December 31, 2009
Currently, the military will not ship automobiles for CONUS moves, although they will ship motorcycles. Because of this families really have three choices, sell their vehicles before they leave, drive them themselves (very challenging for two vehicle families, cross country) or pay to ship them privately. Shipping cars is expensive business, and many of the companies who specialize in it have a reputation for being less than scrupulous.
Generally, the cost for moving a vehicle across the country hovers around $1,500 and should take somewhere around two weeks, but make sure to get EVERYTHING in writing, as many drivers have been known to show up the day of delivery (weeks after the contract date) and demand an additional charge (sometimes in the hundreds) for an “unload” fee. Desperate service members who don’t have their quotes in writing, are often stuck, needing their vehicle and having no way to prove they didn’t agree to this charge, so protect yourself ahead of time and get a comprehensive contract when you book. If you do run into a shady delivery driver, don’t pay the ransom. Just head over to base legal with your contract and let them sort out any “confusion” that may have occurred.