[Thalia949]

I am transporting my vehicle from the Midwest to CA and wondering if anyone has any advice on the best way to ship a vehicle (enclosed / open), and recommendations for transport firms.

While the idea of a cross country trip sounds appealing, I would rather not subject the vehicle (and me) to the drive.

Many thanks

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Thalia949

I am transporting my vehicle from the Midwest to CA and wondering if anyone has any advice on the best way to ship a vehicle (enclosed / open), and recommendations for transport firms.

While the idea of a cross country trip sounds appealing, I would rather not subject the vehicle (and me) to the drive.

Many thanks

Much depends on how protective you wish to be. Do you own or lease your car? I recently did a lot of research as we acquired a second residence and shipped cars from the southwest, quite near California, to the midwest. Most companies are actually brokerage companies who connect you with independent drivers.

As a retiree from one of the Detroit car companies, I can tell you that for our highly valuable prototypes and research properties we used:

http://reliable-carriers.com/

They were trusted to carry individual vehicles with values of quarter to half a million dollars based on the work done to create them. They use their own trucks and drivers and are the most expensive but probably most protective in their closed trucks. One way in a covered truck for one car for me now would have been about $2000.

I actually used:

https://www.247autotransport.com/

They were recommended from one southwest car dealer who sold us a new car. All went well. This is a brokerage to an indy driver. Both cars arrived in good shape, although completely filthy on the outside from the open carrier. About $900 per car one way.

One company I planned to use before the car dealer spoke up about their own guy was:

https://www.shipacardirect.com/

Seemed to have the best overall ratings and customer service from my initial contacts. They also were about $900 one way per vehicle. I would consider them again unless I wanted the complete protection of Reliable with their own closed trucks and drivers in the first link.

[Thalia949]

thanks for the resources, I will look into each of these. I own the car, and plan to keep it for a while, so getting it transported safely is a concern.

I've had a number of bad experiences when shipping cars through corporate relo companies, since this move is on me, I am going to be selective about who takes it cross country.

[Rayscott]

I would go with Reliable. Peace of mind. Shit happens.

[Maynard]

For carriers I'd certainly prefer closed, and a company that doesn't sublet out the jobs. Probably not as important as it is for moving companies, but still think you get a more experienced crew. Open cars can sometimes have very bad things happen, but it is a crap shoot; if you get tagged, it will end up costing more to fix things than the grand you'd save. Don't put a cover on it if you go w/open, b/c the wind will turn that into sandpaper as it whips around. I've heard that sometimes you can get a sympathetic dealer to apply the transport film like new cars come with.

And I'd put in a plug to reconsider driving yourself, unless you've already done it a bunch of times - truly an awesome experience.

[Thalia949]

I haven't ruled out driving yet, even though I drove another vehicle out with pets and family last month.

The trip in the M might actually be fun. There were plenty of times during the last time I drove it in a fully loaded Subaru Outback that I thought that a few more ponies would make the drive a lot more enjoyable. The M would fit the bill in that regard.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Thalia949

I haven't ruled out driving yet, even though I drove another vehicle out with pets and family last month.

The trip in the M might actually be fun. There were plenty of times during the last time I drove it in a fully loaded Subaru Outback that I thought that a few more ponies would make the drive a lot more enjoyable. The M would fit the bill in that regard.

I used to want to do this. America has spectacular locations and scenes to view and many of the roads would be fun, athough some are boringly straight. However, this idea moved off my list years ago. I was driving across a part of Missouri, perhaps a bit enthusiastically, and was pulled over...I deserved that part.

What I didn't deserve and what shook me was that the officer spent more time challenging the ethnicity of my name than my speed. I was compelled to follow him to the station and hand over cash to be released. I wondered what that officer did in his free time.

If you have "mainstream" ethnicity, you probably have much lower risk. If not, especially how the "culture" has been whipped up in the last couple of years, I'd find another way. My encounter was with an LEO, not even an average citizen. Maybe, go north and drive across Canada if you want a long road trip.

As a 60-something American, I find this all very sad, but not unrealistic. Be careful.

[CE750Jockey]

Ha! Folks, none of what my friend 'stick said is true...except for the part where he was admittedly pulled over for speeding. He's a lovely human being, but the man was dropped on his head as a small child. The officer was rightly suspicious, figuring that anything that ugly operating a moving vehicle had to be an escapee from the local zoo. The cop was simply protecting the public's safety.

I, on the other hand, went by a cop doing 125 MPH, and was let off on a "DWI" technicality, "Driving While Italian". True story.

So, the lessen here is clear, it's better to be lucky than ugly.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by CE750Jockey

Ha! Folks, none of what my friend 'stick said is true...except for the part where he was admittedly pulled over for speeding. He's a lovely human being, but the man was dropped on his head as a small child. The officer was rightly suspicious, figuring that anything that ugly operating a moving vehicle had to be an escapee from the local zoo. The cop was simply protecting the public's safety.

I, on the other hand, went by a cop doing 125 MPH, and was let off on a "DWI" technicality, "Driving While Italian". True story.

So, the lessen here is clear, it's better to be lucky than ugly.

The story is exactly true, and my unattractive appearance perhaps didn't seem "Caucasian" enough in those parts. The only "lessen" here is the degree of someone's mental health...don't they check that for pilots?

