Anyone used South Beach Auto Transport?

[JK]

The day of completion is finally nearing and I need to find a way to get my rig from Oklahoma to Washington. I've talked to DAS and South Beach. South Beach is a top result online, has an A+ BBB rating, and alot of solid reviews. They're also the cheapest. Anyone ever heard of or used them to ship a vehicle?

 

[miikee73]

Is the price they quoted a solid bid or do they have to find someone that will haul for that. My first quote was 495 for a 1000 mile ride, no takers all the way up to 675. Flew down and drove it home. Good luck, lots of stories, good and bad.

 

[JK]

I've only got quotes, but the rep said that the peak season is over and the quotes are holding up well (I know, he could be full of crap). I'm thinking that I'll need to look into closed transport though, I'd hate to have the rig on top of a transport rack with a soft top across the Wyoming plains with 40+ MPH winds. Either that or have it shrink-wrapped. It's going to be fresh out of paint, so I'd hate to have it get beat up on the drive. Other option is to drive down, buy a trailer, drag it up myself, and sell the trailer when I get here (I have no place to store a trailer). I haven't had the time to shake out bugs enough to feel comfortable driving it 2000+ miles across the mountains in the dead of winter, so I'm low on options.

 

[miikee73]

My opinion is bite the bullet and plan on getting it yourself. Working with the dispatcher was a waste of my time.I wouldn't want my freshly done bronco in the hands of a stranger. I'm sure there are honest haulers out there,but I don't like the odds.
Good Luck and a early welcome to the PNW.

 

[jw0747]

Hemmings Magazine or maybe their online site probably has ads for transporters who carry very valuable concours vehicles around the country in enclosed trucks/trailers.

 

[TX SS]

I used Curves Ahead Transport for enclosed shipping to get my Bronco from KS to TX with very good results. They are owner/operator so no hassling with broker. I went enclosed to protect the original paint from the elements and would do it again as it wasn't that much more expensive. They met the promised pick up and delivery days but the exact timing did move several times within the day which is understandable when you are dealing with random people's schedules and traffic/road conditions.

I spent a lot of time on the phone until I finally found Curves Ahead. For me it wasn't as much a cost issue as it was finding someone even willing to take the job within the necessary timeline. Various factors play into that including route and truck availability. You might get lucky and find someone going from A to B or you might have to get on a list and wait until they can put together a load. If you need it on a specific schedule you are probably best buying the trailer and doing it yourself.

 

[blubuckaroo]

You could haul it yourself. If you don't have access to a large pickup, you could trailer it behind a Uhaul truck. Doing it yourself won't completely eliminate risk of damage, but it'll be you standing guard rather than someone else.
Where will home be in WA?

 

[englewoodcowboy]

I can tell you truck rates are on the rise and if you are dealing with a broker (and it looks like you are) with no assets, you will be given a quote and it will go from there. I happen to own both a trucking company and a brokerage and have moved a few broncos for Nick when I had my step deck trailer (I do not have it on the road at this time). I can tell you I would look at Reliable Carriers and specify their enclosed trucks. I know Swift also has enclosed trailers however they do not hire the best drivers so I would be leery of them. Rates have been held below costs due to the poor economy for far too long where those of us that have survived this far have done so operating at a loss and using reserve funds. Now the market is starting to shift back into our favor and believe me when you get quoted a rate today, within 6 months you can pretty much double it to be close. I am not trying to scare you off, just prepare you for the upcoming trend. What most consumers fail to realize is that the trucking capacity (this term is used to relate available equipment to move available product) has dropped so much since 2006 that it will take 12 years of current production, rate increases etc. to replenish the trucking capacity to meet the nations demands. This has all been happening, however it has been well masked by the poor economy. This news is great for those of us in the business as I am tired of scraping by to make ends meat but it is also important that the consumers know this upcoming rate change and why it is happening. Our rates have not changed other than a fuel surcharge which only covers the fuel in the tank however as we have all seen, tires etc. have gone up. Just FYI in 2006 I could buy a new tire for my truck for $200.00 and today, that same tire costs me $800.00. Add on top of that the need to meet CARB rules and looming EPA rules and I have outfitted my trailers with the wide based Super Single tires. When I did this in 2012, those tires cost me $1000.00 ea. and today they are $1400.00 ea. all the while our rates have gone unchanged. I know this is a bit of a drag on explanation to the original post but this will give insight as to the why when you call a broker who does not own the truck and tries to get it done for a price that is really below the actual expense of doing the job. Another fun little fact, the average truck insurance for a single truck and trailer is $15,000.00 per year, complicate this by the fact that a new truck and trailer costs $200,000.00 from the dealer and we then have to pay a Federal tax of 23% on top of that before it is allowed to leave the lot. Everything costs money, my industry is very expensive and it is time the price is placed where it belongs, back to the end user. This ends my economics 101.

