Car Carriers

[JMK]

Has anyone had experience with car carriers (in my case to ALberta)?

1) One (Kee West) told me that they would not accept the vehicle if there were parts inside it, not even the mirrors that had been removed for transport . Shipping time wait: 3 weeks

2) Car Couriers Inc told me they would accept parts inside as long as I accepted responsibility. Shipping time wait: 7-10 days. Price: $525.00 to Canmore.

[turf'd]

I'm having my Delica shipped to Calgary from Vancouver by train. It'll have to wait between 3 and 5 days to get a spot on the train and then the journey should take from 1 to 3 days. The cost is around $400, and I think the carrier is SeaRail (not sure on spelling). Not sure how long ahead that had to be booked as it's handled by Terra2Imports.

Best of luck, let us know when your Delica gets out west and we can go for a rip.

Cheers

[JMK]

I called SeaRail a few minutes ago. At first they seemed to tell me it was going to cost me $411.00 Then they told me they do not do rail service to Calgary, they ship it rail to Edmonton; cost is about $380.00. Then they ship it by carrier to Calgary and area for another $411.00, so the grand total ends up being around $800.00. If Terra has managed to do some sort of deal with SeaRail to get it to Calgary for around $400.00 then that is one sweet deal.

So far the best deal I've found is Car Couriers Inc, who will let my parts dealer place the spare parts in the rear of the vehicles before they leave the coast, and they will drop in Canmore.

Allied Systems, who are a major car carrier will not accept Japan Imports. Can you say "Teamsters Union"?

Thanks for the info. Perhaps you should just double check on the SeaRail rate and confirm it is to Calgary and not just Edmonton just in case there was a misunderstanding and you end up with a pricey suprise. When does your vehicle arrive? I've got a Land Cruiser arriving in Port on Sunday and the Delica arrives on Dec 10th.

[PcSpecialist]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to fly out or come by bus and drive it home? Just wondering....
and a hell of a lot more fun.

[JMK]

Good point. I thought about it, and discussed it with a friend - who's daughter in Vancouver doesn't have room for us to crash on her floor. In fact I want to go to ALberni to look at some property and it would be a good chance to kill 2 birds with one stone. So we broke the costs down:

Gas to Vancouver in my car and back: $180.00
Gas for LC one way: $90.00
Coquihalla Toll both: $30.00
Cheap Hotel: $80.00
Meals: $150.00

Total: $530.00
Car Carrier: $535.00

Need a friend that will go with you, my only friend just got a 1/4 million dollar 5 month contract in Ft. McMurray so he's out of the running, and my girlfriend is still on her learner's permit! Now a bus, now there'd be an adventure - funny how I've ridden them for most of my life in third world countries but avoid them like the plague in North America. But at around $100.00 for the fare and another $50.00 for taxis, still cheaper than the gas and gets rid of the need for the "friend".

Then there are the vehicle inspection nazi's on Vancouver Island I've heard about via this forum, so can forget about going west before heading east.

If you had to spend another night in town getting the vehicle ready or because of customs hassles, it would cost more. Then there is the factor of having to bring the vehicle up to spec in the middle of winter for a drive across BC: lights, fluids, snow tires, etc. I'm not sure if it was Green or someone else from Calgary that posts here regular, but I recalled his story about doing the same and breaking down on the Coquihalla in the middle of winter. I'd probably be more tempted to do it in summer if I had the time.

The flip side is having it dropped in our gas station lot that is beside the Trans Canada where I can take my time to do the work and get it up to speed. Then I will probably point it West for ALberni and see how I make out with those nazi's.

[Green1]

I broke down on the coquihalla doing that exact trup... but I would do exactly the same thing again.

I flew to BC, (I was dating a girl in BC at the time, so it wasn't much of a stretch) my importer (JDM Wholesale) picked me up at the airport and took me to their shop where I picked up my Delica, I then drove to my GF's place (and surprised her at school as she didn't know I was coming :D ) stayed the night there then drove east... I broke down on the coquihalla and had CAA tow me back to hope, the local garage there figured that my head gasket was gone and from there my importer handled everything, they towed the vehicle back to Vancouver, and I got a ride back in the towtruck to my GF's place, importer then paid for my flight home and all repairs to the vehicle and then offered to ship it out to calgary for me... instead I flew back out there and drove it home myself.

I need to be able to trust my vehicle, I spend too much time in the middle of nowhere with it not to. The only way to trust it is to do these trips.

