The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Transporting a Stovebolt

I've bought a 56 Chevy pickup that is in Arizona and I want to have it shipped to me in Virginia. I hired a company that I now believe is giving me the runaround and has no intention of picking this vehicle up until they get someone who's willing to do it. They're a broker, not an actual trucker. The truck is in a remote place and off the beaten path. I could wait months. So what I've been thinking of doing is renting a trailer and hauling it myself. What I would have to do is fly out to Mesa or Phoenix or something and rent both a vehicle and a trailer and drive the thing 2100 miles to Virginia. Sounds crazy but at this point, to save the money and actually get the truck I've paid for, I'm willing to do it. Has anyone done this? If I flew out to AZ, would it be possible to rent the equipment I need and return it somewhere in the DC area where I live? The truck runs but can't be trusted to make the trip on its own. Just looking to see if anyone has had any experience with this. Thanks.

Go to Uhaul and rent a one ton moving van and a car trailer.

I would venture that it would cost you more than you paid for the truck to get it back to Virginia.

Jim

Try posting on the Hauling Board. Who knows, you could get lucky and find someone to haul it home for you. Or at least get it closer which may save a few bucks on air fare and equipment rental.

If you have a half ton pickup or SUV with a trailer two package you can drive there, rent a U-haul car hauler trailer one way and head home. Hemmings has advertisements for vehicle haulers as well.

Here we go again. I personally would not haul a truck with anything less than a 3/4-ton with trailer brakes. There are people on here who swear they've hauled enormous loads millions of miles with sedans but I wouldn't do it.

That said, your best bet is how you have done it. The broker is probably trying to save you money by waiting on a load going your way. If you want a driver to make a special trip just for you and your truck it will cost you. Be patient.

Joe,

Since your new pickup runs,

Fly out to Arizona with credit card, cell phone, AAA membership, fanbelt, radiator hoses, spark plugs, points and condenser and a few basic tools in your duffel and drive that puppy home. Chances are you will make it just fine, and if you have a breakdown you can't handle, rent what you need at that point. Be prepared to buy a new spare tire when you get there.

No matter what happens you will have a story and pictures to show and tell the rest of your life.

Hey, this is a stovebolt after all. Reliable, tough and American made all the way.

Kurt

I love it. Don't you know you shouldn't encourage a fool?

LOL. Post some pics for us along the way.

Kurt

Sounds like the start of another "It ran when I parked it" adventure!

Go to the bottom of the forums to the IRWIPI forum, great reading!

I’d try driving it back. Take your time and see the country. With lots and lots of breaks to let the bearings cool down. Check them very frequently at the beginning of the trip. First stop would be at the local garage and have all the fluids changed and bearing repacked. View the trip as an adventure with getting the truck home just a bonus.

Changing all the fluids is a great idea, including the brake fluid. Guess I'd want to pull the drums and get a look at the shoes too. There be some mountains between Arizona and Virginia.


Kurt

I don't know about other states, but I was surprised to find there are some hauling companies that specialize in transporting items from Arizona/California. I purchased a rolling NAPCO chassis on eBAy, that was located in Arizona. After calling around I located a company in Minneapolis that had weekly runs between Arizona and Minnesota. Apparently because of the amount of classic vehicles and parts in Arizona being in relatively good condition, there is a lot of buying activity from purchasers located in other states. I would call around, maybe you have something similar by you.

Joe. Just went through that for my son. I ended up flying out to LA and renting a truck. The car I picked up was stripped for restoring so It couldn't be driven much less towed. So cost of truck and fuel for 2300 miles to Richmond Va just under $3500. A major investment which you can never recoup. If you have the time and it is somewhat reliable I think I would try the drive it back. I came back via I40 and the mountains are not so bad. Try to plan it so you can have plenty of time to stop and rest, both for you and the truck. Lets face it these old trucks are not made for cross country. Just my thoughts and experence on this. Larryw

Hey Joe. It is getting cooler. That is a plus.

Is the current owner driving it? Have somebody go look at it to see if it stops, and goes. Make sure it has glass in it. Get all the stuff you think of changing so it will stop/run and ship it all in a box out to Arizona. Fly out there and drive it home. You will get to enjoy Route 66. Or just drive it to a place where you can ship or haul it home. Check into the rail system.

I disagree with others. These trucks will make it cross country. The Task Force trucks are well built. It may not be as comfy as your Lexus but it will make it.

Go for it

Ha-ha. I don't have a Lexus. I drove around in a Toyota pickup I had for 23 years. It was their bare bones model and I absolutely loved it. I used to drive it 500 miles each way from VA to Massachusetts on a regular basis. It was plenty comfortable to me. I think new cars separate you from the driving experience too much.
The truck would need a new passenger window, since the existing is smashed out. Currently talking with the former owner to figure out mechanical condition, etc. I appreciate all the encouragement. Right now I'm investigating the fly-out-and-drive-the-truck-back scenario. Lots of things to figure out.

If it was me, I would just fly out there and drive it back. These trucks were meant to outlast the driver. good ol' American craftsmenship. I do agree about bringing little things like hoses, belts, bearings, spare tire(s), etc. Worse case scenario: you get go on an adventure, see the country, and have plenty of photos and memories that will last a lifetime. Half the fun of buying trucks is the adventure! Where is the fun in waiting on it to be shipped to you or just flying over there and trailering it? Go out and make it happen! Get some photos! Tell us the story!

