Shipping Your Classic

My recent experience with U-Ship.com

By Lou Sitaras

For a classic car enthusiast, it’s a gut-wrenching feeling to have your car loaded onto a truck or trailer and watch it leave the safety of your garage for another destination. Maybe it’s headed to a classic car dealer or one of the many classic car auctions that take place all over the world. Maybe, as in my case, you’re moving to a new state and need a car transporter to deliver your car. Whatever the reason, transporting classic cars is a necessity and there are many companies willing to step up and provide this service.

U-Ship.com was created to allow shippers to find carriers and carriers to find shippers. The company was featured prominently in the TV show Shipping Wars which ran on A & E from 2012-2015. The premise works like this:

1. You create a listing with a description of the item (in this case a car), a photo of the item, the current location of the item, and where you’d like it shipped to.

2. Carriers then see your listing and try to underbid each other for your business. You can check each carrier’s ratings, then make your choice at any time during the bidding process. You then make a payment to an escrow account that can only be accessed using a 6-digit PIN of your choice. That’s it!

I had a 1962 Chrysler police car that had to get shipped from Chadds Ford, Pa. to Iron Station, N.C. I created my listing and waited for the action to start. It didn’t take long. Within a few minutes, I had a quote for $1,250. I thought that was a bit steep, so I waited for additional bids. Shortly afterward, another company came in at $1,150. Then a third company came in a bit less. I watched the action as these three companies continuously underbid each other until the price came down to $750. By now, the price was only being lowered one dollar at a time, so I knew I was close to rock bottom. I chose the company with a slightly higher rating and hit the “Accept” button. The deed was done. Shortly after I accepted the bid, I received my communication. I was impressed by that and received continuous updates as the days moved forward. The day before my car was to be picked up though, I began to have a few doubts. I was receiving updates and phone calls from multiple phone numbers and the people I talked to spoke very broken English, making communication difficult other than the very basics. Nevertheless, they were in touch and I wasn’t forgotten.

Shipping day arrived and the updates were now more frequent. I found it interesting that whenever the driver was referred to by the carrier, it was always “My Guy.” The messages would read “My Guy” is on the way, or “My Guy” is near Philadelphia, or “My Guy” is 15 minutes away. This seemed very unusual. Whenever I call for an Uber ride, I get a message that reads “Joshua is on his way. He’s driving a white 2017 Nissan Altima. He’s 28 years old, an Aquarius, and likes long walks on the beach.”

OK, a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point. The only description I received from the carrier was “My Guy.” Of course, there is a very real possibility that the shipping companies themselves deal with so many subcontractors that even they aren’t really sure who “My Guy” is.

The carrier arrived to pick up the car. He was driving a pickup cab with a three-car trailer attached. This setup is quite common in the shipping world because it skirts the requirement for a CDL license and the many regulations attached to it. The gentleman again spoke broken English so it was difficult to communicate, but he knew his business and was very professional. I noticed the name on the truck door didn’t match the name of the business, but assumed it was a subcontractor. I photographed the name as well as the license numbers of the truck and the trailer for extra security. Then, the driver was on his way!

About one hour later I received a call from the driver — a different driver. He was nearby and ready to pick up my car. (?!?!?!) I could never adequately express to you the thoughts that went through my mind in the seconds that followed — so many different emotions.

I told the caller the driver had already picked up my car. He stated: “I am the driver. I’ve just come from Virginia to pick up your car.” I told him he should call the office. Then the office called me. They said he was the driver, and they didn’t know who the first guy was. This was not reassuring, but I kept my composure. I emailed them the photos of the name on the side of the truck doors and the license plates numbers, but I never heard back. At this point, I was thinking to myself that it was 50/50 if I ever saw my car again.

The next morning I headed south for North Carolina, still unsure of the final outcome. I took the I-95 route on the off-chance I might pass my car on the way down. Just south of Richmond, I received a call from the driver (driver #1); he indicated he was an hour away from the destination. Whew! The relief was tremendous. I had a friend meet him at the house and the car was in the same condition as when it left. I sent the driver the code to unlock the funds and off he went to his next job.

So, would I use U-Ship.com again in the future? Well, the price was fair, but they would have to update their service a bit. I know it’s difficult keeping track of so many trucks all over the country, but what happened to me should never happen to anyone.

There has to be greater accountability and communication from only one phone number. In addition, a suggestion was made to me that I could have added an Apple air tag in the trunk so that the car’s location could have been tracked. Great idea! The concept of U-Ship.com is a winner, but the execution definitely needs an update. If you can track a letter cross country, you should easily be able to track your classic car the same way.

By Lou Sitaras