[Maynard]

I'd think you'd need just a little crazy to be a pilot - at least the military pilots. Sorry to hear your story - those are the guys that give the rest a bad name for sure. I got stopped both trips by the same cop, in about the same place (but different cars). She had a sense of humor, and no profiling urges, so it worked out much better than yours.

[RoundelM3]

When I was an LEO, we had a choice of issuing a citation or doing what the officer SportStick encountered did. As far as any "racial profiling" as a motivation to instanter you (take you before a judge or JP), that's doubtful, since it may be an agency policy to do so with out-of-state vehicles and drivers.

Back on track with your original question, if I were taking the trip you're contemplating, you might want to consider driving Route 66 in your convertible - it's a great time of year to do so and the history and sights would be well worth the 2- or 3-day drive in an open car. Plan your overnight stops in advance and relax and enjoy the trip.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by roundel335

When I was an LEO, we had a choice of issuing a citation or doing what the officer SportStick encountered did. As far as any "racial profiling" as a motivation to instanter you (take you before a judge or JP), that's doubtful, since it may be an agency policy to do so with out-of-state vehicles and drivers.

Back on track with your original question, if I were taking the trip you're contemplating, you might want to consider driving Route 66 in your convertible - it's a great time of year to do so and the history and sights would be well worth the 2- or 3-day drive in an open car. Plan your overnight stops in advance and relax and enjoy the trip.

There was no judge/magistrate. The cash was given to the police officer/sergeant in charge at the station that night and then they released me.

As for Route 66, if I recall the lyrics correctly, you go through Kingman, Arizona. Consider the pros and cons.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...gly/818862002/

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

There was no judge/magistrate. The cash was given to the police officer/sergeant in charge at the station that night and then they released me.

As for Route 66, if I recall the lyrics correctly, you go through Kingman, Arizona. Consider the pros and cons.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/ente...gly/818862002/

OK, same thing - instanter is where you pay the fine right then in person before you are allowed on your way. Not uncommon with out-of-state offenders.

You actually go around Kingman on I-40/US 66, but you're liable to encounter dim-witted bigots no matter where you go these days. I suppose you could just put the top up and use your A/C when cruising past that town.

[p912guy]

Originally Posted by roundel335

When I was an LEO, we had a choice of issuing a citation or doing what the officer SportStick encountered did. As far as any "racial profiling" as a motivation to instanter you (take you before a judge or JP), that's doubtful, since it may be an agency policy to do so with out-of-state vehicles and drivers.

Back on track with your original question, if I were taking the trip you're contemplating, you might want to consider driving Route 66 in your convertible - it's a great time of year to do so and the history and sights would be well worth the 2- or 3-day drive in an open car. Plan your overnight stops in advance and relax and enjoy the trip.

With the extreme heat out west these days, I'd recommend driving at night with the top down. In my mind there's nothing better than running at night, top down, moon up with the stars as your roof and some good 70's rock and roll on the radio - Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Lynard Skynard, Doobies, etc.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by p912guy

With the extreme heat out west these days, I'd recommend driving at night with the top down. In my mind there's nothing better than running at night, top down, moon up with the stars as your roof and some good 70's rock and roll on the radio - Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Lynard Skynard, Doobies, etc.

Excellent idea! Only con with that one is not being able to see some of the scenery along the way. Hopefully, the heat wave will be gone by the time the OP needs to leave.

[Miata13]

Originally Posted by Maynard

....

And I'd put in a plug to reconsider driving yourself, unless you've already done it a bunch of times - truly an awesome experience.

+2. We just retuned from a 6,200+ mile trip from Midwest to NW Coast to SW Coast, Arizona, New Mexico and onto Colorado and then back home....yep...MINI Takes the States 2018 in our Roadster.

All of which to say is that if you have the time, many, many neat venues along the way to experience while relocating your car.

[Kingpin4]

+1 Reliable.

[Thalia949]

I decided to drive it rather than shipping - the logistics made it the best choice.

Had a great trip - left Kentucky mid day on Friday and pulled into my home in So Cal early Sunday evening. I 64 to I 70 to I 15.

Having done the same drive a few weeks before in my Outback with dog and family, it was nice having the M to get through some of the open roads of the plains states staying right around the three digit mark...my wife only protested about the speed a couple of time. Easier to go fast when she was asleep.

The highlight of the trip was the eye candy of the Rockies and Utah, especially through Glenwood Cyn with the top down on Sunday morning.

Low point was the traffic from Vegas to Barstow on a Sunday afternoon - heavy clutch got a little tiring in traffic.

Overall a great trip

[p912guy]

Originally Posted by Thalia949

I decided to drive it rather than shipping - the logistics made it the best choice.

Had a great trip - left Kentucky mid day on Friday and pulled into my home in So Cal early Sunday evening. I 64 to I 70 to I 15.

Having done the same drive a few weeks before in my Outback with dog and family, it was nice having the M to get through some of the open roads of the plains states staying right around the three digit mark...my wife only protested about the speed a couple of time. Easier to go fast when she was asleep.

The highlight of the trip was the eye candy of the Rockies and Utah, especially through Glenwood Cyn with the top down on Sunday morning.

Low point was the traffic from Vegas to Barstow on a Sunday afternoon - heavy clutch got a little tiring in traffic.

Overall a great trip

Excellent decision. Hope So Cal works out well for you. Just a bit more expensive from a cost of living standpoint. I'm sure the 2 Series vert will fit right in out there.