could be removed from the auto carrier at some point in the journey and put on another carrier. The vehicle could be removed and placed back on the carrier to be shuffled around.

 

[levi]

A lot of times this will be brokered out. So a guy that owns his own semi and auto carrier can get a load from "Americas best Auto Haulers" one week and "Not A Scratch Auto Haulers" the next. Or he might have vehicles from different brokers on the same trailer.

The vehicle could be removed from the auto carrier at some point in the journey and put on another carrier. The vehicle could be removed and placed back on the carrier to be shuffled around.

This. If the CUV is 10 years or older, I'd just sell it, buy something else in Maryland.

Otherwise, you are simply going to pays your money and takes your chances. Hope it will go smoothly for her.

 

[mattwithcats]

I used Montway to ship a car from Virginia to Chicago.

Pickup was a Wal-Mart parking lot, delivery was a Football Stadium parking lot. Lots of room for the truck...

Give the driver a key, keep one key for yourself.
Take pictures before shipping...

Got a discount for paying cash...

https://www.montway.com/

 

[Boomer]

Would it be cheaper to pay someone to drive it in and give them a plane ticket back? Maybe a local college student? A retiree?

 

[AZjeff]

2015 CX-5 with 45k miles, Arizona NO RUST car in great condition. Hate to give it up and buy something similar used there. Will be in an apartment for a year probably so a new car would likely get dinged up.

Cheaper isn't a concern, new employer is paying moving costs. Not sure if they'd pay an individual's costs.

I'm retired but won't stay in a motel or fly until I get a vaccine and that timeframe is an unknown.

Thanks for the info Matt.

 

[gfh77665]

Hire a vetted driver. Pay for a ticket back home.

 

[manicrodder]

Lots of pictures, use a well known good company with insurance, do not go for the cheapest. Do a nit picking pre transport inspection and the same upon arrival.
When Houston had those bad floods I sent a car to my step daughter and they damaged the car, they changed the name of their business (claimed the sold it) before I could claim. I ate about 3K on that one

A friend of my brother moves classic and restored cars in his business. He had so many damage claims from haulers now he will only transport by train and have customer pick up or hire local drivers or trailers to finish the route.

 

[MoneyJohn]

I used Montway to ship a car from Virginia to Chicago.

My BIL used to the same to ship one of the cars from Louisville, KY to Long Island. He drove the other.

 

[Dave Hess]

I would drive it and then fly back home.

Once damaged it will be difficult to get your vehicle fixed.