Shipping/Crating costs of an M30 motor across several states (CA to ID)

GolfBavaria

GolfBavaria

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Ok, back to cars........or related parts. I wasn't sure where to post this as there isn't a general section that includes E3's and E9's so Off-Topic it is. I am having a friend in CA ship my original matching number M30 motor from the Bav out here to ID. Because it is a Pain in the A$$ to lug around to multiple crating and shipping companies to get a final/final quote, I had my buddy call in weight and dimensions to the shipping Co. I had a Porsche motor shipped from a while back (meaning approx. 7 years ago), I am really bad with timelines like that. But that was in shipped in state I believe.

Anyhow, the air cooled motor I shipped I'm sure was lighter but for the life of me I don't recall it being more than $300 or so? I could be totally off. Regardless, I just received the quote for almost $800. I realize shipping, along with everything else is seeing a lot of inflationary costs, but it just seemed pretty steep. Keep in mind that includes crating it and it is door to door. But you can ship a whole vehicle on transport for what ($1,100-$1,500) same distance? If $800 seems in the ballpark I will go for it just because running it to other crating/shipping co.'s for a final quote is a big hassle for this guy and I'm trying to avoid that. That $800 is just an estimate, could be more or less once it is dropped off. Interested in hearing from anyone that has been in the same situation recently. Maybe say within the last year, preferably week. Quote was only good for a week so that tells you things must be changing daily. Thanks in advance for any input. I would need the shipper/crating co. to be in the Orange County, CA area. This is who I used before and where I got the quote. Anyone have good experiences with them? Shipped from them recently?

Correction - Motor is already crated, $800 just for shipping.....

Irvine & Orange County Packing, Crating & Shipping Company

Craters & Freighters Irvine & Orange County provides safe, reliable packing and worldwide shipping to business and residential clients. We have the expert service solutions for packing, crating and shipping. Call (800) 836-9947. Learn about our services & solutions today. Proudly serving Irvine...
www.cratersandfreightersorangecty.com www.cratersandfreightersorangecty.com
 
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Cars are generally driven on a car carrier at the origin and driven off at the destination.

With the engine, there is the crating (not a small matter). A local truck and driver with a lift gate has to show up at the origin. The motor gets unloaded at the origin terminal and reloaded into a line haul. Most likely a couple more unload and loads enroute. At the destination, it needs to be unloaded from the final line haul and loaded into a local delivery truck with a lift gate for delivery. Plenty of billable hours involved.

It would be a lot cheaper if you (or your buddy) could crate it and deliver it to the carrier's terminal at origin and then pick it up at the destination terminal. Not very practical however. :(
 
I know that there are alot of downsides, but I just had a removable hardtop and four tires shipped by U-ship. My first with them. A friend of mine called it Uber for shipping....Quotes varied from $170 to $985, sellers house to mine (MD to NC). In a week, the guy at $170 went to $230. Gas prices. I was lucky that I had a great guy that was under-employed, quit his job, and decided to start hauling "stuff"...seemed to be alot of folks quoting, so alot of folks in similar circustance...So, it might be worth a try. You do a checklist of...is it crated, can stuff sit on top, enclosed/not, etc....Quote doesn't cost anything. I turned down several for "too expensive", and got two or three quick re-quotes, cheaper. I cant say that I'd recommend U-ship, (but I'd recommend this person)...U-ship takes the quote and steps on it 25% generally. Adding insurance is avalable. I was very fortunate, but I'm sure there are other stories. If you can get someone sorta local, that is then back-hauling your goods, is not a bad strategy IMO. And you have to have a flexible time line...Best of luck with whatever.
FWIW.
 
I dropped off an AMG 6-cyl engine at a Yellow Freight Terminal in Seattle and it's going to a terminal for the new buyer to pickup in New Jersey.

That was about 4 years ago and it was something like $200.

Have to pre-pay online. Probably would be double if you wanted to do door-to-door
 
dave v. in nc said:
I know that there are alot of downsides, but I just had a removable hardtop and four tires shipped by U-ship. My first with them. A friend of mine called it Uber for shipping....Quotes varied from $170 to $985, sellers house to mine (MD to NC). In a week, the guy at $170 went to $230. Gas prices. I was lucky that I had a great guy that was under-employed, quit his job, and decided to start hauling "stuff"...seemed to be alot of folks quoting, so alot of folks in similar circustance...So, it might be worth a try. You do a checklist of...is it crated, can stuff sit on top, enclosed/not, etc....Quote doesn't cost anything. I turned down several for "too expensive", and got two or three quick re-quotes, cheaper. I cant say that I'd recommend U-ship, (but I'd recommend this person)...U-ship takes the quote and steps on it 25% generally. Adding insurance is avalable. I was very fortunate, but I'm sure there are other stories. If you can get someone sorta local, that is then back-hauling your goods, is not a bad strategy IMO. And you have to have a flexible time line...Best of luck with whatever.
FWIW.
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Thank you for comment. Unfortunately using Uship with my Porsche and Bav move to Idaho the actual shipper wasn’t the company that shipped after two brokers were involved. I had a terrible experience with them and vowed never to use them again. Cars or motors or anything. But I may have just had bad luck of the draw. I guess I’ll just bite the bullet with a company I know that did a stellar job in the past. And it does need to be door to door.
 
