Loved having my car with me on the East Coast last summer, but don't know if I want to do the drive again.
It seems like there are tons of transport services out there. Has anyone had good experiences with one?
Thanks as always...

 

I've used Intercity Transports on a car I bought in Fl. and had it shipped to NY. They did a super job and were in contact with me all of the way. A husband and wife driving team. By the way they are being used by "chasing classic cars" who have shipped some priceless vehicles. I also believe Jay Leno uses them. My 2 cents

 

This is an area with many traps for the unwary, as the auto transport business is a virtually unregulated industry. Definitely "Buyer Beware" and do your due diligence on the transport company. Read this: https://movingnavl.com/amra/auto-shipping

On one hand are the online brokers, who seek out the lowest price by contracting backhauls with small, independent truckers who usually can't give you a specific delivery date because they make many stops along the way. On the other hand are specialty transport firms, like Intercity Transports, that cost a lot more but deliver on schedule.

How you ship it depends on how much you value your XKR. If cost is no object, get quotes from Intercity Transport and their competitors. You might be better off flying back to the East Coast with a friend and making it a scenic and fun road trip back to L.A. Or, sell the XKR on the East Coast and buy another one in L.A.

 

I used Anoka Auto Transport LLC. they provided me with certificate of insurance which I confirmed was current and valid. Car was transported enclosed without incident. PM me if you'd like a number. They are a small company, used by the big transportation brokers.

No other experience with them other than the one time.

 

Another top notch one is Reliable Transports. I also agree don't go through a broker as there are a lot of scamers out there.

 

Our car was on top the rest were a ferrari collection being taken to Long Island.

 

My E-Type being delivered on a very cold morning.

 

 

It's hard to avoid a broker. I have had mixed experiences with brokers on enclosed transport. Make sure to get a vehicle condition statement of the car before it leaves with the car.

 

I made the mistake of calling a broker and was hounded for days until I told all who called that I hired a reputable carrier. As I mentioned I went with Intercity but also had a buddy recently work with Reliable. My take is if you are shipping a junker or a low cost family car go with a broker and get the lowest cost but make sure you see the contract and get a fixed price. As for me if I have to pay more to go with a well known carrier that's my take. I would also go with an enclosed truck and be assured they inspected and covered the car during transportation. Just my take.

 

If you are on a schedule you need to contact the transport companies directly and see who has a shipment going your way on your dates. But be prepared to pay two to three times as much as with a broker.

If you are flexible on timing, +/- a week or two, the brokers will find a shipper with space available going your way and save a lot ($1000+) of money. But they are a PITA to deal with and you WILL get a LOT of phone calls.

 

I live down the street from an Adessa auction facility so there is a lot of car transport to my town.

 

I priced them through a on-line broker and then got hounded for weeks. It was at least $700 to ship from Topeka, KS to Baton Rouge, LA.


Instead, I got a one-way flight and drove it home. ~$230 for the air fare plus gas to get it home. Plus I got to spend some quality time with my new acquisition. Since I always intended for this car to be my daily driver, putting miles on it is not a concern to me.

 

Thanks, all. LOVE this forum.
My one takeaway: DON'T call a broker.
My alternate takeway: be prepared to pay.
I will say that, even online, it feels like I've stumbled upon a scammy corner of the world.
For those who commented: I drove cross country both ways last year. Love it. Not sure I can do it again.
It kills me, but... the smart call may be to leave the car parked in LA for the two months I'm back east. I figure between driving or transport each way and the $450 a month to park indoors in lower manhattan (a BARGAIN, btw) it's at least a $3500 luxury that I can live without.
But, again, thanks. And valuable recs like you all gave me is why I love this forum.

 

Reminds me of the old story about the gorgeous, well-dressed blonde lady who went into the bank in NYC and told the loan officer that she needed to borrow $25,000 for two months while on holiday in France. He asked about collateral, and she said her new Bentley convertible was parked in front of the bank and asked him to take good care of it while she was gone. Satisfied with the collateral, he assured her that it would be parked in their secure underground executive parking lot and made the loan ... but wondered why a woman of such apparent means needed a loan. Upon her return, she collected her car and repaid the $25,000 loan plus interest of almost $700, when the loan officer asked: "Excuse me if I'm prying, but I don't understand why you needed to borrow this money?" She replied: "Where else can I park my Bentley in Manhattan for two months and get it back without a scratch for less than $700?"

 

She shoulda borrowed less....

 

Well there are lots of car shipping services on the internet but my personal favorites are https://www.shipa1.com/ & https://www.allstatetostateautotransport.com/ they always deliver on time & are also quite cheap...

 

?
All I can say is that the content in "all state to state transport" is either computer generated or written in another language and brought over into English on Google Translate or the like. I'll pass.

 

Food for thought, if you got the drop top Jaguar itch you could rent a F-type for a week in the middle of the time you are there.

 

I used Uship in the past with good results and cheap.