TT Delivery

[MN Blue Skies]

We are buying our first TT.  DH talked to the manufacturer and the TT was finished 2 1/2 weeks ago.  The RV dealer said that they are having trouble finding drivers to transport the trailers from Indiana to Minnesota.  Does that sound plausible?

 

[Jim Godward]

Yes, the pay for the driver is poor at best.  We are not seeing the numbers of RV going through to the west coast that we usually do.

I haven't been around our local truck stop lately so haven't talked to any drivers this year.  A lot used to overnight here but again few if any are.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

My fist knee jerk reaction was that the pay was too low or too slow. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yeah, it's plausible. It sometimes takes 4-6 weeks to find a delivery driver willing to take on a specific delivery. The pay isn't good enough to make people jump for the chance and delivery drivers are often retirees or others using it as a sideline job.

There are commercial moving services that will handle RVs - maybe you could pay the dealer a bit extra to hire one of them to pick up the rig and bring it to you.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

How much do the drivers usually make for a delivery?

 

[The relaxer Steve]

Sounds like a first adventure. See if you can pick it up. A quick trip down and an adventure comming back.
Beats wishing you were camping for 4 to 6 weeks. (And its most likely warmer down that way too)

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Delivery drivers typically get paid by the mile and have to supply all their own equipment (hitch, tow vehicle, whatever) and pay ALL their own expenses, fuel, meals, overnight lodging (you don't get to sleep in the RV), etc. They have to deliver the RV clean and undamaged, and then are responsible for making their own way back home (they don't get paid for the return trip).

 

[Lowell]

USA Today  (4/17/14) comment by an Indiana Recreational Vehicle Asso. person stated 25,000 to 35,000 RV are not being delivered as 2000 delivery drivers are needed.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

This is not good news!  I can't blame the drivers for wanting to be paid more.  I wonder who has to absorb the holding costs.  The manufacturers or the dealers?  I suppose it's not a good idea to pick up the TT or take possession until we have inspected it.  Any ideas or comments?

 

[MN Blue Skies]

Thanks for the info.  Below is a link to an article regarding the shortage or drivers. 

http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/business/rv-industry/2014/04/15/RV-transport-drivers-for-hire-in-Elkhart-County-to-accommodate-major-shortages.html

 

[Shovover]

Dirt cheap rates, and 1 way moves so you are always running empty back to Indiana are the norm.   

Looked into it once.  Great way to break even and more likely to actually loose money while wearing out vehicles is what RV haulers do. 

But, you can see the country out your window.

Rates would probably need to double to make it a long term sustainable business venture.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

In the end it sounds like the prices of new RVs will have to increase to cover the cost.  DH and I talked about driving to Indiana to pick up our new RV but decided that it doesn't make much sense even if the manufacturer or dealer reduced the price of the TT.  So I guess we just have to wait. 

 

[Ron_CA]

How far are we talking here? My first thought was that I would have already gone and got it.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

We thought about going to pick up the TT ourselves but then wondered about the delivery inspection and a lot of "what if" questions came to mind.  It's approximately a 600 mile trip one way.  (DH says it's about 9 hours one way.)    We planned on having the brake control and weight distribution hitch installed at the time the trailer was delivered.  We are brand new to RVing and we have never pulled a TT (or anything else for that matter).  So we are not sure if picking up the TT ourselves is such a good idea for us.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Picking it up yourself probably isn't a good idea because you want the dealer on the hook for delivery, e.g. PDI inspection, etc.  If you pick it up, you muddy the waters considerably as to who is responsible for any problems. But there is no need to rely on the factory to schedule a delivery service - the dealer could contract for it himself or even send one of his own people to get it. He has added the factory's standard delivery charge to the price of the trailer already (whether it was stated separately on the sales invoice or not), but you could always negotiate the price of hiring another service to get the delivery done sooner. There are plenty of professional vehicle delivery services that will move RVs, but they don't work as cheaply as the factory rates.

 

[MN Blue Skies]

I agree that we don't want to muddy the waters.  The dealer is driving to Indiana every weekend to pick up some TTs but who knows how long that process will take.  We'll wait another few weeks and check back with them to see how they are progressing in getting their TTs from Indiana to Minnesota.  Unfortunately this RV dealer works on the squeaky wheel principle and not on the first come, first served way of doing business.  We found that out when we went to order the TT. 

We had planned a trip for next weekend but Mother Nature isn't cooperating anyway so an extra two weeks isn't a problem.  However come the beginning of May we will be getting impatient. 

Thanks for the good advice.

 

[Ron_CA]

I'm sorry I guess I misunderstood your original post. I thought you bought it at a dealer in Indiana. Since that isn't the case, I would wait to get it from your dealer. I may however, become the squeaky wheel, real squeaky  ;D

 

[MN Blue Skies]

We're happy to report that our new TT is now in Minnesota.  (Doing the Snoopy dance!)  We won't be able to do the pre-delivery inspection until next Thursday because the dealer is booked until then.  I told the RV dealership that we would be using a pre-delivery checklist and they asked us to fax them a copy.  (We will be using a pre-delivery checklist we found in this forum's library.  This forum rocks thank you very much!)

We will start a new thread with our next questions on brakes and hitches.

 

[MNrv]

Congrats on new TT.  We purchased a new one last fall (2013) only used it once before putting it in storage for winter (northern MN).

Can't WAIT to get it out of storage and ready for the summer use!

 

[MN Blue Skies]

Hopefully you can join us at the end of May for a mini-rally near Lanesboro in scenic SE  MN bluff country.  We'd like to do some fishing on one of the areas blue ribbon trout streams,  take a tour of Amish farms, and explore one of the large caves in of the two Minnesota State Parks. See mini rallies on this forum for more information. 

Where are you located in northern MN?  We are headed north for grouse hunting in early October.