c/car-transport

Three weeks for a 500 mile transport, what am I missing?

Booked a car hauler from Denver to Salt Lake City last month. The first driver canceled the morning of pickup after I already dropped the keys with my cousin. Took three weeks and four different brokers to finally get a guy who showed up, and he was two days late. Is this normal for short hops or did I just hit a run of bad luck?

1 comments

garcia.kelly•3d ago

Lost $400 on a carrier that never showed up in Phoenix

Booked a guy through a random website last month to haul my Civic from Phoenix to Dallas, paid half upfront, and he stopped answering texts the day before pickup. Has anyone else dealt with these ghost brokers or found a way to verify a carrier before sending money?

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mary614•3d ago

Three weeks to get my Mustang across state lines, broker kept ghosting me

Honestly, I booked an enclosed carrier from Phoenix to Denver back in March and the broker gave me four different pickup dates before the driver finally showed up. Turns out he was stacking my car with three others in a truck that broke down near Flagstaff, and I had to call the company myself to figure out where it even was. Total time from booking to delivery was 21 days, which felt insane for a 750 mile run. Has anyone else had luck with smaller local haulers instead of these big broker sites?

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the_reese•4d ago

Open trailer beats enclosed for my 900 mile move to Nashville

Everyone pushed the enclosed option for weather protection, but I picked open to save 400 bucks and honestly the car showed up with zero rock chips, so has anyone else found open carriers work fine on long hauls?

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derekgibson•5d ago

Three open deck trips before I finally learned covered wasn't a scam

Hauled a 1967 Mustang from Austin to Denver on an open carrier twice, thought paying an extra $450 for enclosed was just dealer markup nonsense. Then a rock chip about the size of a dime hit the windshield on the second run and I watched it spider across the glass during the final 100 miles. What made you guys finally shell out for the enclosed option, or do you still roll the dice with open decks?

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foster.dylan•9d ago

That broker in Phoenix taught me to check the temps before booking

I was about to ship my truck from Phoenix to Denver in July and a broker told me to ask about open vs enclosed carrier temps because asphalt can hit 180 degrees and melt tire rubber onto the deck. Sure enough, my buddy's car came back with black marks all over the side from a carrier running hot tires. Anyone else factor in heat when picking a transport route?

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diana_park•9d ago

A random tip in a truck stop changed how I strap cars

Last month I was fueling up near Tulsa and overheard two drivers talking about load securement. One guy said he always crosses his straps in an X pattern on the rear axle of a car carrier. I thought it was overkill, but I tried it on a 2016 Civic I was hauling from Oklahoma City to Dallas. The wind was brutal on I-35 and the car felt rock solid the whole way. I used to just run parallel straps and hope for the best, but the X pattern stopped all the side sway I never even noticed before. Been doing it on every load since, about 30 runs now. Has anyone else picked up a trick like this from just overhearing someone? What's a tip you wish you learned years earlier?

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riverknight•11d ago

Truck driver in Oklahoma gave me strap advice that saved my load

A driver at a fuel stop outside Tulsa told me to always run two cross straps over the hood of a Mustang, even on a closed trailer, because the airflow can still lift the front end at highway speeds. I thought he was being paranoid until I hit a crosswind section on I-40 and heard that terrible flex sound from the tie-downs. Anyone else get random tips from strangers that ended up being the best thing you've done for hauling?

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ben138•12d ago

Why does nobody talk about trailer straps rubbing through on long hauls?

I hauled a Mustang from Denver to Salt Lake City last month and stopped at a rest area outside Green River to check the load. The ratchet strap had worn a groove right into the paint on the fender lip, about 3 inches long. I always edge the strap with a pool noodle slice now, but nobody ever mentions this at the loading lot, just tire pressure and tie-down count. Has anyone else found a better way to stop strap chafe without adding weight?

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river_adams25•13d ago

A dispatch driver in Oklahoma City taught me more than any manual

He flagged me down at a truck stop off I-40 and showed me how he straps a BMW with the front wheels turned, said it stops the car from rolling on the ramps during a hard brake. I've moved 200 cars since and never had an issue, has anyone else gotten a random pro tip like that from a stranger?

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christophermorgan•13d ago

Double checked my trailer straps after a pallet count, found a big one

I was loading a 2018 F-150 from Little Rock to Memphis last month and counted pallet straps for fun, realized I was using a 3-inch strap rated for 5,400 pounds where my load sheet called for 10,000. Swapped it out before pulling away, now I always cross-check the tag numbers even when the strap looks fine. Anyone else catch a mismatch like that on their own rig?

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jenniferh83•13d ago

Hit 500 cars moved without a single door ding, still can't believe it

Been hauling for a local dealer out of Tulsa for about 4 years now. Last week I loaded my 500th vehicle, a 2022 Camry, and it got me thinking about how many things could have gone wrong. I keep a log of every pickup and drop off, mostly for tax stuff, but scrolling back I realized I never once had a claim for paint damage or a dent. Not saying I'm perfect, I've had a tie-down snap once on I-35 and a ramp slip in the rain, but the door ding thing surprised me. Maybe it's because I always check the gap on the side mirrors and use the foam blocks between cars. Has anyone else hit a milestone like this and found their luck was better than they thought? Or am I just overdue for a bad one?

1 comments

james_ross•14d ago

Overheard a broker quote $2,800 for a 400 mile move today

I was at a coffee shop in Tampa and this guy next to me was on the phone with a broker about hauling his Mustang from Miami to Atlanta. The quote was $2,800 for roughly 400 miles. That's like $7 a mile, which seems INSANE to me. I moved a sedan from Denver to Phoenix last spring for $1,100, about 850 miles. I know prices changed but not THAT much. He hung up and said he was going to just drive it himself with a tow dolly for like $250 in gas. Honestly I think he had the right idea. Is this just the new normal for open transport? Or was that broker just padding the price because the guy sounded desperate? Has anyone else gotten quotes that seemed way out of line lately?