Transport brokers suck. I had them jerk me around for nearly three months and all they were waiting for was the deal that made the most money for them. Made one call to an independent and he was on the road within 36 hours. Just make sure they have "Load" insurance to cover what they transport. Some will say they are insured...but it only covers their vehicle...not yours. Get the paperwork in hand and check it out.

The good thing about your truck being in AZ is that Patrick's is in AZ and there are few, if any, that are better than his company on these old Chevies. So I'd suggest tyou call Patrick, tell him of your plight and ask to bring it to him for any must have repairs before attempting the long drive home. You'll need wipers, heat, maybe cool, tunes, hoses & belts, a sound engine, etc. and they are good mechanics. I personally know him and trust him. One of the early on "Inliner of the Year" recipients. Don't know about you but I think it would be time well spent.

Have you looked at UShip.com? I bought a truck in MI and then placed my haul request on that site. Got my truck down to Florida for $500.

Though I must say I was quite nervous the entire time because I was dealing with an individual, not a company.

Thanks for all the responses. As much as I'd like the adventure of driving it back I sat down and looked at the numbers and decided it would be about the same as having it shipped to me, if not more. I figure on at least seven days for the whole thing, including flight out there, repairs before the trip, etc. I can't take seven days away from home. So I've decided on the shippers. I agree, brokers are awful. I've never done this before, so I'm learning about it as I go. I've heard lots of complaints about UShip--LOTS. I'm glad you didn't get ripped off. Got a guy right now over on the P15-D24 forum (for 40's-50's Mopars) who's going to give me a price to transport it.

I did it a few years back. Even got some sponsors for parts and raised money for car packages right here on STOVEBOLT.COM. See my link at the bottom of this post.
IRWIPI - Triple Dog Dare
Here is another adventure I did getting a Corvette - http://www.stovebolt.com/features/sagas/vandenberg/index.html

Spend the money on shipping...or spend the money on the truck.
Oh yeah. I almost forgot. This one hadn't run for 25 or so years.
I Triple Dog Dare You to do it.

http://www.stovebolt.com/news/2007/march2007/#irwipi

That sounds like the answer, spend the money on the truck or spend the money on the shipping

There are several guys along the way that can help you in many ways, I say go for it!

ya better drive it. you may only get one shot in life to have the adventure. these guys all make sense. the old girl will make her, you just wait and see.

Now that I've been Triple-Dog-Dared, I feel like a heel saying that I'm going to sit at home on my couch while a transporter arranges the shipping. I will take a long trip in this truck one day, but it will be once I've had some quality time with it in my driveway for tune up, repairs, etc. That will be a 500 mile jaunt from Virginia to Massachusetts to see my family. I will be sure to post pictures of that one. It'll be a good shakedown cruise.

It's OK Joe. I'll just keep the Triple Dog Dare crown. It's solid gold with emeralds and diamonds you know!

I second UShip! Within minutes I had quotes, and had my '41 1.5 ton at my door w/in 48 hours. Cost me about twice what my gas would have been to pick it up, but I didn't have to deal with finding a trailer to haul a 260" wheelbase Dually and 10 hours of driving round-trip. I was most nervous about whether my ebay purchase was going to be as pictured or a pile of parts. I much preferred heling out an individual than dealing with a big company.

I will definitely consider UShip in the future! Can't say enough good about them.

So I finally found an independent hauler that will take my truck across the country. I got his name on the HAMB and though it will cost me quite a bit more than I'd wanted to spend, I realize that it doesn't pay to A)cheap out, and B)mess with transportation brokers. I'm sure they're OK if you're dealing with a common route that's not too far off the beaten path. This truck is in a huge, isolated region between Phoenix and Albuquerque and it seems no one wants to go out that way. Anyway, it will be picked up sometime toward the end of this month and then I'll post pics, etc.
Thanks for all your responses and advice.

A transporter I dealt with once asked how big a hurry I was in. He told me if I could wait, at times they had a truck coming back with room on it and would offer a discounted rate to haul a vehicle back. You could wait an extra few weeks though.

I think this is a difficult location and there's not much traffic going out that way. It's well off any interstate. So I figured that I would jump at the chance of having someone who I can depend on to do it on a certain date and who has a good reputation. I can't wait to get it, though.

When you get it home be sure to post some pics in the DITY Forum! Congrat's on your purchase.

John

Here we are, fellas:

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y2...ion=view&current=TruckArrives012.jpg

The owner couldn't get the truck started on his end out in Arizona. The gas smelled really stale and I have no idea how long it had been in the tank. I found large pieces of rust scale in the two clear plastic fuel filters and decided to drain the tank. Luckily there was only about 3 gallons in there. I removed all the old fuel lines and will be installing new tomorrow. Anyway, glad to have the truck. The style is so great, they make nothing like it nowadays. There is no way I would have bought a new truck. Today was like Christmas for me.

Looks good joe! A tune up, some cleaning, some fluid changing and some each gas and she'll be running in no time.

Good luck!

It's a good idea to lube things up a little before firing up after a long layoff. A little light oil behind the spark plugs and a couple rotations of the flywheel by hand is a good start.

Nice looking 56, looks like a real good foundation to start with.