Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

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AndroAsc
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Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by AndroAsc »

I've been in contact with 3 car transport companies, and I'm getting the impression that this is a real shady industry.

I ask every one of them a very simple question: "If my car gets totaled during transport, how much will you pay me?"

With my auto policy, I know for a fact that my insurance company will reimburse me the original purchase price, because I have a new car rider.

When I ask the same questions to these car transport companies, I get typical responses like
"Oh it's full coverage up to $2 million" But when I dig into details, I get nothing. Does everyone just nod and be happy because they just mentioned full coverage and a million dollars?

In each case, when I press for an exact amount (or exact contractual language), they can't provide it. The most I got was one company who claimed that they cover up to the KBB value. When I further questioned back which KBB value? Is there a different KBB value for business vs consumers? Are we using CPO price or private party price? What car condition are we using? I get no satisfactory answers. I even offered to provide all details of my car, including mileage and car condition, but they said they can't write that into the contract. At this point, when I ask for all these details in writing, they all start to sound unhappy, too many pertinent questions perhaps? I guess they expect every customer to be an easy, naive sale?

The bigger problem is that every car transport company I've contacted appears to be a broker. They are not the actual entity transporting the car, but instead contract out these jobs to another company. And I'm getting stone-walled especially on the insurance side because they can't give me insurance details until they get the car/driver assigned, and I'm guessing I will need to engage their services for that to happen.

Another problem that I am seeing is that the car company expect you to do an inspection and report all claims within 24 hours or less. I'm sorry, this is simply not acceptable. Damages can be non-visual, and sometimes you won't pick it up until you drive around for a few days, "feel" that something is off, and get a mechanic to check it.

The way I am interpreting this, is these car transport companies are expecting me to agree to a service without having the relevant details for the deal, and I only have a short 24hr window to make a claim.

At this point, I'm almost inclined to drive from the West Coast to the East Coast myself. I'm not terribly excited over this prospect, but at least I know exactly how my car is going to be protected.

For those who have had this experience, was it as frustrating as mine? Am I being too demanding? Yes, I do pay attention to details, but I'm not transporting an old beater, it's a new car I purchased 3 months ago, and I don't want to lose $3k just because my car got totaled during transport and received a depreciated settlement.
eucalyptus
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by eucalyptus »

Thomas Sunday, Reliable and Horseless Carriage all regularly transport very valuable cars. I suggest contacting one of those companies. Many auto transport companies are in fact brokers - I'd avoid them.
Jack FFR1846
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

First question should be "do you own trucks?". Anything but yes, hang up.

I live next to a top notch restoration shop. I only see intercity trucks there.

I also know Stewart Transport who does the bulk of shipments for factory five in Wareham ma. They may give you a break on returning to the east coast. They own their truck.
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millionaretrucker
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by millionaretrucker »

Not 100% on auto transporters, but I drive truck, and a lot of those issues are standard practice. Nearly all freight that isn't a contract load(recurring load that carrier has contract for length of time), is marked must report shortage/damage within 24 hours. For a car, I would imagine they would be even pickier, just because of possible damage that could be done between the carrier dropping it off, and a week of driving, or sitting.
However I would imagine if you could prove it was damaged in transport the carrier/broker would be liable. You would probably have to go through a lot more trouble to get it if it's past that window though
As far as brokers, that is unfortunately standard practice in the industry now. The good old days of independent drivers booking there own loads are gone. All the mega carriers and brokers have bid down the price, and lowered the quality. I would think the auto transport is even more susceptible to this due to needing multiple customers going. and the logistics of getting multiple customers for backhaul
dolphinsaremammals
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by dolphinsaremammals »

When I moved, the car was shipped in the moving van, with a protective frame built around it. I didn't have to hire a separate company. It was so long ago that I've forgotten the insurance details, but there was some damage and it was repaired in full. There must be paperwork that spells this out.
millionaretrucker
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by millionaretrucker »

Forgot to mention, that the claims process will be pretty standard across the industry. Trucking companies don't pay out claims themselves, we carry cargo insurance, and have to comply with their standards. So it's really not us being shady, but trucking companies protecting their assets by complying with their cargo insurance.
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CABob
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by CABob »

AndroAsc wrote:I've been in contact with 3 car transport companies, and I'm getting the impression that this is a real shady industry.

I ask every one of them a very simple question: "If my car gets totaled during transport, how much will you pay me?"

With my auto policy, I know for a fact that my insurance company will reimburse me the original purchase price, because I have a new car rider.
Keep in mind these are trucking companies and not insurance companies. They have insurance with a company specializing in insurance. (Or possibly may be self-insured.) The most I think you can hope for is replacement cost of the vehicle. If your vehicle is damaged you would submit a claim and it would be processed as any auto insurance claim would be processed.
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Nebster »

It's not shady, it's just a crude and baroque distribution of labor and responsibility, and the broker isn't party to the policy that covers you. The policy is placed by the driver (or his/her company).

