I needed to transport my Chrysler minivan from New Jersey to California to Hawaii. The van was new with only 500 miles on the odometer. I wanted to ship the van enclosed to be certain that it arrived in perfect condition, the same as when it left NJ. I called every highly rated transporter on this site. Elsie at Auto Transport Connection was consistently pleasant, accommodating, and patient with my numerous questions and concerns for the handling of my van. Others were less understanding, offering no alternatives to their standard methods, and a surprising number did not even return calls. Elsie had a "connection" with a transporter, Autolog, which can ship by railcar. . I delivered the van to the Linden NJ terminal where it was loaded into a sealed railcar and delivered unopened to California. In CA the van was transported to a shipping line, Pasha Hawaii, for carriage to Hawaii. I had to arrange the transport with Pasha Hawaii. I called Elsie numerous times with questions about transport procedures and insurance before deciding to use her company. On those rare occasions when Elsie did not have an answer, she never failed to find the answer and to call me promptly. When my van was delivered in Hawaii, only 2 miles were added to the odometer, and except for a dirty exterior (quickly resolved with a hand-wash in my driveway), the van arrived in perfect condition. I strongly recommend Auto Transport Connection because of Elsie's interest in the shipper's concerns and knowledge of available transporters.
Now a word about insurance. The transporter's insurance is very limited, no matter how the company or broker may present it to you. Additionally, your own company may not cover the vehicle during transport, especially if you are moving permanently. Since my van was new, I wanted full coverage including liability, collision and comprehensive with fire, theft and vandalism coverage. Such coverage is not included in the transporter's insurance, and is apparently not available from the transporter. Call companies and brokers in your destination state to learn if coverage is provided during transport under your new policy. I did, and found no local agent in Hawaii willing to provide coverage until the vehicle reaches Hawaii. I called the national companies, and found only 2 who would begin coverage from the day my van was given to the New Jersey transporter. Because of the ocean voyage, my experience with the move to Hawaii may be different than that within the 48 contiguous states. But if you want coverage, allow yourself time to search for an insurance company. Luckily, there were no problems with my van during transport. But read some of the reviews and see where a few encountered damage and insurance claims problems.
