[Shop-talk] Auto movers

[Old Dirtbeard]

Hi Al,

I have bought cars on online auctions, most recently a '56 Lotus Eleven on Bring a Trailer, and have used shippers to truck the cars.

My experience has been that some shippers tend to specialize in certain areas or certain types of shipments (e.g., intrastate, interstate, coast-to-coast, exotics, fleets, etc.).

The prices quoted will range quite dramatically from different carriers for the same distance. Covered/enclosed carriers cost about 30-50% more than open carriers. I have only used covered carriers.

Some carriers will load multiple cars on the same truck and you will need to wait for the truck to have a full load before they start the journey. Others will load and deliver one car. He will want to ascertain the arrangement upfront.

For longer trips like LA to Detroit, I would try to locate a Detroit-based carrier who has an LA delivery to make and probably would give a better price for an LA to Detroit delivery to avoid driving an empty truck back. If your friend can wait, he might be able to get a significant discount if he cooperates with the trucker's current delivery schedule.

If the car has good paint, he might want to consider a covered carrier as one might encounter dust storms, hail, stones, gravel, etc., on a 1,500-mile trip.

I also would suggest checking both the national/regional firms as well as local mom and pop trucking firms. If it costs a bit more to have it arrive undented, it is well worth another hundred dollars instead of the cost of repainting the car or fixing the dents or scratches.

If the car will not start and move under its own power, it will cost considerably more to ship as you can imagine.


best,


des

________________________________
From: Shop-talk <shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net> on behalf of Al Fuller <alfuller194 at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2025 12:14 PM
To: AH Mail List <healeys at autox.team.net>; Shop Talk <Shop-talk at autox.team.net>
Subject: [Shop-talk] Auto movers

So a friend needs to move a car from LA to Detroit, and wonders who would be a good choice. AFAIK it's drivable and doesn't need to be in an enclosed carrier.

________________
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Best Regards,
Al Fuller
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