Having a Trailer Shipped

[Erik Meade]

Has anyone ever had a trailer shipped half way across the country? I see in a Google search that a number of companies offer this service. Any advice, suggestions, etc. ? I may be buying about a 1,000 miles from my home, I will be there without a tow vehicle. I will probably come home, drive there, and bring it back, but just looking at other options.

[James V]

Check with UShip.com The Tow will cost around $ 1 per mile.

[Kevin K]

Try this site http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/haulquery.pl

[Paul Braun]

I was part of a group of three trailers shipped from British Columbia to Sault Ste Marie Ont. The initial arrangements for this shipment was done through uShip but the final agreement was done between Escape Industries and the shipper.

This particular shipper just happened to be located 100 miles away from Escape and had excellent reviews on the uShip web site. We (three trailer owners) were very happy with the delivery and results. There were some minor damage during shipment, not sure if it could be attributed to inital manufacture, loading, or transit.

I would say we had a very good experience. The pricing we found with uShip was over a $1,000 less than local delivery quotes. I think those reviews on uShip have to be read carefully. If there is any sign of an issue in the past proceed with caution.

In the initial uShip quoting process I received some unbelievable offers, unbelievable in what equipment they were proposing to use, lack of experience and variety of costs.

I calculated cost of personal pick up versus shipping and I saved one half of the cost by having it delivered. It is very expensive to drive, you need to consider costs other than gas.

[Roy in TO]

Erik,
A few people here have used various shipping methods. I've looked into it, and at one point if both deals had gone through, I was going to pick up another members trailer in NY, they were going to pick up mine in CA and we were going to meet 1/2 way and swap. My purchase fell apart.

Posting from where to where (generally speaking) and time frames might help someone interested in doing the same. I've spoken with other members that have used uship and private brokers and both had positive results.

[Nita F.]

Erik,

In April we purchased a Bigfoot 5th wheel from Washington state after hubby flew out to check it out and make purchase arrangements. We calculated our time, mileage, food, and lodging and decided to have it shipped to Louisiana. We used UShip and had to weed through the good and not so good shippers. Ultimately we chose a guy who I would highly recommend. He wasn't necessarily the cheapest but his ratings were excellent, provided great communication and service. He picked it up Saturday morning and delivered it to our house Monday evening. He delivers all over the US and parts of Canada. PM me if you want his contact information for a quote.

Nita

[Paul Chet]

to add to Roy's comment ... we almost had our own home-brewed solution, alas, it was not to be!

however, having dealt with scammer type brokers and honest brokers - I have a learned a few lessons. one is, if you are getting a low-ball quote, then it is likely that it is too good to be true. for a couple of hundred bucks more, it was worth it a service with an A rating at the BBB.

also - if ANYONE asks you for a deposit up front, put your phone up to an air horn and blast them. they are liars and scammers and cheaters! i know, 'do you think i have a strong opinion about this?' having been worked like an all-day sucker, i am still furious at what some of these jerks put us through.

in the end i found a good guy who got me my UHaul 13' CT from NY to CA (guy's name is Ray and his business is 1 flat-rate shipping). a straight shooter with awesome communication, unlike the other bozos who always promised to call back in 15 minutes but never did once. vehicle transport is stressful - when it goes well ... so be sure to do your homework with whomever you choose (be sure to check out http://www.transportreviews.com/ - real people discuss their experiences there).

hope some of this helps and if you want my contact (which i will be using again for my sister's move out west) here's the BBB link if you are interested:
http://www.la.bbb.org/Business-Report/1-Fl...e-LLC-100090714

good luck!