Getting her home. Transport recommendations

[Ben]

My SLC should be ready for transport from RCR soon, and I'm looking for transportation company suggestions.

I had used Gran Turismo Motor Sports | Enclosed Auto Transport to get my Lotus home from California, and they did a good job. However, it was quite expensive.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Cheers

 

[John Ross]

Years ago I used Bob Past at Passport Transport with good results. You might Google him for a quote.

 

[Dave Lindemann]

Ben -

Have you spoken with Fran? I think he made the shipping arrangements for my SLC and used Ruehle's Transport. The delivery went fine and the driver even helped me push the car from the road to my shop.

Dave L

 

[Jack]

I, too, used Ruehle's. Perfect and won't break the bank. I highly recommend them.

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

We try to help out with shipping but we have had a really hard time recently getting cars picked up on schedule...we have three here now that were supposed to be picked up late last week and earlier this week...the shipping company got hold of us today and told us they would finally be here Monday....its only a few days, which in the big picture is nothing but it causes anxiety for all involved...

So its good to make calls to multiple shippers and have your bases covered...

 

[Rich Roy]

Don't think cheap! You will regreat it. We contracted a shipper and waited 3 weeks and still no pick-up. After endless calls and then cancelation we found out they were just a broker, they had it posted, waiting for a hauler to pick up the bid they made, which was too low, so nobody wanted to do it. We ended up going cross country our selves and picked up a new trailer from Haulmark on the way at a $2,000 savings and brought it home just as the snow started to fall, Boston to Spokane. Then weeks later we got to installments on our VISA card at a gas station just across the street from the broker's office for lunch items of $55.00, next day treats of pop and candy for $7.00 using our Visa card #. (buyer be ware I guess) They were based out of Illinois.....

 

[Ron Earp]

There is a forum sponsor who offers transport and discounts to forum folks...Intercity lines.

 

[Ben]

John: Thanks, I'll check them out.

Dave: I haven't talked to Fran about transport as of yet, but I will.

Fran: Are you still using Ruehle's?

Roy: From my first experience of transporting a car I was told to avoid brokers. Now I see through your experience why:furious:

Ron: Thanks for the tip.

For anyone else out there needing transport, I found this site to be quite helpful when I was looking for someone to move the Lotus:
Transport Reviews.com - The Review and Rating Board for the Auto Transport & Car Shipping Industry

 

[Julian]

I recently used Reliable for transport of a DP car from Florida to Reno, cost was $1900 and they did a superb job.

I also got quotes for another shipment from both Reliable and Intercity Lines and Intercity came in cheaper. I wouldn't hesitate to use either, it does pay to shop around (definitely go direct and stick with renowned haulers). I find pricing and schedule can depend on what else they have in the area or similar route at the time etc.

Have used Horseless Carriage with success in the past too.

Good luck,

 

[Tim]

I recently transported a GT40 replica from Sedona, AZ to Plymouth, MI . Used a company called Pilot Transport (800-252-7733 or 248 486-3701). Great experience. They own their own enclosed truck fleet and manage the entire process. Eliminates the issue sometimes experienced with brokers. They handle a bunch of the 'Big Three' special event vehicles and do a lot of work with the Scottsdale Auctions. They walk you through the process and in my case it was on-schedule the entire process and arrived safely. Pricing was reasonable, I believe the total cost including tax was $1350 (Middle of the pack). Good thing for this particular company is it headquartered in Brighton, MI that is less than an hour from Fran's RCR shop. Good luck in your search. (Here is a picture of the GT in the truck late December 2011.)

 

[Ben]

Thanks for the suggestions Julian and Tim. I've added them to the call list.

 

[Dwight]

I had InterCity deliver my GT 40 last year. Jack used them a couple of months ago to bring a car from California to Tenn. Coach Mike had them to bring his 34 Coupe from Maryland to Florence a couple of weeks ago. And my buddy Tim has used them also. We all had a great experience and do recommend them. Very competitive price, great service.

Dwight

 

[Ben]

I appreciate the recommendation and hearing that others you personally know had good experiences.

 

[Gabriel Von Wahl]

Intercity Lines has taken my old 935 from coast to coast and Houston to NC a few times. LA to NC at $1,440 - can't beat that not to mention they handle the Factory Porsche collection when it comes to the US.

Best out there IMHO.

 

[Ben]

I did some calling around to compare prices and get a general feeling for the company. Transport is from RCR to just North of St. Paul MN. Here's what I found:

Grand Turismo: Didn't reply to my calls or emails. I finally did get someone, who said they were stepping out for the day, but would return my call the following day. Again, no response so I called back. Quote was for $1,100.00.

Passport Transportation: $1,392.00
Ruehle's Transport: $1,200.00
Intercity Lines: $995.00 after GT40's.com discount
Pilot transportation: $2,800.00
Magic Carpet: $1,560.00 (good experience on the phone. Knowledgeable staff)
Montway Auto Transport: $1,100.00 (Not impressed)
Excelllence Auto Carriers: No response

As you can see, there is a significant price difference between companies. I had a pretty decent experience talking to Intercity Lines (two separate occasions and four months apart). The first quote was back in March, and this quote matched the price they gave me on the phone today. At a minimum, I see that they are consistent.

I will probably be using them unless someone here tells me why I should reconsider.

 

[Larry L.]

I had InterCity deliver my GT 40 last year. Jack used them a couple of months ago to bring a car from California to Tenn. Coach Mike had them to bring his 34 Coupe from Maryland to Florence a couple of weeks ago. And my buddy Tim has used them also. We all had a great experience and do recommend them. Very competitive price, great service.

Dwight

Jay Leno has used InterCity for years. So...

 

[Ben]

I don't think that I carry quite the clout that Jay does....but I hope that makes no difference to Intercity.

 

[Jack]

Ruehle's delivered my SL-C to Florida for $1050 (sometime ago). Super service and knowledgable folks. I was very happy with them.

Intercity has a very good reputation, I have several friends who have been totally satisfied with thier service.