interstate transport

[MrsM]

can anyone recommend a good auto transport company? Bris - Melb. I dont mind going to a depot to pick the car up, not necessarily after the fastest or cheapest either. Thanks in advance

[Raptor]

Moved to 'The Pub' to attract a broader audience.

Originally Posted by MrsM

oh jeez oh jeez. I found my car and its AVAILABLE!!!

only problem is that its in QLD but you know, if the vehicle check comes out ok I am buying it. I dont know a single person up in QLD that can test drive it for me but this is exactly the kind of situation I am always too late in. This baby is mine

Vehicle under consideration would be a Territory if it matters but I'm pretty sure there are not 'Ford Territory' specific auto transport companies ;)

[GT]

Originally Posted by MrsM

can anyone recommend a good auto transport company? Bris - Melb. I dont mind going to a depot to pick the car up, not necessarily after the fastest or cheapest either. Thanks in advance

We have a wonderful AFF member who does this route for Toll. Contact him for any advice - very helpful fella and the nicest! Do a member search for Whoosha

Cheers
GT

[MrsM]

I heard one or two people say toll is good so I might give them a call. And thanks Raptor!!

[MrsM]

ok as a general rule, do most auto transport companies have the vehicles enclosed and protected from stone chips etc, or in the open on the back of a truck?

edit: I will pm whoosha and ask them too

[Simon_Koala]

I would HIGHLY recommend using an established and reputable company like Toll.

I have bought cars interstate before using the cheaper alternatives to the Toll's of this world, and have had issues along the lines of the following :
1/ On one trip, the car was on the lower level of a two tier truck and the car immediately above it on the upper level must have had leaking brakes, the result being that the paintwork was damaged due to the dripping brake fluid. Brake fluid and paintwork don't mix !
2/ Very minor damage and/or scrapes and/or marks which no one will be prepared to take the blame for, despite the fact that there may have been an inspection done on the car prior to dropping off the car to the transport company.
3/ As a result of the car being on the front of the top level of an open two level truck, the car arrived half covered in squashed bugs and insects which then took ages trying to remove, as by the time you then get the car they have all dried onto the paintwork and are hard to remove.

With Toll you can request (and pay for) varying levels of transport as I recall, such as a covered or an uncovered truck, as well as various other options. May be a bit different now as I haven't had to transport a car interstate before, so I would check the options and don't be afraid to pay that little bit more for the extra piece of mind.

Hope this experience of mine helps you.

[arm79]

My parents used www.movingcars.com.au, which is the nice pleasant face of Patrick Auto Care, to get their cars from Melb to Bris.

Nothing to complain about, both cars arrived 100% undamaged and on time.

Cost wise was about $800 depot to depot, more for site to site/depot, etc. This is for an NL Fairlane, and I'd expect it would be the same sort of cost to bring back to Melb.

For me, if you really loved the car and wanted it undamaged... For that $800 I'd go buy a car bra and fly there and drive it back. You'd still end up with change in your pocket and at least have the knowledge it arrived safely. Working in the transport industry, I know no matter how hard you try, no one will care for it like the owner.

I know it contrary to opinion here, but Toll would be the last company I'd use to transport anything... Even my Christmas cards.

[GasoLane]

Bris to Melb should be easy as most cars go up there not back.

There are a couple of caravan transporters in the Melb area that take vans up and go back empty, or with a couple of cars on the back.

Failing that try CEVA car carriers. I've never had the need to use them but they do have covered trailers as well as the regular (open) ones.

You can even get an online quote :

http://cevacarcarrying.com.au/index.html

[GT]

Brisbane to Melbourne is one of the cheapest trips because the trucks are fairly empty. $800 sounds very steep to me. Last time I organised a vehicle it was Adelaide to Melbourne for $170 plus GST. As said - trust Whoosha'a judgement and advice on this one.

Gaela

[Smoke Pursuit]

I have transported cars interstate.. Sadly what you see them leave on isnt always what they get transported on.. I had a brand new F250 come outta Melbourne in 2007 (yes it was old stock) and it changed trucks a few times, and unfortunately turned up here with a considerable amount of damage. Luckily enough Toll fixed it as the delivery dockets noted everything plus it was a brand new car, but being second hand means its harder to prove the vehicles original state.

Having driven from Brisbane to Melbourne and having just sold a car to Melbourne if i was you id come pick it up.. Few hundred in flights + $300 in petrol is cheaper then $750 plus the stress of having something go wrong with it.

[arm79]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Failing that try CEVA car carriers. I've never had the need to use them but they do have covered trailers as well as the regular (open) ones.

I wouldn't touch CEVA either. They sit lower on the ladder than Toll.

Their Melbourne depot is in the same complex as one of our warehouses, and by the way I've seen them load cars, its none too pretty.

They are also the worst on the other end, as Brisbane workers generally have even less care than their Melbourne counterparts, which is scary considering what I see some of the Melbourne guys do.

It's gotten that bad that when a customer of ours wants stock moved from Melbourne to Bris, or Sydney to Bris, they wait until they get a full load so the truck can go site to site, even if its to the detriment of their customer. This means we load and unload and there is no touching of the pallets between the 2 operations.

[botch]

TOLL SPONSORS HOLDENS ! enough said

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by botch

TOLL SPONSORS HOLDENS ! enough said

So, on your way of thinking I should throw our 3 Vodafone mobiles away as 888 is going over to Holden? :

[Whoosha]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

So, on your way of thinking I should throw our 3 Vodafone mobiles away as 888 is going over to Holden? :

Gee who said you were slow on the uptake :

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Whoosha

Gee who said you were slow on the uptake :

I think you've mentioned it once or twice

[madmelon]

I'm looking at a car in WA and I got a quote back yesterday saying $770 and 12 days. I can't understand how a trip half the distance costs just as much, if not more...