Fantastic experience with my pride and joy
Brad M
Submitted this review about
Hilton Auto Transport
Review made Live: 8/7/2007 8:31:00 PM
I had to ship two cars from Los Angeles to Northern New York at the peak season at the beginning of summer. For my beater, I wanted a cost-effective dependable shipment. For my baby, 2002 M3 Convertible, I wanted a safe, reliable way to transport it that didn't break my bank. For both, I would be travelling and had relatively narrow windows to drop off and pick up, therefore timeliness was key.
I thought I might have to use two different transporters based on the different needs for the two cars. And thus began an exhaustive search for a great discount provider and a trustworthy high-end provider. I came up with the same company for both, Hilton. After reviewing countless reviews and getting 20+ shipping quotes, it looked like Hilton could be both cost-effective and dependable. It should be noted, having heard so many horror stories about auto transport and seeing negative reviews on EVERY company, I was very paranoid about shipping both cars, particularly my M3 which I care for better than I care for myself.
It should also be noted that I was moving to Canada, but given the difficulties with importation, I found it was easier and much cheaper to simply ship to the bordertown just south of Ottawa, Canada where I am living. It is only 45 minutes from Ottawa to Ogdensburg, NY where I shipped the car, but that meant the driver would need to be flexible and timely to make sure we could meet up in Ogdensburg without me wasting a trip down there or waiting around all day for the truck to arrive.
My Experience:
First, my Honda. It's older (92) and showing signs of wear, but this is my daily driver and I still needed to make sure it got to NY in one piece and on time. Given the peak season, it was actually tough to find a spot on an open trailer in my timeframe, but Nichole was diligent and searching and communicated well with me on the status. Finally, she had to go a bit outside her normal drivers to ensure a pickup. My car was picked up on time, although the driver had a bit of difficulty with English. We arranged a drop-off time and location, and the driver was fairly flexible with it. At pickup, the driver was a bit late and there was confusion with how much I owed the driver (revolving around the brokerage fee, which the driver said I also owed even though I had paid the fee upfront as is customary to Hilton). Well, I immediately called Nichole who instantly went to bat for me and sorted everything out. It was very comforting to know I had an experienced professional on my side ensuring I didn't get taken for a ride. Nichole was very professional, organized and showed her excellent negotiation skills to straighten out the misunderstanding.
For the M3:
Nichole fixed me up with Mike McKim, a seasoned veteran shipper of luxury high-end automobiles. Off the bat, Mike displayed much more professionalism than I would ever have expected from a trucker. He completely changed my ideas of the profession. He was immediately in contact with me as he made his way to LA and notified me on a daily basis. He was flexible to my time schedule for pickup and on the day of pickup was in constant communication with me to keep me posted on his status. He arrived exactly on time, which is next to impossible in a city like LA (given the ridiculously unpredictable traffic). His enclosed truck was spotless. Mike was well groomed, well spoken and a consummate professional. i know these are minor details, but the devil is in the details and these things really tell a lot about a person and how they operate. He was meticulous with my car, going over it with a fine tooth comb much to my personal discomfort. (it's tough having someone point out your flaws, but it has to be done). He was also very careful in loading the car. I have a unique semi-auto SMG transmission which is not intuitive to drive, but Mike handled it like a pro. He loaded mine on the top to protect the convertible top, and let me tell you it was in good company: it shared the ride with a Ferrari, Racing Porsche, an antique and another brand new M3. After loading, Mike was off and called me periodically with updates from the road. He really put my mind at ease that my baby was being cared for and was in good hands. He arrived in Ogdensburg on time, and very quickly I might add at ~4 days transit time to go entirely across the country. The car looked just as I had left it, except it was covered with a curteosy plastic tarp to keep the dust off. Nice touch! All this for slightly more than the cost for an uncovered move.
Finally, I can't complete this review with mentioning Nichole. She was tremendous. She is everything you need in a broker:
1) Very Well Organized
2) Great communicator
3) Knowledgeable, with demonstrated expertise
4) Works on your behalf, rather than the trucker's
5) Ultimate professional (basically all of the above)
6) Friendly
Nichole was very friendly, arranged both cars quickly and chose the best truckers available to her. She hooked me up with Mike McKim for my M3, who changed my view of truckers entirely. With my permission, she went with a backup trucker for my Honda to ensure that I got it picked up in a short timeframe, rather than one of her primary network of drivers. When there was a bit of miscommunication between the driver and I, she immediately went to bat for me and sorted out the problem. (literally in real-time).
Summary:
I really could not have asked for more in an auto shipping broker. While brokers cannot control the actions of drivers, I expect them to choose reputable drivers, be well organized, and act as my advocate if needed. Hilton did all these things flawlessly. Nichole communicated well, and acted as a trusted representative in the scary, and unknown world that is automotive trucking brokerage to make sure my prized possessions were shipped safely, securely, on time and at a reasonable cost, all while providing fantastic customer service to ease my often nervous mind. I would definitely recommend Hilton to anyone and everyone who needs to ship their car.
Thanks Nichole!
