Hi,

I am looking for a transport company to ship my new Defender from Chicago to Washington. So far Sherpa Auto Transport seems to get some favorable reviews. Does anyone have first hand experience from other companies?

Thanks!

 

Last year I had my Defender shipped from the LR/Aston Martin dealer in Chicago to me here in Portland OR -- so a pretty similar journey to yours.

I can't really help you on companies as the dealer arranged it and I looked at my paperwork -- it had no company name just a generic form -- but something that didn't occur to me until the dealer GM recommended it -- you may want to have it shipped enclosed for cross country shipping in winter. For me the price difference was $300 which to me seemed worth it ($900 open trailer, $1200 enclosed). Basically -- take a look at a car shipped across Wisconsin / North Dakota / Montana / Wyoming in the dead of winter -- oof -- really really dirty and potentially thrashed with gravel sand etc.

 

This has a good reputation
​​​​​​​https://bringatrailer.com/shipping/

 

If on an open transport it will be filthy when it arrives. I sold a Miata last year (30th anniversary edition) that was freshly waxed, detailed, and looked brand new. The new owner sent me photos of it when it arrived, and it looked like it'd been sitting on a dealer lot for 2 years in the midst of several dust storms. I guess there's a reason all the new cars you see on open transports have the white plastic protector sheets on everything.

That said, after a careful, good wash the car was fine afterwards. And... these are Defenders -- meant to get dirty.

The buyer of the car used a company called "ship.cars" (who outsourced it apparently to a freight company called No Limit Transportation, Inc.). The whole process went pretty smoothly, for what that's worth.

RedAustinIX

 

JLR North America uses "Reliable Carriers" for a lot of shipping needs. There's also "Horseless Carriage" which has a large reputation with the collector/classic market.

We never do open transport for any vehicle-closed transport only. You don't want to know what can happen to a vehicle on an open carrier. Price tends to correlate with quality and service among the established players.

 

When I was in a similar situation, needing to ship my car, I did some digging and found one company. Let me tell you, they came through like champs. Smooth sailing all the way, no hiccups or headaches. But hey, I get it - you wanna explore your options. It's always smart to shop around and see what's out there. Maybe check out some online reviews or hit up some forums to see if anyone has recommendations. And speaking of recommendations, if you're still on the hunt for a solid transport company, I'd definitely give them a look. Here's the link: https://www.a1autotransport.com/new-...ing-companies/

 

I had a car transported back in 2018 so it's been sometime but I used uShip. It's more an aggregator where you get bids and I believe they have reviews for the companies. That said, some companies may subcontract the work to drivers so it may not be in an "Acme Co." truck that delivers it. I had no problems and the car arrived perfectly. If nothing else it helps you understand what the market will bear.

 

I have used Intercity a dozen times. Enclosed carriers. Super clean and efficient. They transport for the Pebble Beach Concorso and Jay Leno. You book directly with them and they do the transport. They do not subcontract.

do not go through a broker.

 

Hey, there seems to be a lot of opinions on which transport companies to use, but I'm looking for more recent reviews/recommendations for enclosed transport. Any advice?

 

Was just at Amelia Island auctions two weeks ago and the high end carriers there are, as above, Reliable, Inter-City and Horseless Carriage. I personally have only used Reliable and they were great. The more flexible you can be with pickup and delivery dates the less it will cost. Avoid brokers, you may end up with someone who is not bonded or insured.