sfdon said:
UShip is an App- a website…..
from the bids presented, pick that trucker with the track record and price that reflects your wallet and risk preference.
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Hey Don, yeah I did that and thought the same thing. Problem was, who I picked didn't mention they were a broker as well. They were highly rated and it looked like they were going to be the actual shipper, but it was left to fate who they picked to actually ship the two cars. They ended up using this small outfit out of Utah and the kid (young man) couldn't even drive a stick. He almost totaled the Porsche backing off the truck trailer, I had to yell at top of my lungs to stop and had to jump in myself. Then the Bavaria's rear bumper was rubbing up against back of trailer for 20 hours and it broke off on the left side. I documented this on a thread here.

But wait, it gets worse......LOL, when I took the bumper in to get fixed, I kept hearing a weird noise in the back of the car when I braked or turned a certain way. When we finally got it on the lift to inspect, turns out the "kid" strapped the rear end down over the thin metal brake "heat shields" (may be wrong term) and bent them so bad they were destroyed. Not a very expensive part, and luckily available but the metal dug into the disks a bit when I drove it to shop and just to get to shields to replace was the big hassle.

So, needless to say, I will be using owner/operator car carriers in the future. This motor will be in good hands, it was crated properly and I'm not really worried about it, just going to be expensive. People think I am crazy to keep my numbers matching M30 and spending so much money to do so, but it's just the way I am. If I ever sell it, it will be the one person in the world that really wished it had the matching number motor. I realize it is a Bavaria, not a rare Ferrari or CSL or whatever, but I've kept most everything I could that was original and could be used again or refurbished, so why not keep the biggest original part I can, the motor? Anyhow, thanks for all the input everyone, I'll be using that crating company to ship, they did a great job last time, the price just has gone through the roof, like everything else I guess.......hedge accordingly! ;)
 
Shane - Let us know how you do finding an owner/operator. As I understand the state of play, there is a great deal of concern within the industry about AB5, which creates a number of tests that would essentially make it easier for CA to treat truckers and others in the industry as employees for tax purposes. Once the tests are flunked, CA could then look around for someone to tag as the employer, with brokers a likely target. There is a trucking organization in CA that has obtained a preliminary injunction preventing the enforcement of AB5 and that has a case pending before the US Supreme Court seeking to exclude certain trucking industry workers from the law. So, as of right now, owner/operators can continue to operate as before. But any day now, the Supreme Court could change that.
 
Ohmess said:
Shane - Let us know how you do finding an owner/operator. As I understand the state of play, there is a great deal of concern within the industry about AB5, which creates a number of tests that would essentially make it easier for CA to treat truckers and others in the industry as employees for tax purposes. Once the tests are flunked, CA could then look around for someone to tag as the employer, with brokers a likely target. There is a trucking organization in CA that has obtained a preliminary injunction preventing the enforcement of AB5 and that has a case pending before the US Supreme Court seeking to exclude certain trucking industry workers from the law. So, as of right now, owner/operators can continue to operate as before. But any day now, the Supreme Court could change that.
Click to expand...
I will, crazy, never heard that but no surprise....... CA killing more jobs.....not to be political but it's sad. I was 1099'ed for a long time and it seems to be going the way of the Dodo. Especially if you need private insurance, etc. I was in the insurance business and CA is making it very hard to to business in the state. I specialized in Workers Comp for years and talk about having to pay a lot of money, just to cover your workers, it's killing a lot of Mom and Pop businesses (and big business to be honest) that have high risk businesses (Construction, Landscaping, Restaurants, etc.). I hate not knowing who is actually moving our baby's (E9's, E3's, collector cars in general) across state lines or even to the next COUNTY without knowing the person and business before hand, personally! ....LOL. I mean, these inanimate objects (pieces of steel, w/souls mind you....LOL) have been a big part of all of our lives for the most part for years and years! Like trusting a babysitter you never met before w/ no references......better have a nanny cam! Unfortunately, you just have to blindly trust a stranger, and a 3rd party at that!
 
