Best Way to Ship A Van

[opie]

Hi. I'm shipping my 2011 E250 EB to a certain well known shop in North Carolina for a 4x4 conversion and I could use some advice.

What's the best way to find a good shipping company? I put an add up on uShip and have had no luck (twice). I filled out a form on a random website for a quote and now my phone and email are blowing up offers. I'm not sure how to evaluate each one.

The van has a roof rack, which puts the height at the rear to 8'1". I also have a ARB awning installed and a really basic interior build just begun.

Ship date is middle of May. It's traveling from Colorado. Thoughts?

[simplesez]

Having just shipped a car I can tell you the van isn't going to fit on an open carrier transport. Definitely not on the bottom row. Top row you'll be hitting bridge overpasses

Enclosed carriers cost a fortune and you may not fit there either.

You need to find a flat bed carrier. I've seen cars transported that way as an addition to a cargo load. Good luck in your search. Go on Craigslist in Denver and check around.

[ohsix]

I sent mine from Texas to Oregon on a flat top carrier. I dealt with a broker I found online and I wouldn't recommend that. If I were to do it again, I would find someone I know and pay them to drive it and buy them an airline ticket back.

[shenrie]

theres people on this forum that know trustworthy shippers, I just don't recall who it was. a search may yield you some results.

theres also people on this forum that will drive your rig to and from locations like this. again, I don't recall who ive seen offer those services.

[Bbasso]

Originally Posted by ohsix

I would find someone I know and pay them to drive it and buy them an airline ticket back.

I second that motion.

[arctictraveller]

I'd look for someone to drive it. I once trucked my sailboat about 1000 miles with a shipper I found on line, and it went missing for almost a week, no one knew where it was. It turned out that the driver decided to visit his girlfriend and spent several days there.

[Twoxentrix]

Is something preventing you from driving it to Ashville ? - Some scenic routes you can take. Drop it off, and fly back yourself. do the reverse when the conversion has been completed.

[86Scotty]

^^^^ If you want something done right, do it yourself. Also, after the experience some have had (not particularly with Ujoint) I would recommend you take it there and check things out for yourself before you drop $20k and your van just because it worked out for others.

Sound paranoid and cynical? You betcha.

[BroncoHauler]

Read the full thread below, and then decide if you want to trust an unknown driver through a shipping company, or a member here who has delivered a number of vans/SMBs with nothing but positive results.

That said, I'm sure there are plenty of people who have successfully and safely had their rigs shipped, but most people post up when they have problems and not when everything goes to plan.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...nver-5074.html


Herb

[MSD]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

Read the full thread below, and then decide if you want to trust an unknown driver through a shipping company, or a member here who has delivered a number of vans/SMBs with nothing but positive results.

That said, I'm sure there are plenty of people who have successfully and safely had their rigs shipped, but most people post up when they have problems and not when everything goes to plan.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...nver-5074.html


Herb

I agree with Herb have some one drive it out and fly back much easier and safer process and it's gonna cost about the same...

One thing about transport brokers they all know each other and are linked via the net... then they play the price game and will change it up on you. First quoting a low price then then change game happens and price goes up. Seriously they are not to be trusted and a total pain in the ass.. we shipped a van from Cali last year and it was a joke...

I would have rather driven it back myself... YMMV.