Frustration with Peg Trucking

[Bill Pressler]

I know most folks here have had good luck with Peg Trucking, but IMHO they've been a headache to deal with in getting my '64 Daytona from Butternut in upper WI to my home in NE OH.

I was quoted, in writing, $550 on Jan. 6. That was $140 cheaper than the next quote. I sent for another quote three weeks later since the car's actual location was about 10 miles farther than the original location I provided, and also the dates were moved further out by me. Their new quote was $900!

Peg responded that the person who provided the $550 quote is no longer with the Company. I asked if they could match the next-lowest quote of $690 (that firm's medium-priced quote; one was lower, one was higher, depending on level of service). I was told 'yes'. When I emailed today to see if any progress had been made, I was told that Peg Trucking wouldn't do the job for under $800.

Frustrating. Back to square one.

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1
'64 Daytona Hardtop

[arkiejazz]

Bill, why don't you give Diamond Express a shot? At least email Joe and ask for a quote. I've had nothing but good luck with them. Here's Joe's email address: Joe@diamondexptrans.com Or email me off forum for the phone number if you had rather call them.

steve blake...roaming the Texas Panhandle in my trusty Champ pickup

http://tinyurl.com/kr3gt

[Desert Explorer]

I mentioned this in another thread, but it seems relevent here too.
KIWI Transport has been really good to us here at Mad Max Cars, and seems to have the best rates most of the time. A family run operation, but they are local to this area, though they do nationwide shipping well.
Almost always considerably less than other carriers, and have NEVER had an issue with them (so far).

Cliffh said he got a quote $200 less than Peg when he called for his west coast haul of a non running Stude.

http://www.kiwiskarriers.com/

Tell Lyn "Dee form Mad Max Cars" sent ya', if you decide to call.


55 Commander

Hero Car Ranch; Seattle, Wa.

[5brown1]

The way these companies work is as follows. They arrange a transport.
The transporter must make money on the transportation of the vehicle.
The company can quote you anything but if the transporter cannot make money the car will sit. Hope you didn't pay an upfront deposit.
You need to figure that the transporter will need so much $ per mile to make it worth his while and then tell the company you will pay that amount if you want it picked up. You could luck out with a cheap price or it could sit for months.
Apparently some of the companies give a low quote and ask for a deposit up front - the car never gets picked up and they have your deposit.
There is an online site which gives ratings of car transport companies.
google it and pick one with a good reputation.

[bams50]

To expound on what 5brown1 said, here's a shipping primer:

Most "shippers", with very few exceptions, are really brokers. Some have a truck or a few trucks, but naturally logistics limit when and where they can ship. So, mostly they broker jobs.

When you call a shipper, they take your info and give you a bid. That bid is an educated guess based on what they think the market has been bearing. Some make it artificially low, knowing dilligent customers price-shop, to get your business. Most will give you a few different numbers- low, medium, and high. High is guaranteed pickup/dropoff date, and may offer options like express/expedited service, enclosed transport, door-to-door, etc. Low is a sort of "door buster", designed to get you to sign with them. This is open carrier with very flexible pickup/deliver dates.

If you place the order, most of the quote is for the trucker, and part is commission for the shipper with whom you placed the order. You pay the shipper for doing the legwork of posting the job and coordinating the connection between you and the trucker. Once booked, they place the job with their network of haulers and hope for the job to get picked up. And this is where the shuffle comes in.

The shipper posts the info including the quoted price you agreed upon, less their commission. For example, you may get quoted $750, with the shipper figuring $150 for their commission. So they then post the job for $600. If the job gets picked up, great; they put you and the trucker together, instruct you to pay the trucker upon delivery, they keep your deposit, and everyone's happy.

The problem comes thusly: The amount they quoted, and therefore posted, doesn't appeal to any of the haulers in the network. So after waiting a week or two, you get anxious and call, or they call you. It is then they tell you the above- they're trying, but no one has picked up the job. They might quote how much that is per mile, and how it is below the market rate. You ask what else can be done, and they say, "Welll, you could really improve your odds by upping the amount...". You ask how much, and they say that probably another $50 or so would do it. You agree, and they repost. Repeat until it does get picked up... of course, this can get quite removed from what you were originally quoted.....

It's hard to place blame in these scenarios. The only gray area is if the made the price unrealistically low at the beginning. But with the exception of high-end, chartered transport, it's really an inexact science. Sometimes it goes smoothly, sometimes not.

The above is based on my actual experience; maybe those that do it more often have a different experience- I've only shipped 8 cars myself. JDP has done hundreds, and uses Peg's all the time, so maybe he can add some insight.

Overall I feel shipping is mostly a headache- a necessary evil. I try to go pick up vehicles myself whenever possible, and try to avoid buying those I can't.

How far away is the car from you? I went to Mapquest and entered Butternut and Toledo just for starters (don't know your town), showed 635 miles. Not too terrible... get a truck and a tow dolly and go get it. If I can think of a way to help, I'll be glad to! Time to brainstorm................

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[Swifster]

A two day drive like that I'd do myself. 4 tanks of gas and a room for one night will be less than the cost to ship. That and you'd get to see Chicago. Take a three day weekend and take the wife shopping on Michigan Ave...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Mulberry, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona - 289 4V, 4-Speed (Cost To Date: $2125.60)

[bams50]

Another thought, Bill... maybe there's a member in the general area that can haul it for you, or at least help you go after it. Keep us posted!

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"

[Bill Pressler]

Well, I just signed a contract online with AutoTransportersOnline. I read positive things about them on one of the auto transporter ratings sites, and a fellow who works at a Stude restoration place recommended it. They're $200 less than Peg's latest quote.

I guess they use what looks like a new-car carrier to transport, and will deliver 'door to door', as long as reasonable and practical for a truck that size to do 'door to door'.

A fellow did offer to pick up the car for hire if I went along, but this is crunch-time at work and there's just no way I could go along now..it's 750 miles one-way.

It's set to pick up about a month from now...luckily the seller isn't in a huge rush to get it out of there. Good thing, as the roads are extremely salty around here now.

Bill Pressler
Kent, OH
'63 Lark Daytona Skytop R1
'64 Daytona Hardtop

[bams50]

Another point-

If you contract with a shipper and you cancel before they sell the job, you should get a full refund of the deposit you paid them (if you did).

Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"