Considering renting a u-haul service and pulling it with my SUV, but the uhaul is around $1200 all in. I put out a bid on u-ship but I guess I’ve only been contacted by brokers who run away as soon as something goes wrong.
Do you guys have any companies you recommend for shipping a car?
Where to where? I do think many are brokers. This isn’t necessarily an issue. From Orange County CA to the Boston area, I used this guy twice. Both times, pick up was as promised and the car arrived a few days ahead of estimated. He was attentive, answered my questions, explained regs. Caveat is I last used him about 7 years ago, but you can check reviews.
Autozipper, Brian Cronin.
Shipping isn’t cheap, but beats driving.
It would be Oakland CA to Bethlehem PA
Either way actually I’ll be driving my SUV full of crap, but maybe I could pull my coupe full of stuff if necessary
Philbegas, maybe you need to get this moved to one of the parent forums. Last thread on this got more traction.
I don’t think you’re allowed to stow anything in a transported car, it’s at your own risk.
I mean, if I’m pulling a trailer with my own car on it then I think I can do whatever I want with it as long as it doesn’t exceed weight restrictions.
Right. You can DIY. I mean with an auto carrier. That’s where ‘interstate commerce’ regulations come into play.
I won’t discourage you. But you’ve driven this before, and over the mountains? I’m just saying Brian was so easy, for us. I do think it cost us somewhere $8-1100. I know you’ll make your own best decision.
I actually just drove across the country with my girlfriend in her mini cooper, filled with stuff since she’s starting a few weeks earlier than me and selling her car to her parents. We had some detours though, but I’m a pretty good driver, and as long as I have a companion to split driving with it shouldn’t be too bad. Either way, thanks for the advice I’ll check out autozipper.
I’ve used this company (broker) several times to move cars across the country: http://www.angelsmovingautos.com/
I have no connection to the company, just a happy customer.
Also, Intercity is another good transport company: http://www.intercitylines.com/
Please be aware that these companies likely won’t be the cheapest. 
Yea I’m looking at these and it looks like it’s going to be around 1200, and then if I want to rent an enclosed u-haul trailer to pull stuff, that will be another 400-500.
VS if I rent a u-haul trailer to pull my car and fill it with my own stuff, it will cost me about $1200 all in, and I can keep an eye on my car.
Coast-to-coast shipping for $1,200 sounds about right +/-, but for open trailers. Enclosed shipping might be a few ($200-$300) hundred more. BTW, these companies cater to the fancy car crowd too.
BTW, right now for the next 2-3 weeks, you may have a more difficult time finding shippers with space, which means higher prices. August 17-20 is the Monterey Historic Races and the Pebble Beach Concours in Monterey/Carmel, CA. Typically, a lot of expensive cars will be moving West before 8/17 and a lot of expensive cars will be moving East post 8/20. With the car shows, auctions and racing, Monterey in August in one of, if not the premier, auto event in the US each year.
Reliable and Plycar are also very good transport companies.
You might find someone to drive it for you and pay expenses including a ticket home. I found this successful when I moved from Colorado to Maine
It would work except It’s a stickshift and all my friends I trust with stickshift have moved far away
If you are going to ship, Intercity has a great reputation.
http://www.intercitylines.com/
Beware that any shipper will not be able to guarantee exact pickup and delivery times which makes coordinating pickup and delivery a pain. I would leave the car in Oakland for a few weeks in a safe place, then drive it cross country over a long weekend.
I’m going to deliver it to my girlfriend’s parents house because it’s a much easier destination than Philadelphia, I’m already driving a SUV full of stuff across the country so I’d rather not drive a third time.
But I appreciate the advice, and I have requested a few quotes.
Know that pick up and drop off addresses often need to be accessible to the monster carrier. I think maybe a smaller one picked up our last car, then loaded it on the biggie elsewhere. Inquire.
But for destination delivery, sometimes they have to meet you in another location. Rather than even try my residential side of town, we met them at a Home Depot parking lot off a highway.
Considering the thousands of miles they brought the car, that was a very small inconvenience. But see if her parents like that possibility. Or would you already be there? Ime, they drive across much faster than we do.
Good luck.
Ah, I don’t think the pick up would be accessible to the monster carrier, but I could definitely meet them elsewhere.
I towed a car behind a U-Haul half way across the country once, and it sucked. A couple times crossing the mountains in PA it got shaking and I was afraid it would break the tongue off and go tumbling over the side. Once I hoped it would because I was afraid it was going to go and take us with it. I would assume crossing the Rockies would be worse.
I was in my 20’s and probably driving more agressively than I should have been given that I had a packed U-Haul with a van being towed behind. But my dad and I still talk about when that thing started shaking, and that was almost 20 years ago. We did have it packed to the gills, which made it heavier and probably made the problem worse. For an extra $500 I wouldn’t even consider doing it.
After a while, the drive is incredibly boring. This is one giant country. IRL, I can be very adaptable, am fascinated by different peoples in different places, 18 wheelers/truck stops, etc. But there’s only so much you can make of it- that town with your surname, how straight the road is, all the pick ups at that A&W, did i say how straight (that’s Texas.)
I feel like like between the Rockies and Pennsylvania is incredibly boring. Especially if you’re driving a SUV full of stuff. I’d love to drive a sports car on those roads with the 75 & 80 mph speed limits but alas I’ll do it another time.