FWIW, I have brokered five or six cross-country deliveries of very high end vehicles. I have always used a reputable broker that sponsors and engages with the car owner community on the web forum related to that manufacturer, which is pretty much an easy way to find a smaller broker who'll answer the phone and deal with an issue. I think you can use a lot of these brokers for regular cars, too. One time I used a totally private delivery company and booked the shipment directly with them, but I don't think it really matters, and the small specialist guys often can't hit dates very well because they are booked up.

On my last delivery, the driver set a ride height setting incorrectly on my car, which caused some significant damage when it was driven off the truck at the destination. This was a $200k car. The guy knew it right away, just about killed himself on the sidewalk, and then tried to convince me that his "cousin" across town could fix my car without him having to file a claim.

After some back and forth, I told him I wouldn't accept a repair except from the original manufacturer of this nearly-new, super expensive car. I also called the broker, and they were able to have a separate conversation with him that, I believe, helped move things along as well. I think this is because the smaller brokers tend to use the same drivers again and again, so they have a relationship and leverage. This driver was concerned that he wouldn't have his $1k to meet his deductible, and I guess the broker worked something out with him so that he could come up with his deductible somehow (!).

Once the claim process began, it was smooth sailing and handled much like you'd deal with a collision repair with your personal auto policy.

At no time during any of this process did anyone suggest I would be paying a penny for any of these repairs. I initially had some concern about diminished value, but ultimately the damaged components were simply replaced (yay, modular), so it was kind of like having a new car anyway. I don't know how the insurer would've handled an attempted DV claim.

I you are reasonable to want to know what's covered, but I don't think it's going to matter much, and I don't think you're going to get the answer you want. Unless this is some one-of-a-kind specialty car, I would just book the shipment and not worry too much. Witness the loading and unloading (video it, if you like). Request an enclosed carrier if you can afford the markup; that cuts down on the exposure a good bit.
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Ody
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Ody »

I relocated, coast to coast, recently. I shipped 2 cars. The first one was totaled during shipping. The company, CFR Rinkens, denied any wrong doing and said I dropped the car off in the condition that it was in when I went to go pick it up.

I drove the car to their east coast hub in New Jersey to save a little on the cost, rather than have someone come pick up the vehicle at my house. I dropped it off on a sunday afternoon. The only documentation I had from them was a gate receipt showing the time i dropped it off. When I went to pick it up the car was filthy dirty and the interior was soaking wet/moldy/dirty. The car had no power. Long story short it went through a flood. The contents of the trunks, once I was able to get them open, were soaked/moldy/dirty, too. They played nice for a few days telling me they would "make everything right by me" but then flipped and said I delivered the vehicle to them in the condition it was in. Since I drove the car to them and there was no power to the vehicle when i went to pick it up I find their assumption absurd. I've since involved my insurance company. I'm going on week 6 with no resolution yet. The company has been slow in sending what ever documentation they have to prove me wrong, not surprisingly. The bottom line is the car is a total loss. I'll likely be reimbursed for the market value of the car; I had comprehensive coverage. I'll have to sue the company in small claims court for the destroyed items in my trunks.

My advice:
1. Take pictures/video of the car before you hand it over to who ever you decide to have ship it. Be exceedingly thorough.
2. Don't sign anything until you're absolutely sure your vehicle is given back to you in the condition you gave it to them.
3. Have comprehensive insurance on the vehicle.
4. It was surprisingly tough to find any lawyer to talk to about the case. It's simply not worth their time. I'll be reimbursed by the insurance company but the remaining damages are too small for lawyers to care. $5000 is the upper limit for small claims court in most states so that's the route I'll have to go.
5. DON'T USE CFR RINKENS

Over all the experience has been very stressful and exceedingly annoying.

The second car we shipped with the same company and made it with no issues, thankfully.
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autonomy
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by autonomy »

I've briefly looked into this while shopping for a new car (better deals /process to be had) and ended up with the following summary:
1. It's going to cost 1K or more
2. The vibe is indeed 'shady'
3. You can be waiting a long time for your vehicle to get picked up, unless you pay extra for priority pickup

However, there are quite a lot of people who shipped their BMWs cross-country. Search for "bimmerfest cross country shipping", you'll find lots of opinions.
BeerTooth
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by BeerTooth »

It is the shadiest industry I have ever dealt with. The brokers are so sleazy and cutthroat that they make payday lenders look like Boy Scouts. It's all verbal promises and pass-the-buck ("talk to my subcontractor's subcontractor") and no paperwork or contracts.

We just shipped our truck from Arizona to New Hampshire. It took them a full month to deliver it, but it arrived in good condition. I wish you luck!
musbane
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by musbane »

It does seem to be mostly about brokers now and there are many shady tricks.

When I moved my new to me very expensive car from a New Hampshire dealer to my home near Seattle, the dealer was responsible for arranging (not paying) for the trucking. Almost a month went by as the broker offered up excuse after excuse for the delay.

It turned out that in order to obtain the business, they had offered the dealer a price so low that no trucker would actually do the job. The lies just kept getting more complicated...

I finally got the name of a good and honest broker from a website devoted to the brand of car I had bought. I forced the dealer to fire their broker and said I would arrange it myself.

It was like night and day! They were on top of everything from the start. Pleasant to deal with and easy to contact.

