Getting Your Jeep from A to B (Without Driving)

[John Galt]

I shipped my Jeep to west Africa, got delayed a month in New York due to container shortage. But it arrived safely and only casualty was the AUX battery that they did not disconnect…

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[Chocolate Thunder]

Not dragging you, but remember that the Suez Canal was pretty heavy in headlines just lately, and we aren't going to catch up for months yet.

A month detour in the jeep going around the Cape of Good Hope sounds pretty amazing though.

You’re completely correct. That actually came to my mind. Those folks aren’t getting their stuff fir months. Or maybe years.

 

[Ismor]

Summary: Getting Your Jeep from A to B (Without Driving)

U-Ship

I’ve been in touch with U-Ship, which some of us recommended (@Chocolate Thunder @Redbaron73) and one had serious delay with (@dgoodhue ). I have a couple of tips to share:

• U-Ship is a “platform”, like eBay or Airbnb. They don’t operate trucks or drivers. They connect shippers and brokers. They also act as an escrow, which can give you some leverage if a shipment goes terribly wrong.
• The Instant Rates (left side) aren’t guaranteed for pickup or delivery. There weren’t even the cheapest.
• To negotiate guaranteed pickup or delivery dates, choose the Marketplace option (right side). I specified the pickup and delivery addresses and gave a range of about two weeks for pickup and two weeks for delivery.
• I wrote “although the pickup date is flexible, once you pick up the vehicle, you must be ready to guarantee a delivery date”. I received a bunch of offers, some guaranteed and some just “we estimate”, “we expect”, or something fuzzy like that. The ones that were willing to guarantee a date wanted at least 50% premium on the shipment.

Reliable Carriers

On the suggestion of @supermike, I requested a quote for the same route and dates as from U-Ship. It was far more expensive (about 250%) than the best quotes on U-ship, but Reliable Carriers still doesn't guarantee pickup or delivery dates. I called to ask and was told that they require a "five week window" in which the Jeep will be picked up and dropped off.

Intercity Lines

Responded that they do not serve these areas (two metropolitan areas in the South and West).

TD;LR
If you need a specific delivery date (or date range), your best bet is U-Ship. But you must receive a written guarantee from the provider - and be ready to pay extra for that. Depending on the value of your vacation days, this may or may not be a good investment.

Thanks for everyone who helped, and especially @wibornz for offering his service. Maybe the most reliable carrier is JLWranglerforums.com!

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