There is certainly a risk to doing it this way but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. (and yes it was winter at the time)

[JMK]

Hmmm,,,

Of course, the eagerness to do it again must not relate to the girl would it?

[PcSpecialist]

Last summer I bought a motorcycle from a fellow in Calgary. I flew to Calgary from Comox for $157. He met me at the airport and I rode it back to Vancouver Island in three days. The costs? Who cares? I had a ball, and I'm 66 years old!
So, fly out, pick up the van and sleep in the back with a sleeping bag, eat at Timmy's, and away you go... Temporary permit will get you home without doing any work on it..

[JMK]

Must admit that it's tempting, at least for 1 of the 2 vehicles. Now if I could just find that friendly girl....

BTW, here is an interesting post, a Deli that just got posted on eBay starting bid about what I paid for a '92 with 80K:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... SS:CA:1123

[Green1]

Of course, the eagerness to do it again must not relate to the girl would it?

of course we broke up a while back, so my current GF might object to that, but I know my current GF would be happy to do the adventure to pick up the vehicle...

[knight]

I had an adventure picking mine up from Campbell river. Probably cost me more than getting it shipped, but it was an adventure and you cant put a price on that. That and over the years I have had nothing but problems with car carriers. So I would only use one as a last resort. They always try to pass the blame on damage, or say it was like that when they got it. As they generally go through 2 or 3 carriers in the trip it was always the other guys fault. Then when you do get a claim their insurance is no big hurry to pay, or get anything done.

[JMK]

Your right about the pain. I'm dealing with them every day trying to work it out and man are they a pain in the rear to put it mildly. It is in fact more expensive that going yourself though, by quite a substantial margin in fact. Even with a seat sale right now it would still cost you $175.00 if you factor all the taxes and terminal fees, and in may case over $200.00 because I have to get to Calgary from Banff. Then a hotel and meals, fuel to get back, insurance, etc., and you're quickly up to the $700.00 mark. I've got 2 vehicles coming in 2 weeks apart. The first one I'm not keeping and therefore don't really want to insure or put plates on for just one trip, which will certainly shoot the cost up. ALso I don't reallly have the luxury of making 2 trips in 2 weeks, in fact three because when the Deli arrives I want to go to ALberni for a week, but I need all my gear for that trip.

Back to the car carriers. Each one I've called have been arrogant, unco-operative and confused. Last Friday I call Car Couriers Inc and they give me a price and tell me they will move the vehicle to their lot in Richmond as part of the price for $525.00 delivered to Canmore. On Monday I call them back and another guy tells me that it will be $640.00, but if I get it delivered to their lot in Richmond it will be $545.00. Kee West will not take RHD vehicles. Sea Rail wants $800.00 to Canmore, apparently $550.00 to Calgary, but if someone like Terra is shipping it appears they get a rate much less (see above).

I'm thinking the best solution is to get a drive-on flatbed trailer and go get it with my truck. I can take my sleeping bag and cook my own food, and more importantly, my AT skis. I don't have to worry about staring at all the great snow in Rogers Pass from the window of a bus and not being able to stop for a few runs, plates and insurance, the wrong lights blinding oncoming traffic, driving with a bunch of old fluids in it, getting to the airport in Calgary or sitting on the bus all night, or having to work on the import before I leave the coast without any tools, etc. John Hamilton at ROcky Mountain Imports has kindly offered to pick the vehicle up for me from the terminal and store it at their location near Annacis Island which is a plus.

Interesting that so far no-one seems to have a carrier that they have had a good experience with.

[Kuan]

Ask Wayne at Luxuryimports.ca who he uses. He is based in Calgary and goes by Crushers, I believe on this forum.

[JMK]

Thanks. I thought about that but then I thought as he's in the business and makes a living from it, it's probably not fair to ask him to share his trade secrets on a public forum. He probably had to invest a fair bit of time and money to find a workable solution. You can see why it is lucrative to purchase a vehicle from a dealer, and also why West Coasties drive more JDM's than prairie boys. The car carriers ensure they make this process as painful as possible, again I wonder if it has anything to do with Teamsters and their dislike of imports because they perceive JDM imports are threatening their livelihood.

[knight]

dont think it has anything to do with imports. I have had issues with domestics as well. Thats why I avoid them whenever possible. Hannses has been the best, but I still wouldn't recommend them.