 

[Kyle.malone]

Go onto UShip and put up a request for enclosed transport and make the driver liable for any damage. Glad to see you got it back up and going.

 

[JustinFro]

I agree with Kyle on the uShip route.

 

[JK]

Go onto UShip and put up a request for enclosed transport and make the driver liable for any damage. Glad to see you got it back up and going.

I put it up on UShip and got little interest. Looks like I might be buying a trailer and dragging it home. I'll probably have it shrink wrapped for the trip if that's the route I end up going. Also, PM me your paypal Kyle, I still owe you money for a VSS.

 

[miikee73]

If you end up with a used trailer,just remember wheel bearings and tires. The tires on the 2001 trailer I bought this year looked like new but they were the originals,I changed them out before I hauled anything. And don't leave without a spare tire for the trailer. I had to leave a vehicle on the side of the road because my spare was flat,by the time I got back someone smashed my windshield and radiator....Lifes lessons.

 

[moses_m]

JK make the trip in the bronco. You will never forget it. Ask a buddy that is a good mechanic to go with you. Take the essential tools and spare parts. If you want too avoid most mountains drive south and grab I-10 west to L.A. and north on I-5 to Washington. I bought my first bronco in washington and drove it to texas over 3 days with my brother in law. Had some set backs with timing and fuel delivery due to july heat but over all was great. Would do it again if opportunity presented itself. when people (gawkers) ask me on how my bronco runs. I simply reply I drove it here from Washington.

 

[JK]

I really wish I was brave enough. Beyond the fact that the body will be fresh out of resto, it just got a 5.0/4R70W swap that was not very smooth. Timelines went long and I had to leave it in OKC, not what I would call "complete". I'll definitely need some time with it before I take it on any long roadtrips. If I was gonna give it a shot, I'd want to wait til after the winter, but I need to get it here for winter projects. I've got a good deal worked on a new 18 ft hauler, so for now that is plan A. I was really hoping to offload the worry on a professional since this will be our first trip with the new twin boys. If I can't find a break on enclosed carrier, it will add some pain, but also save me some money to grab it myself. It it goes that route, I can haul any parts NWerners are trying to buy for the MW.

 

[Mtgrizzlymn]

I used auto transport 123 Tara to get mine from Illinois to montana 1200 was perfect everything went smooth

 

[moses_m]

Plan A sounds good. Service trailer before trip. Buy some good straps to tie it down. I carry a spare hub, and heat gun to check hub temps at stops. Good luck with your decision.

 

[blubuckaroo]

I really wish I was brave enough. Beyond the fact that the body will be fresh out of resto, it just got a 5.0/4R70W swap that was not very smooth. Timelines went long and I had to leave it in OKC, not what I would call "complete". I'll definitely need some time with it before I take it on any long roadtrips. If I was gonna give it a shot, I'd want to wait til after the winter, but I need to get it here for winter projects. I've got a good deal worked on a new 18 ft hauler, so for now that is plan A. I was really hoping to offload the worry on a professional since this will be our first trip with the new twin boys. If I can't find a break on enclosed carrier, it will add some pain, but also save me some money to grab it myself. It it goes that route, I can haul any parts NWerners are trying to buy for the MW.

Enclosed??:?
It better not be afraid of the rain if it's coming up here.

 

[JK]

Enclosed??:?
It better not be afraid of the rain if it's coming up here.

It's gonna have a soft-top on it. The winds coming across Wyoming ripped the tonneau cover off my truck, I'd hate to see a soft-top on the upper rack of a transport after that trip!