Online Punch

Thanks to the proliferation of the internet searching for auto
shipping companies is now easier. You could also use a variety
of sources to come up with a list of shipping companies to
contact. You could use an ad paper, search up the telephone
directories, ask old friends who have experienced shipping their
autos too, and other sources.

1. Select Your Top 10 Choices

When you get a large list of about 20 to 30 the next step is to
contact each and every one of them by phone to get more
information. Before you do so, prepare a list of things you want
to ask the shipper. These questions should relate to your needs
and your capability to pay for the shipping. You will also want
to include questions that will affect convenience on your part
and the shipper’s part. Take into consideration things like
schedules, quality of service and other concerns.

For example, you could ask them regarding their packages. See if
they offer one that suits your needs and is within your price
range. Ask about the terms and conditions surrounding the
delivery.

2. Check Your List

Create a checklist of factors you desire of an auto shipping
service. Then against this list the various prospective shipping
companies you would like to investigate. As you talk to them on
the phone, or over the internet, see if their services can match
up to the factors you listed on your checklist. Put a check mark
on every factor a shipping service can deliver. At this point
you may want to weed out the undesirable prospects on your
checklist.

3. Get Quotations

This is where many of the prospects get shown the door. It is
true that one of the most important considerations is the price.
So when you ask for quotations try and badger them into giving
you their best price. It may be their last opportunity to win
you over.

4. Compile and discard

Once you receive the quotes, you will be faced with the real
decision: which of these shipping companies will you entrust
your auto to? Basically what you do is try to find a compromise
between the price you can afford and the features or quality of
service the auto shipping service offers. You can even do this
iteratively and weed out the list one by one, voting out the
least desirable service until you are left with only three.

When you have about two or three quotations left, you can now
make your final decision. Your final list will probably contain
auto shipping carriers who have similar features and similar
prices. How do you know which service to engage? Call them and
haggle with them!

5. Haggle!

Shipping companies can give you a little leeway with their
pricing. This is especially true if you are shopping for a
shipping service. Try to get the ones that offer the most perks.
However, you should never forget that quality comes first. Don’t
compromise the quality of service for a few perks. Remember,
it’s your auto we’re talking about. Among these three companies
try and tease them a little bit. Tell them you found a company
that is willing to give you the same service at lower price. Try
and see if you can push the prices a little lower.

Be honest. Don’t try to bluff them by telling them you got this
great deal when in fact you didn’t. If he calls your bluff and
hangs up on you, and all the while he actually had the best
offer, you will get stuck with nothing.

Sometimes it just seems like everything is going wrong. But when you finally surmount all of the obstacles, you end up with something to be proud of.

Exactly that type of challenge presented me on one trip in my 1968 GTO. I was travelling home from college one night. It was about a six hour trip. Having left after my last laboratory in the afternoon, I was expecting to arrive home about 2 in the morning.

Shortly after midnight, the car started swerving all over the road when a tire blew. There was no place to pull off the road, so I drove about three miles on the rim into a small town. I found a closed service station and was able to pull under some street lamps where there was good light.

When I started to get the equipment out to change my tire I discovered that whoever had sold me the car had replaced the standard equipment jack with a bumper jack! With fiberglass bumpers, the GTO needed either a scissor jack or a hydraulic jack. Scouting around the gas station did nothing for me, so I went looking for a phone.

There was a bar open a few blocks away, but there was no answer at my parents house. So, I headed back to the gas station.

Here is where all those geometry and physics classes came in handy. I was able to find some old railroad ties and concrete blocks as well as some good size rocks. I then set up a fulcrum and lever system. I put a concrete block about a foot from the car and put a railroad tie over the block and under the side of the car. Then, by standing on the end of the beam, I was able to raise the side of the car up about eight inches. I piled rocks up under the axle and then got off the railroad tie. By building up the blocks under the tie and tossing more rocks under the axle, I finally got the tire off the ground and was able to change it. It was easier to reverse the process and push the rocks out from under the axle with a board and finally get the spare on the ground.

When I was finally able to continue on my journey, it was about two hours later. But even though I was quite exhausted, I had a warm feeling of accomplishment.

Ron M.
Muscle Car Blues