Our daughter, Amanda, is in her second year of college out of state. While she managed
without a vehicle on campus last year and the first semester of this year, she needed her car after Christmas break. Neither she nor my husband Joe and I felt comfortable with her driving it alone from our home in Wisconsin all the way to the east coast.
So, my
initial thought was to accompany her, which would have involved a 16+ hour drive, wear and tear on her vehicle, fuel and food costs, a midpoint hotel stay (because we would not do the drive in one shot), a pet sitter for our bunny at home, a hotel stay at the destination, as well as airline transportation for Joe and I to return home.
Then I began to consider the possibility of bad weather, not only in our state of Wisconsin where it was already snowy and icy, but in the five states we would have to cross to get to our destination.
So, we scrapped the driving idea and opted to use an auto transport company. Like anything new, this was a bit nerve wracking. First, it was a new experience. Second, it's very easy to go online, look up information, and get discouraged. There are lots of stories about folks who used auto transport and were not happy.
But then, I reminded myself that people are way more apt to post their bad experiences than their good ones.
I called about seven companies and asked many questions. First and
foremost, I wanted to be sure the company was fully licensed and insured. I then had to ask about price, if they could accompany our destination and schedule, and who the point of contact would be. I looked up reviews on each company. It was definitely a process.
Note that if you do this, you'll get some rates that are too-good-to-be-true, so be careful about this. Choose a company that sends you details, in writing, about what the final cost is going to be and that there will be no hidden or surprise charges.
We ended up going with Easy Auto Ship. They are a broker and they secure a carrier. I provided them with the deposit they required and a few days later, the car was scheduled to be picked up.
I'm pleased to share that our experience was
excellent, despite a minor hiccup. The vehicle was scheduled for pick-up on a Saturday night. The driver kept me updated via text about his whereabouts and estimated arrival time.
When he arrived, he (and his wife who travels with him), parked his 53-foot flatbed
truck right in front of our house. The driver was courteous and professional, conducting a thorough inspection of the car, taking photos, providing us with the bill of lading, loading the car onto the truck, and departing promptly.
Although delivery was slated for Monday, we noticed the vehicle remained in Chicago for about a day and a
half (we knew this...thanks to an Apple air tag that we put in the car's glove box). Upon inquiry about that delay, we learned that the
truck had encountered a mechanical issue requiring a part replacement. However, the issue was swiftly resolved and the journey resumed.
Throughout this process, the driver maintained communication with both Amanda and me. The car arrived on Wednesday when the
driver, upon reaching the vicinity of her college, promptly notified Amanda and dropped off the car directly on campus. It was essentially door-to-door service, which I found remarkably convenient.
After Amanda carefully inspected the car and confirmed it was in the same condition as when it left Wisconsin, I digitally processed
payment to the driver via Zelle.
Amanda is thrilled to have her vehicle and Joe and I are happy with our decision. At $892, it proved to be worth every penny and saved us a whole bunch of time and hassle. Best yet, we didn't have to drive on snowy, icy roads and
the car arrived safely.
P.S. By the way, we were able to track the car's journey the entire way with that Apple Air Tag...they're great for this purpose, or even to tuck in your luggage if you're going on a trip. If your luggage is lost, you'll immediately know where it is!
