shipping a car cross country

[BigKuba]

Seeing as I got advice about every other aspect of my moving back out West from the Collective, here's one more question:I need to get my car across the country. My new job is nice enough to pay for shipping it on a truck if the cost is within a reasonable amount of driving it myself. So:

Has anyone had experience with this stuff before and can tell me what to look out for? For example, if I don't opt for the $150 extra guaranteed on-time delivery fee, does that automatically mean that they'll be a month late? Are there any particularly shady things I need to look out for?

I got two quotes so far:
- $1695 (Boston to Southern California) from a respectable moving company that works with my new employer, which seems to include everything, but is way too high. I'm assuming that they're used to working with fancypants customers with nice cars, so this might come with an enclosed trailer, massage with happy ending when you pick the car up, and so on.

- $1043 from DAS Auto Shippers, which apparently is the spancered shipping comany of eBay Motors. It includes door-to-door pickup/dropoff and insurance, and is on an open trailer. This price is entirely reasonable, and my car is a beater so I don't mind the open trailer.

Some other things to keep in mind:
- I've done the cross-country drive 5 times already and would be going alone this time. Time is kinda important, so I can't make a 2 week road trip out of it.
- Someone has already offered to drive my car for the cost of gas plus a one way plane ticket back. Not gonna happen.

What do the Maggots think? Is there a ton of shadiness hiding behind the lower price? FWIW, if I choose all their options, I can bring their price close to the other company's $1695... Can anyone recommend a company or vouch for this one?

Thanks.

SoCal Maggots -- If this goes as planned, I should be in SD/LA in the 2nd week of September, looking for a place to live (I had my eye on one earlier this month but it went to someone willing to take it starting immediately).

[Bluebird]

PM bumpskier. She does this for a living.

[steve]

- Someone has already offered to drive my car for the cost of gas plus a one way plane ticket back. Not gonna happen.

damn, i'm jonesin for a roadtrip.

-steve

[dfinn]

i used DAS to ship a vw rabbit from boston to san fran for around $900. that was a few years ago. had no complaints. the car got their on time and was in the same shape as when I dropped it off with them.

[BigKuba]

i used DAS to ship a vw rabbit from boston to san fran for around $900. that was a few years ago. had no complaints. the car got their on time and was in the same shape as when I dropped it off with them.

Nice. This is good to hear. Their web site looks legit and they claim to have been in the business many many years, but hey, I can make a site like that too, so I'd like to hear some more maggot testimonials.

Steve -- I'm jonesin' for a road trip too, I was set to do one through South Dakota to Jackson and down to San Diego (I did a month-long I-70 to I-15 trip last year), but then those plans went down the drain and now I'm just trying to get across as fast as possible...

[shmerham]

I just used DAS this past summer. No complaints, but the gaurantee date was included.

I think we're nearing the end of the high season for moving, which may bode well for you. When I was moving back in june, it was when LOTS of people were moving, which really delayed my household goods.

[shmerham]

Also, if your car is clean when you hand it over to them (mine wasn't), they'll cover damages incurred during shipment; so I wouldn't worry about the open carrier.

[dfinn]

i think i remeber them telling me my car had to be clean before they would pick it up. they also said it has to be empty.

[BigKuba]

Also, if your car is clean when you hand it over to them (mine wasn't), they'll cover damages incurred during shipment; so I wouldn't worry about the open carrier.

My car's a beater, with dents and paint chips galore, so I'm not concerned.

Thanks for the feedback.

What about stuff in the car? Do I have to take absolutely everything out? I have a pretty nice first aid/emergency car care kit, chains, that kind of stuff that wouldn't fit in my suitcase if I were to fly. Would they care if I left that in the trunk?
Edit ^^^^^ Shit, I'm slow. Still, does it have to be totally empty?

[steve]

Nice. This is good to hear. Their web site looks legit and they claim to have been in the business many many years, but hey, I can make a site like that too, so I'd like to hear some more maggot testimonials.

Steve -- I'm jonesin' for a road trip too, I was set to do one through South Dakota to Jackson and down to San Diego (I did a month-long I-70 to I-15 trip last year), but then those plans went down the drain and now I'm just trying to get across as fast as possible...

why does it have to take a month?
i'd do it in 3-4 days.

-steve

[BigKuba]

why does it have to take a month?
i'd do it in 3-4 days.

-steve

If you drive across in 3-4 days you're just driving all day and not stopping at the purdy places. Doing this by yourself is not fun without proper and copious safety precautions, which I wouldn't be making.

Last year I took a month to stop and hang out at almost every National Park between Denver and San Diego (photo linky), and it was the best road trip I could imagine, but I could do the northern route in less than that -- a week or 10 days would be fine to poke around the Badlands, Yellowstone, and Jackson, but neither I nor my girlfriend have the time to do that right now.

[dfinn]

My car's a beater, with dents and paint chips galore, so I'm not concerned.

Thanks for the feedback.