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samf95•15d ago

Open deck vs enclosed, my SUV took a beating in a hailstorm on I-40

Last Tuesday I shipped my old Jeep from Albuquerque to Knoxville and picked the cheaper open transport to save about $450. Everything was fine until we hit a surprise hailstorm outside of Amarillo, the carrier guy said he couldn't pull over because of delivery deadlines. My hood has about 30 tiny dents now and the paint is chipped along the roof edge. I know enclosed would've been way more, but has anyone else dealt with weather damage on an open hauler and actually gotten the company to pay for it?

1 comments

shane_perry29•15d ago

Delta trucking yard in Memphis taught me to strap down before rolling

Tbh I used to just hand tighten ratchet straps on cars headed to auctions. Last month at the Delta yard off Lamar Ave, a 2014 Camry shifted two feet on the trailer during a hard brake. Now I use 4 straps minimum plus wheel chocks, no exceptions. Anyone else learn that lesson the hard way at a busy yard?

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charles_kim•16d ago

Hit 500 cars transported, timing still bit me last week

I crossed 500 cars moved through my little operation on Tuesday, but the milestone that got me was number 498. Customer in Phoenix needed a pickup in 2 days, I quoted 5, they found someone else, and the car sat for another week. Has anyone else had a round number like that make you rethink your quoting pace?

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riverknight•18d ago

Strapping down a Kia Soul through 90 mph crosswinds last week

Last Tuesday I was hauling a Kia Soul from Denver to Salt Lake and hit some gnarly crosswinds near the Wyoming border. I use those ratchet straps with the rubber padding, but the car still shifted about 2 inches on the trailer, rough. Anybody else double-strap the front axle on lighter cars, or am I just being paranoid?

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leer12•22d ago

The $220 backup camera I regretted until it saved my bumper

I run a small side gig hauling old pickup trucks from Texas to Oklahoma, and I kept dinging curbs at the Fort Worth terminal. Paid $220 for a magnetic wireless backup cam after a tight spot got me a $400 body shop bill. It's clamped to the tailgate and pairs to my phone, so no wiring to set up. Anyone else use magnet mounts on a gooseneck and have them hold up on the highway?

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drew791•22d ago

The $2,800 enclosed quote that made me hate open carriers less

Had a guy on Facebook swear enclosed transport is the only way to move a classic, but my quote for a 1967 Mustang from Austin to Phoenix came back at $2,800. I went with an open carrier for $900, wrapped the car myself in plastic and foam, and it arrived with zero rock chips or scratches. Has anyone else saved big on open hauling without regrets?

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jordanr89•23d ago

Rant: Lost a bumper on I-40 and the carrier never told me

Hauled a 2018 Civic from Nashville to Little Rock last week, paid $780 upfront, and when it arrived the front bumper was hanging off. The driver said it was fine at pickup, but I checked the photos from the loading dock at 6 AM and it was already cracked. How do you verify damage before signing off when the carrier rushes you through the checklist?

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nancyd85•24d ago

Insured vs uninsured broker, I learned the hard way in Austin

I had to choose between a carrier quoting $950 with no visible insurance docs and a pricier one at $1,275 who sent everything upfront. I went cheap to save cash, and my 2018 Civic showed up two days late with a scrape on the rear bumper. The broker ghosted me and the driver's policy was a total fake, so now I'm stuck with a $600 repair bill. Has anyone else gotten burned by unverified haulers, or do you always pay extra for the paper trail?

1 comments

hall.quinn•24d ago

A dispatcher's comment about my tie-down knots got me rethinking everything

Last month I shipped a 1972 Chevelle from Phoenix to Tulsa. I had it strapped down the way I always do, four ratchet straps, crossed in the back. The driver took one look and said, 'You're gonna lose that bumper if you keep the hooks on the frame lip like that.' I thought he was being picky, but he showed me how the weight shifts during braking on an open trailer. He had me reroute the front straps through the control arm mounts instead, and use rubber pads where the straps crossed the fender edges. It took an extra 20 minutes, and honestly I felt a little dumb for never thinking about it. That trip had a sudden stop near Flagstaff and the car didn't budge an inch. Since then I've been asking every driver I meet for their own loading tips. Has anyone else had a carrier point out a flaw in your setup that you'd never noticed before?

1 comments

lilyfisher•28d ago

Got stranded in Flagstaff because I trusted the GPS over my own eyes

Last month I was hauling a 2015 Civic from Phoenix to Denver, and my route software sent me down this little forest road near Flagstaff to avoid traffic. I figured it was a shortcut, but after 20 minutes the pavement turned to gravel and my trailer started fishtailing on loose rocks. Took me almost 3 hours to back out and find a real highway, and I nearly overheated the brakes. Now I always check satellite view before leaving the main roads, anyone else had a GPS disaster that cost them a whole day?

1 comments

wyatt513•29d ago

Took me 4 hours to figure out a simple folded ramp issue on my trailer

I was trying to load a buddy's lowered Civic in Dallas and the ramp kept buckling because I didn't realize it needed those little rubber feet on the bottom. Has anyone else ran into a dumb ramp setup that took way longer than it should have?

2 comments

spencer_bell•1mo ago

Found a trick for shipping my junker across state lines that saved me $200

I needed to move a non-running 1990 F150 from Phoenix to Tucson and every quote I got was over $600. I tried listing it as a parts car on a local car hauling board and a guy with an empty trailer on his way back from a delivery took it for $400 cash. Has anyone else had luck booking open return trips from smaller haulers instead of the big broker sites?

1 comments