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Anyone with experiance transporting GTI across country?

dmazyn

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Cedar Park TX
I am planning to move from Texas to North Carolina in the next 3 months and need to transport my GTI. It seems very difficult to wade through car transport companies reviews as I don't trust most online review sites etc..

Has anyone had the need to ship/transport the GTI across country and have any good recommendations of companies?
 
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Jose_Gti

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia
I moved 3 years ago from Denver to Philadelphia, the cost was around $700 but I don't remember the name of the company! I'm trying to search in my emails.
One thing that I did is the day the truck come to pick it up I did a video of everything, the car all around the plates of the truck... everything! at the end it was perfect, no problems.
 

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
Never did, but I researched them 2 years ago when I was thinking of buying R from an out-of-state dealer. I also looked at reviews.

If price is not an issue, I liked http://www.intercitylines.com/

They might pay them for their endorsements but I think people like Leno and Carini care more about their cars not being damaged than a few thousand or even $100,000.

I called Intercity and asked them every question I could think of. Here's what I believe to be the best possible service, regardless of the company. You want to live on a street where they can come with the large truck that's making the entire trip (true door-to-door service). If not, they will need to come with a flatbed (hopefully not a scooper) and take your car to a holding lot. Same if they can't deliver directly to your new address. You want an enclosed van, and you want to be on top, so you don't get any oil, etc., dripping on your car. You don't want your car moved to get another car off while in transit.

The transport company driver should take multiple pictures of the car and look for even the slightest damage, inside and out, and fully document them with you. When the car is delivered, the driver should again go over the car with you. You should also get periodic calls from the driver to let you know his progress.

Check on their insurance. Some cover a max amount per car or a max amount per load. You never know, the truck could get into a major accident and your car is destroyed. You don't want to spend your time fighting for them to fix or replace your car. When you read the reviews for the major companies you'll see what I mean. I don't want to slam any here. You'll find your personal car insurance does not cover you when you sign over your car to a professional in the automobile business. I never checked on the following: How their insurance company figures the value of your car if it's a total loss. I would have asked if they paid actual retail value, including taxes.
 
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The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
I moved 3 years ago from Denver to Philadelphia, the cost was around $700 but I don't remember the name of the company! I'm trying to search in my emails.
One thing that I did is the day the truck come to pick it up I did a video of everything, the car all around the plates of the truck... everything! at the end it was perfect, no problems.

Denver to Philly? I was looking at NYC to Florida 2 years ago and I was quoted a lot more than $700. I think it was at least double that. What kind of truck did you get?
 
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Jose_Gti

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia
Denver to Philly? I was looking at NYC to Florida 2 years ago and I was quoted a lot more than $700. I think it was at least double that. What kind of truck did you get?

What kind of truck? It was one of those that carries cars in Two levels, there were options if you wanted your car in the upper or lower level if you wanted your car covered with a kind of a cover during transportation etc. All those things were extra.
 

KevinC

Autocross Champion
Location
The land of Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday
Car(s)
'19 Golf R, '21 M2c
I bought my ZHP in Miami and had it trucked to Phoenix back in 2012. What a clusterfarkle. I got a couple of quotes online, and next thing I knew I had about 12-15 different companies reaching out to me with quotes. Apparently these guys are all linked somehow. Most of them are shady as hell. If I were to ever move a car again, I'd definitely use one of the handful of super-reputable ones, like InterCity as Fed mentioned, and I'd pay the extra cost to use an enclosed truck. You're definitely taking your chances with the rest of these scheisters. They are also ridiculously disorganized and lousy at communicating.

Better yet, just drive it. I drove my M5 back from Cincinnati and it was a 3-day trip, but well planned and went smoothly. Good luck!
 

jtitocci

Ready to race!
Location
NYC
sub'd - I'm about 8 weeks from a NYC to LA move. I have to ship the GTI and drive another vehicle. About 3300 miles, and I really don't want to spend $3k, but I want it there safely, without a lot of run around as KevinC mentioned (And I've read about elsewhere)

Intercity quoted $2300
 

tknj99

Ready to race!
Location
Central VA
Drove my Mk6 GTI from Phoenix to Northern VA in 2014.. that was alot of fun, especially on all of the uphill roads where left laners would struggle to accelerate while i buzzed by them
 

jtitocci

Ready to race!
Location
NYC
I think intercity is the best choice. I don't want to save a few hundred bucks and take the risk.

While I agree, I'm still having a hard time stomaching the $2300 - I know I can drive it for less than $600, and then thats $1700 in the bank that can be used for more important things like first months rent.

Drove my Mk6 GTI from Phoenix to Northern VA in 2014.. that was alot of fun, especially on all of the uphill roads where left laners would struggle to accelerate while i buzzed by them

I would love to drive mine (Planning on stopping in Phoenix for a few days actually) but I also have a Ford F350, and a full horse trailer to haul across.
 

cb1111

Newbie
Location
Virginia, USA
How is the rest of the fam getting there? It is undoubtedly cheaper to fly back and pick the car up yourself.

You need to decided if you want covered or open. In part that depends on the time of year.

www.horselesscarriage.com is a company a neighbor used a few years ago when he sold his car. I never heard anything bad so I assume it arrived OK. They have a good reputation
 

jtitocci

Ready to race!
Location
NYC
How is the rest of the fam getting there? It is undoubtedly cheaper to fly back and pick the car up yourself.

You need to decided if you want covered or open. In part that depends on the time of year.

www.horselesscarriage.com is a company a neighbor used a few years ago when he sold his car. I never heard anything bad so I assume it arrived OK. They have a good reputation

All depends on how you look at it. If you drove across country (3300 miles) then flew back ($250-300? for a plane ticket, $50 for a cab from airport to car) then drove the car 3300 miles which is easily $400 in gas, 4 nights worth of hotels ($400), and food ($100), and whatever potential lost wages, it could all average out.
 
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