What about stuff in the car? Do I have to take absolutely everything out? I have a pretty nice first aid/emergency car care kit, chains, that kind of stuff that wouldn't fit in my suitcase if I were to fly. Would they care if I left that in the trunk?
Edit ^^^^^ Shit, I'm slow. Still, does it have to be totally empty?

that should be fine. they just don't want you packing it full of moving boxes.

[Aldo]

If it's a beater, no sweat, take the cheapest quote. DAS will contract the job out to a generic carrier. You can leave stuff in the trunk. If you're shipping a concours car go with a boutique outfit, if not call the cattle boat.

[steve]

If you drive across in 3-4 days you're just driving all day and not stopping at the purdy places. Doing this by yourself is not fun without proper and copious safety precautions, which I wouldn't be making.

Last year I took a month to stop and hang out at almost every National Park between Denver and San Diego, and it was the best road trip I could imagine, but I could do the northern route in less than that -- a week or 10 days would be fine to poke around the Badlands, Yellowstone, and Jackson, but neither I nor my girlfriend have the time to do that right now.

actually, driving all day without stopping would take me just about 48 hours.
I've done roadtrips of 2400 miles without sleep - and still stopped to see some purdy places.

check out a couple of my highpointing trip reports - http://turzman.com/projects/highpoints

[BigKuba]

actually, driving all day without stopping would take me just about 48 hours.
I've done roadtrips of 2400 miles without sleep - and still stopped to see some purdy places.

check out a couple of my highpointing trip reports - http://turzman.com/projects/highpoints

3000 miles / 4 days = 750 mi/day = 10-11 hours of driving, incl. gas stops.
24 h - 11 h = 13 hours left in the day - 8 for sleep and breakfast and such - 1 for longer dinner stop = 4 hours left in the day to look at stuff.
I don't want to drive to Jackson only to be there for 4 hours. Or even 8 hours.

I know it can be done, it's just kind of a waste, especially since I've done the drive a bunch of times already.

Cool link though.

[Helicrackjnky]

I have shipped cars to & from Socal numerous times over the years. Most of the "shippers" you talk to are no more than some Jack off with a computer working on commission! I have been using a guy direct cutting out the "shipper" that has been saving me the hassle of dealing with the middle man. PM me if you want the contact info. Dealing direct cuts the price in half. This past winter I shipped my truck Chicago to Key Largo,FL for $650,quoted price from shipper 1500. The shipper would have contacted these guys to do the work anyway.

[steve]

I know it can be done, it's just kind of a waste, especially since I've done the drive a bunch of times already.

no problem. if you change your mind, i'm still willing to do it and you know how to get a hold of me.

[scoober]

I may have missed this, but are you shipping other stuff on a moving van? If so, I'm pretty sure you can add your car to the bill of lading and they will put it right in the enclosed trailer with everything else.

I used Allied (I think, the orange ones?) to move cross country a few years back and I think it was around $2000 for all my stuff including my car.

[shmerham]

What about stuff in the car? Do I have to take absolutely everything out? I have a pretty nice first aid/emergency car care kit, chains, that kind of stuff that wouldn't fit in my suitcase if I were to fly. Would they care if I left that in the trunk?
Edit ^^^^^ Shit, I'm slow. Still, does it have to be totally empty?

It is supposed to be totally empty, but car-related stuff that you'd normally carry in your car probably is fine. Not that this item is a big deal, but they didn't blink at jumper cables, so they probably won't care about chains or a emergency kit.

[iceman]

Sell the thing, you're going to be in SoCal with the new big job, you need a ride, not some beater!

[BigKuba]

Sell the thing, you're going to be in SoCal with the new big job, you need a ride, not some beater!

It's been my college/grad school car and likely will take on that role for my sister, or will be my parents' beater car... It also needs to be returned to CA for a smog check to keep it registered there, so no dice.

I do plan on getting a new ride before ski season and I promise that you will hear about it here.

Now get in chat and help me procrastinate during my last day as a grad student.

[Canuk]

What about shipping via rail? I know that in Canada, it's pretty cheap ($600 or so insured) to ship cross country.

[scoober]

I do plan on getting a new ride before ski season and I promise that you will hear about it here.

Don't forget to start a post about it so we can all argue whether you should get a Subaru or an Audi.

[BigKuba]

Don't forget to start a post about it so we can all argue whether you should get a Subaru or an Audi.

Whoa! How did you know?
I couldn't find anything about these cars with the search function so I'll definitely start a new thread to hear everyone's input.

[scarlet begonias]

What about stuff in the car? Do I have to take absolutely everything out? I have a pretty nice first aid/emergency car care kit, chains, that kind of stuff that wouldn't fit in my suitcase if I were to fly. Would they care if I left that in the trunk?
Edit ^^^^^ Shit, I'm slow. Still, does it have to be totally empty?

With DAS you can put up to 100 pounds in your trunk - so nothing in SUV's and Wagons...your Honda will be fine.