request for advice - interstate transportation ...

[Stealth]

I am coming up on a need to transport a Caddy from Dallas to Los Angeles.

Advice on transport services, cost is really important, time is not.

thanks

[submariner409]

Any chance of hiring a professional driver ?

[c5 rv]

If the car can be driven that distance, flying out and driving it back is probably the cheapest way. Two long days of driving. If you don't have the time to do it yourself, you can probably find someone you know who would do it for a few hundred dollars plus expenses. Maybe a one-way ticket, $600 for expenses and $400 for payment. Give them a $1000 prepaid debit card so any money they save on expenses is their's to keep. Of course, you may now be getting close to the cost to have it shipped by a reliable firm.

[Playdrv4me]

You get what you pay for with transport services.

[MauiV]

I have shipped 2 vehicles to and from Hawaii.

They trucked my F150 to Oakland from The Woodlands,Texas to put on the boat and no problems. Total cost $1300

I shipped my LSE from Maui back to Ky and it was trucked from Long Beach to Frankfort. Again total cost $1300 but its wasnt door to door.

I just searched online and found the best price. Just make sure you use an insured/bonded company. Also check with your insurance to see if the car is covered during transport (mine wasnt on the boat).

Door to door service or shipping center to shipping center are available. Door to door is more expensive and may be worth it if the centers are far away from your drop off or pick up points.

I had no problems with either shipment or company and I dont recall either companys name. I may have the receipts on my other computer and will try to look later.

[dkozloski]

$600 on up.

[Stealth]

Well, there seems to be a connection to the price of gas. Last week I got quoted $570 terminal to terminal, this week the same company quoted $400 even - gas dropped about $0.25 / gal.

But, when i called to make arrangements and they found out it was a convertible, suddenly there was a $150 charge for top deck loading- meaning, they wont transport a convertible on the bottom deck and the top deck is the extra charge.

Told them I sleep on it.

Thanks for the responses .. any more ideas?

[dkozloski]

El Cheapo style. Greyhound from Los Angeles to Dallas for $120 and drive it back yourself. Sleep in the rest areas. Four days total. $140 on a plane would save a couple of days. You could do it over a weekend.

[ewill3rd]

Get lots of quotes.
When I did mine we got a referral from the placement company that we were using for our move.

[Playdrv4me]

Originally Posted by dkozloski

El Cheapo style. Greyhound from Los Angeles to Dallas for $120 and drive it back yourself. Sleep in the rest areas. Four days total. $140 on a plane would save a couple of days. You could do it over a weekend.

This is EXACTLY what I do on my cannonball runs... Rest stops are the BEST places to take a 2 or 3 hour nap when on 18 hour roadtrips. Theyre safe, well lit, and right on the highway so there's no distraction or dilly dallying when you wake up, right back on the road.

Even when they're cheap, Hotels are such a hassle to get into and out of quick. I should drive a truck for a living.

[MauiV]

When I was working an 8 hour mid after not sleeping for the 16 previous hours (day-mid turn, 16 hours of work in 24 hour period) I would bolt at 6:15 am for my girlfriends house 257 miles away. A 2 hour power nap at a rest stop was always golden and got me right back on the road feeling great. I did it damn near every weekend for a year and a half.

I never did it in the V but in the Lincoln LSE. Not too uncomfortable with the drivers seat reclined.