Thumbs up! Professionals (read and learn from my mistakes)
R. Jones
Submitted this review about
Continental Auto Transport
Review made Live: 2/3/2013 3:41:00 PM
If I had it to do over again I’d call Continental Auto Transports first.
I know this will sound like a paid ad, but I it isn’t. If you’re reading this you’ve probably never done this before and may be in a similar situation that I was. Please read this and learn from my experience before you fill out one of those website forms for a free shipping quote. I’m not saying don’t do it, just be prepared for what happens next.
I purchased a Silverado 2500HD with a utility bed and ladder rack located south of Atlanta Georgia sight unseen on eBay. I live in New Jersey. Originally I thought I’d go and pick it up myself, but the list of time, expenses, and complications grew longer the more I thought it through.
• If I fly down I can’t bring tools, fluids, and how do I get from the airport to the truck?
• If I drive down I could tow my car back, but that would be more stress on a truck in unknown condition. I might end up damaging the truck, or have even more complications if I break down on the way back.
• Etc…
Hmm, maybe it would cost about the same to have it shipped? Google search…, Ahh, easy, fill in one form and get 10 quotes, click…
Get ready, because within 30 seconds your phone will start ringing off the hook and quotes will pour into your inbox.
Meanwhile, I was experimenting with an uShip auction. At first it seems like a good option, you know, cut out the broker, but in reality, from the transporters point of view, I had no feedback history. For them it could mean a higher potential for complications during loading and delivery. Lost time = lost money. Perhaps that’s why the prices I was receiving there tended to be quite a bit higher.
Now, how to make sense of all this information? I received,(and am still receiving) quotes that ranged from $400 to $1,850. Ok, more Google searches…, I find http://www.transportreviews.com which seems like a good resource. The problem is that most of the brokers, and it seemed especially for the lower quotes, the reviews ranged from great company, no problem, to, I’m on the phone with my lawyer because I need to sue the bastards. Still, I'm thinking those lower prices are enticing; maybe, just maybe I’ll be one of the lucky ones that won’t have a problem.
This is where it’s important to have some understanding of the “system”. The companies that you are receiving quotes from are most likely brokers. The way the system is supposed to work is that, once you and the broker have an agreement (which is very likely still just a quote), they post your vehicle on the same Transport Board that everyone uses. If a transporter has room on their truck, and has other loads lined up along that general route, it will get picked up. The problem is that there is one more dimension to that transporters decision, the agreed (quoted) price. If the transporter has a choice of your car and one that will pay more, which one do you think they will pick up? It didn’t happen to me, but if your read reviews from other companies you may see quite a few stories about how a vehicle didn’t get picked up in a reasonable amount of time, and that they eventually had to kick in some more money to get it shipped.
In my case, the whole thing just got out of control. There were too many people involved. One or more brokers posted my truck on the board, even though I didn’t have an agreement with anyone. I’m sure that didn't endear my shipment to the transporters, because they start wondering who is in control of the job. And then there was the ladder rack. Remember, I mentioned my truck had a ladder rack. It makes my truck's overall height 7’ 4”, too high to fit on the lower level of a trailer, and if carried on the upper level, too high for bridge clearance. The website forms don’t usually allow you to enter details like that, and some of the brokers I talked to weren’t conveying that information to the transporters. I didn’t want to waste the transporter’s time going to pick up a vehicle they couldn’t fit, or get charged for their time either. Then brokers started to say that the transporters would remove the rack, but I didn’t know if it was welded on, or if it would break down into smaller pieces…, like I said, out of control.
That’s when I put the brakes on the whole situation. I called everyone that might be involved and told them to chill out, the job was on hold and that I wasn’t going to do anything for the time being. I was starting to think that Plan A, go pick it up myself was easier than this.
That’s about the time I received a follow up call from Continental Auto Transport (I’d had discussed the job and researched them earlier, noting them as a good possibility). They were the ones that told me that my truck (unknown to me) was already posted on the transport board. I can’t explain exactly what it was, I guess I’d have to say it was combination of straightforward professional communication and reasonable pricing that gave me the impression that they could get the situation under control and get the job done.
And they did. Still, it took some faith to make the deposit and sign the agreement. The boilerplate terms state “shipped within time range”, but it only list a “Pickup Window Beginning” date, and no delivered by date. I had no serious time pressure, and I figured it would be about the same language no matter which broker I chose. I was relying more on how the telephone conversation went at this point. After I faxed back the agreement I was sent an email with the expected delivery date, and sure enough, that's when it was delivered.
All’s well that ends well. Perhaps I’m just one of the lucky ones, but like I said, if I had to do this over again, I’d call Continental Auto Transport first, then maybe one or two others for a comparison. If you’re short on time, just call them. I think they’ll charge you a fair price and get it done on time.
I hope this story helps someone else cut through the confusion. Good luck with whatever you're shipping.
