Shipping

[TxTremor]

Good morning all, since ford has decided to end avalanche for 2027 I have been looking to see what’s out there. I have found a few that check the boxes but they are for the most part a good distance away. Considering shipping if I can make a deal on one but is there anything to watch out for? Best to find my own shipper or use one the dealer claims they use? Enclosed trailer or open? Any carriers you guys have used that did a good job? Any advice or question I should ask to help ensure the process goes smoothly would be appreciated.

Thank you for the help.

 

[mrmag00]

Well depending on how far away it may be cheaper to fly out and drive it back. Shipping is 1-3K depending on distance, enclosed shipping is more.
Where is it located? How far away from you? Assume you don’t have a trade in. You could try a local dealer and see if they could do a dealer trade on the truck.

 

[Hunterman]

^^^ what he said. If it was within 1200-1500 miles you could do that in 1 day of driving if you can handle the seat time.

Or if you find one at a dealer see if your local dealer can do something for you

 

[TxTremor]

So I have tried the local dealer….

Dealer 1 I contacted twice and salesman just did not seem to want to go for it or something. I had to follow up twice and he acted like he forgot so gave up there. Was odd as family members bought from him recently and were happy

Dealer 2 located one but then went pending quickly. I sent another option but they claimed the other dealer would not talk to them. They had an option that lacked features I wanted and would not deal on it since they said it was in Louisiana and freight would be too much. However when I googled the vin it showed within 3 hours of me, questioned them about it and they gave me a story that left me suspicious of what might be really going on.

Anyways found a few options that are roughly 1100-1500 miles away. Called one dealer and they said about $1200 to ship which seems fair as I am seeing $1-$3k depending on enclosed or open trailer. Would be 2-3 day trip so budgeting flights, hotel, fuel, and time shipping would be more but not by much.

Never shipped a vehicle before and I know others have just want to see if there are any tips or tricks to make it smooth, things to be aware of, or if enclosed is worth the security on the road.

Thanks for the replies appreciate the help.

 

[DTX2023Tremor]

It's not uncommon for trucks to get damaged in transit. Either from loading / unloading or damage from rocks, hail etc if on an open transport. The downside is that you lose the pre-delivery repairs that the dealership handles before it ever reaches the customer and Ford (if I understand correctly) reimburses them for.

$1,200 to ship is a good price. Sometimes you get what you pay for, so trying to get the cheapest guy out there is going to raise the question, why are they the cheapest? For more expensive quotes, what additional value do they provide to justify the price?

I'd ship closed container if at all possible and within your budget. As others have said, if you have the time, I'd either drive out for fly out and drive the truck back. Depending on how far, it gives you a chance to break in the truck on easy highway miles and then change the oil when you get home.

 

[Vecman]

I’d just ship it and not worry about it. A reliable shipper has insurance for this reason. 1100+ miles is quite a drive. Not impossible, but it’s likely a two day trip. How much does that cost plus are you missing work?

 

[goodquest]

Sounds like mini vacation time. Fly in Friday and be home on Sunday. Driving gives you the opportunity to learn about your truck and see if you have any warranty issues. Second just because a carrier has insurance doesn’t mean it’s easy to collect from the carrier. Good luck on what ever you decide.