As I read this, it confirms to me that so much of what we used to do not that many years ago, easily, as well as economically, has become so complicated and regulated and expensive that if it were me, in this circumstance, I would consider just driving back there, pick up the M30, do a USHIP for someone else, and bring that baby home! Best of luck, I would do the same, keep the original motor with the car. ;)
 
bluecoupe30! said:
As I read this, it confirms to me that so much of what we used to do not that many years ago, easily, as well as economically, has become so complicated and regulated and expensive that if it were me, in this circumstance, I would consider just driving back there, pick up the M30, do a USHIP for someone else, and bring that baby home! Best of luck, I would do the same, keep the original motor with the car. ;)
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This is a pretty good suggestion. My wife shipped a dresser that had been in the family for a long time, and the guy who picked it up was headed to Road America. He said he used Uship fees to help with the travel costs from track to track.
 
Ohmess said:
Shane - Let us know how you do finding an owner/operator. As I understand the state of play, there is a great deal of concern within the industry about AB5, which creates a number of tests that would essentially make it easier for CA to treat truckers and others in the industry as employees for tax purposes. Once the tests are flunked, CA could then look around for someone to tag as the employer, with brokers a likely target. There is a trucking organization in CA that has obtained a preliminary injunction preventing the enforcement of AB5 and that has a case pending before the US Supreme Court seeking to exclude certain trucking industry workers from the law. So, as of right now, owner/operators can continue to operate as before. But any day now, the Supreme Court could change that.
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Chris I found out yesterday from a long time friend that he has a great guy for shipping cars in the Western States. Which states exactly, I'm not sure, but my friend uses this guy all the time. I know Idaho is included and of course CA but he may also drive to WA, CO, NV etc. and back. If you ever need his contact info, let me know. My buddy is in the BMW and Porsche dismantling business in El Cajon, CA and ships cars all the time. Whether he would have loaded the motor on a shipment up here, I'm not sure, I bet he would have but I bit the bullet and paid all that money to the crating place to ship already, just found this out last night. Motor is supposed to arrive today but I am regretting it at this point.

$950 is a ton of money in my opinion to ship a motor a few states away. Not sure what a stock, complete 3.0L motor is even worth? Again, if it was a rare CSL, a lot I guess to the owner of the CSL that wanted the matching motor. But a Bavaria, nobody is going to give a rats ass since I have the 3.5L in there now. I don't see anyone ever swapping that original matching # 3.0L back in. On top of that it's more space taken up in the garage. Maybe I'll turn it into a coffee table in front of the fireplace in the garage some day....at least get some use out of it :p.......Anyways, let me know if you need that shippers contact info ever.....that goes for anyone reading this of course.
 
GolfBavaria said:
Chris I found out yesterday from a long time friend that he has a great guy for shipping cars in the Western States. Which states exactly, I'm not sure, but my friend uses this guy all the time. I know Idaho is included and of course CA but he may also drive to WA, CO, NV etc. and back. If you ever need his contact info, let me know. My buddy is in the BMW and Porsche dismantling business in El Cajon, CA and ships cars all the time. Whether he would have loaded the motor on a shipment up here, I'm not sure, I bet he would have but I bit the bullet and paid all that money to the crating place to ship already, just found this out last night. Motor is supposed to arrive today but I am regretting it at this point.

$950 is a ton of money in my opinion to ship a motor a few states away. Not sure what a stock, complete 3.0L motor is even worth? Again, if it was a rare CSL, a lot I guess to the owner of the CSL that wanted the matching motor. But a Bavaria, nobody is going to give a rats ass since I have the 3.5L in there now. I don't see anyone ever swapping that original matching # 3.0L back in. On top of that it's more space taken up in the garage. Maybe I'll turn it into a coffee table in front of the fireplace in the garage some day....at least get some use out of it :p.......Anyways, let me know if you need that shippers contact info ever.....that goes for anyone reading this of course.
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Shane - BMW engines do make very nice coffee tables. Here's the one I made:

20150704_152631.jpg
 
I'll be the first to say I'm an idiot for paying $950 to ship my matching # motor from CA to ID so it can sit on the other side of my garage that I could really use the space for other things. But at the same time, there is this weird little feeling in me that is warm and fuzzy (especially on one of the first real snow dumps of the year) that is happy to reunite the original motor with the rest of the car (even if across the way). I'm sure there is no jealously involved between the 3.5L and the 3.0L sitting in the corner, but who knows? Sometimes it does feel like everything is connected, even inanimate objects like motors and cars.

No I'm not on mushrooms or weed, illegal here in ID.....not that that matters. But the only thing that worries me a little is the motor is sitting about 6' away from my wood burning fireplace in the garage and is shrink wrapped. I will find a barrier of some sort to keep the sparks away.....fun stuff.....excited for the snow to accumulate and light the fireplace, that will hopefully keep the motor warm on cozy and not feel ashamed it's not in the engine bay anymore....happiness comes in all forms......Happy Holidays everyone.....enjoy the time with the family (and cars). That is what is important in life....
 
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