Something other than U-Ship

[Skihawx]

I have been trying to get a reasonable quote to move a Victrola from the Upper Midwest to New England. All the U-ship quotes were well over $1,000. That is about three times what I paid three years ago. Someone mentioned another site similar to U-ship but I can't find it right now.
Any good options out there these days?

[drboruff]

I have used Total Transport NY a couple of times for blanket wrap delivery (from NE to Texas) and was happy with their service / price. I reached out to Matthew Rosenbauer via email at [email protected] for a quote. The last time I used them was in 2019 and the cost was ~$350. They too may have gone up since then, but you may want to ask them for a quote.
David

[Raphael]

Scott Salzurulo, who owns Vintage Trucking, based in Pittsfield, Mass. runs north-south (Maine to FL) and west as far as Chicago. I've used him for over 20 years and he is fair and reliable: [email protected]

Don't expect him to make a custom run just for you. He needs to collect enough stops to make his logistics work, thus sometimes the delivery can take anywhere from one to six weeks. Recently he delivered a huge music box and table (from Maine), a Hexaphone (in NJ) and another music box (in PA) and the total cost was $1500. The most important thing is that he handles the stuff with expertise and care. I've never had a scratch in 20 years.

His particulars:

Scott Salzarulo
413-212-1252
Vintage Trucking
825 E New Lenox Rd
Pittsfield, MA 01201
FED MC # 621 261
US DOT # 1691665



Raphael

[edisonclassm]

Another source you might want to try is Wendy Buckus. 603-491-5199. Some of the Music box guys use her to transport items.

[Sidewinder]

You do know the "business model" for U-Ship, and similar online booking services functions. Around 30% of the fee is taken by the online platform, and this fee is no doubt slowly increasing (like Auctioneers commission) I cannot decide if it helps keep the transport business competitive, or if its too exploitative?

Therefore having a trusted transport partner is a plus. I do try use uship when no alternative is available to see how much transporters will underbid each other, to an acceptable level. Also sometimes in advance of buying something.

[Raphael]

U-ship commissions notwithstanding, the overriding consideration must be safety of transport. When using U-ship, the odds of getting a driver who knows WTF he's handling are remote. I have had one deliver a few cabinets to me, and comment on how heavy they were. He never even looked inside to see that they were filled with records. Another driver tossed a $30,000 machine into an open single-axle trailer, and as it bounced down the East Coast, parts came off, glass broke, etc. What a disaster.

I just shipped a large music box and table to Japan safely. Packed it and built the crate myself. I wouldn't have trusted U-ship to send the music box around the block.

Raphael