I'm not sure about insurance because my insurance would have covered any problem ( I think)

The broker's name is Angels Moving Autos.

Keep in mind that for extra money you can specify a closed truck.
eucalyptus
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by eucalyptus »

Sorry to repeat myself.

OP, do not use a broker.

Call Horseless Carriage, Reliable, Thomas Sunday or, as someone else mentioned, Intercity.

Those companies deal with the major auto auction houses. RM uses Reliable; Intercity is a Gooding sponsor.

Ferrari NA once used Horseless Carriage; they may still.

These firms regularly transport the most valuable cars in the country.

I have personally used TS, Reliable and Horseless and been happy. I have also used small, no name carriers who specialize in moving collector cars; some of those are very, very good but you don't need them.

No carrier is perfect, mistakes happen. But no, not everyone in the industry is sleazy.

Good luck.
vkfu
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by vkfu »

I shipped a car with http://www.coasttocoastauto.com/ a year ago and had no trouble.
Bacchus01
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Bacchus01 »

I've honestly used Uship.com about 10 times without ever a problem. Shipped BMWs, Ducatis, classic cars, and even a dog.
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JDCarpenter
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by JDCarpenter »

Bacchus01 wrote:I've honestly used Uship.com about 10 times without ever a problem. Shipped BMWs, Ducatis, classic cars, and even a dog.
Please, don't stop there! How did this come about? :confused
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southbay
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by southbay »

Bacchus01 wrote:I've honestly used Uship.com about 10 times without ever a problem. Shipped BMWs, Ducatis, classic cars, and even a dog.
I have used freightquote.com for freight with good reaults. Think they do cars too. They broker the deal and present you with multiple options.
idunno246
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by idunno246 »

I used http://goldenkeyexpress.com/auto-transport/company.html, same guy picked my car up as dropped it off, and he was even early. My furniture on the other hand, "accidentally" got put into storage and was two weeks late...
Steady59
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Steady59 »

Ditto on using brokers. Don't. You're just paying 15% more than you need to.

You need to decide if you want to ship enclosed or not. Depends upon the car value. Enclosed doubles the price, but its enclosed.

Choose someone who will transport your car the entire way and not pass it off/unload it/reload it on another truck half way through the trip. This just increases the likelihood of damage especially if its not enclosed. Pay for quality service and don't ship around August/September because the rates will be higher as all the good shippers are bringing cars to and from the Monterey shows.

Good luck!
Bacchus01
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Bacchus01 »

JDCarpenter wrote:
Bacchus01 wrote:I've honestly used Uship.com about 10 times without ever a problem. Shipped BMWs, Ducatis, classic cars, and even a dog.
Please, don't stop there! How did this come about? :confused
Needed to get a dog transported from East Coast to Midwest. Normal path would be to put him on a plane as the carriers do this all the time. However, closest airport on the other end that would accept it was more than 5 hours away driving. Found someone who does pet transport on ubid.com. He picked up the dog and drove it straight through to the other end. He was an odd fella, but references checked out and process went very smoothly. There is no way he made money on the deal, however, as it was only $250.
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AndroAsc
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by AndroAsc »

Thanks. I'll reach out to some of the enclosed transport companies and the car transport companies that are not brokers.
Almost there
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Almost there »

AndroAsc:

Which company did you decide to go with?
Still looking to find a reputable company.

Almost there
Footure
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Footure »

It can definitely be a bit frustrating trying to figure out who's doing what. If they can't tell you the details of their insurance policy and coverages, my guess would be that they're a broker. If you look up the FMCSA website, you can find out the required insurance coverage and ask for the specific documents from the carrier--I believe you can also look them up to see if they operate as a broker. It's been a few years, but I've used [(removed) --admin LadyGeek]. before and been happy with them.

As far as protecting yourself against potential damages, your best bet is to document excessively (they actually encouraged me to do this, which I liked). That included pictures and every little scratch and ding. It's true you can't detect any type of mechanical issue in the time you inspect it after drop off, but any sort of damage should be visible I would think. They only move the vehicle (as far as I understand it) to rearrange the cars on the truck.
Almost there
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by Almost there »

I ended up using Inter City Auto Transport. They were reliable, on time in picking up my car in NJ and 2 days later in Arizona. They were just great. Can highly recommend them.

Almost there
zkzkzk
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by zkzkzk »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: I also know Stewart Transport who does the bulk of shipments for factory five in Wareham ma. They may give you a break on returning to the east coast. They own their truck.
I've heard nothing but good things about Stewart Transport. Not sure if they do back hauls or not.

On a side note.....
I was wondering if "FFR1846" meant what I thought it did.
I have been thinking of purchasing one now while I am still working and storing it in my shop to build when I retire.
HIinvestor
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Re: Is the entire Car Transport Industry this Shady? Need help in getting a reliable transport company...

Post by HIinvestor »

OP, glad it worked out. We have had 2 cars shipped HNL to southern CA and one trucked from SF to VA. It worked for us--no damage and vehicles arrived on schedule. All of them insisted on nothing of value in trunks.
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