Shipping with them was the best choice
David Reigle
Submitted this review about
Direct Auto Movers Inc.
Review made Live: 10/5/2010 1:06:00 PM
Like most of us, I had never shipped a car before in my life. In a reply to one of my very tentative early inquiries, Nick wrote back to me, "I give you my word that everything I say I do.....I do." I much appreciated that statement. We used to take this for granted, but not anymore. So I was glad that he gave me his word, something that I take very seriously.
This company had given me the best quote, and also said that they offer 1-3 day pickup in most cases. This is a hard combination to beat: lowest price and fast service. But some of the other quotes I received included warnings against accepting the lowest quote, saying that your car could sit there for a while and be passed over by truckers in favor of cars offering more money. Nick told me on a Wednesday that he could have my car picked up that Friday. Based on my good impression from his statement quoted above, I accepted and placed my order with him. In fact, my car was picked up that Thursday, the very next day.
The delivery estimate was for Friday of the following week, and my car did arrive on that day. It came in to Colorado from Florida on a huge car hauler truck, filled with nine vehicles. The driver, named Jorge from Flat Haul Express in Florida, was hard-working and very competent. It was amazing to watch his skill in unloading my car. Each car is on separate ramps that are individually controlled by hydraulic lifts. Much care is required in loading and unloading. My car had been picked up on a one-car trailer towed by a pickup truck with duallies. When I saw the huge car hauler truck I understood why. These trucks are too big to maneuver down small roads to pick up cars, and of course the cars must be carefully loaded in a particular order for easier drop-off.
I know that there is an element of luck in finding a truck that is coming from the area where your vehicle is located, going to the area where it needs to be delivered, and is almost full and ready to leave at the time you are ready and call. This is undeniable, and needs to be recognized by us customers. But it helps a lot to work with an agent like Nick who is in the know and can just contact the right trucker at the right place and arrange it immediately, without leaving it to chance and posting it on an open central board for truckers.
It turned out that shipping the car was by far the wisest choice for me. I had almost decided to fly there and drive it back myself, because I could get a very low airfare. Yes, that might have saved me two or three hundred dollars. But this is a small price to pay for insurance against any breakdowns or accidents that might have happened on my drive back, and is also quite worth saving the two thousand miles that would have been put on the car. If I ever ship another car, which I now might, I will certainly call Nick at Direct Auto Movers.
