Tell GM to stop shipping Corvettes by rail
12-21-2014, 08:52 PM
#41
Intermediate
Thread Starter
I manage transportation and distribution for a Fortune 500 company and we ship around 200 full truck/ container loads of product around the US each day (approximately 30% of these travel rail) and I understand the difference in transit times. The comment about filling up a truck and heading west would seem logical except The West is a big place. In order to make transportation work economically the deliveries need to be clustered in a fairly small radius. Trucking companies don't make money on deadhead miles. Driving a few hundred miles between deliveries reduces profit (GM doesn't operate the trucking company) so shipping rail to a hub then moving the cars to their ultimate destination via a truck is more profitable.
I am not trying to belittle the thought, I am just trying to explain the logic behind shipping rail versus truck. Tom Petty said the waiting is the hardest part and when it comes to buying a Vette I agree. I ordered my C7 in early August of 2013 and took delivery in late October 2013.
I am not trying to belittle the thought, I am just trying to explain the logic behind shipping rail versus truck. Tom Petty said the waiting is the hardest part and when it comes to buying a Vette I agree. I ordered my C7 in early August of 2013 and took delivery in late October 2013.
12-22-2014, 01:28 AM
#42
I agree with OP about the longer delivery time by rail to west coast. My Stingray was built Oct. 8, and arrived in Salem OR on Thanksgiving Day, Nov.27. Thats 7 weeks. The Chev.com chat room tracking people lost track of it between Ohio and Oregon, finally locating it in the Hinkle Locomotive Service and Repair facility in Hermiston OR, where they service Union Pacific locomotive(s).
From there it took a week to ship it to the Portland distribution yard, and then truck it to the dealer. Nice of the truck driver to work on Thanksgiving.
Coincidentily another NRB C7 ( a convertible) was dropped off with mine. It was also a dropship from MacMulkin. The other Stingray's VIN was about 1300 cars newer than mine, so its build date was somewhat later. Mine apparently had to wait longer for a railcar to fill up. The cloth cover on the later built C7 was noticeably cleaner than my cover, but in the end mine cleaned up great.
Mine had 4 miles on the odometer and 7 after the dealer PDI'd it.
From there it took a week to ship it to the Portland distribution yard, and then truck it to the dealer. Nice of the truck driver to work on Thanksgiving.
Coincidentily another NRB C7 ( a convertible) was dropped off with mine. It was also a dropship from MacMulkin. The other Stingray's VIN was about 1300 cars newer than mine, so its build date was somewhat later. Mine apparently had to wait longer for a railcar to fill up. The cloth cover on the later built C7 was noticeably cleaner than my cover, but in the end mine cleaned up great.
Mine had 4 miles on the odometer and 7 after the dealer PDI'd it.
12-22-2014, 05:56 AM
#43
Team Owner
If I am beating an old or dead horse, I apologize. But, I am hearing too many horror stories about shipping problems by rail. My friend had a Z51 coupe which was finished on 10/27/14. It was shipped the next day and was at the rail yard in Toledo the same day. The car was loaded on a train 2 days later. It made its way across the country, making various stops and train swaps, arriving in a Phoenix rail yard on 11/15. It was unloaded from the train and loaded on a truck transport on 11/17 and delivered to the dealer. Three weeks to transport a car. Another aquaintance had a Z06 finish on 11/15. It did quality control for 10 days then was shipped to Toledo. It sat a couple of days in the train yard then to Gary, IN where they switched engines (different companies). It sat in Gary several days before heading to Phoenix. The train arrived in Phoenix on 12/13. The local transportation company didn't deliver the car to the dealer until Friday,12/19. Local trucking company said the key didn't start the car and at one point it was lost (hmmm). If these cars had stayed on a truck transport, it would have been 5 to 6 days max. While watching my friends car being built, we happened to talk with a transport truck driver. He was headed for Miami. No trains to transfer to. He said, if the car is going 1,000 miles or less from Bowling Green, it stays on the truck. Otherwise, the 3 week transport. Looks like those in the east will see their cars a lot sooner than those of us in the west. When you consider the time it takes plus loading and unloading these cars 3 times (more risk for damage), it doesn't make "cents". When you take delivery of your new "baby" tell GM you're not happy with their shipping policy. Or tell them with an email or thru this forum. They are watching.
Bowling green would not have parts!
12-22-2014, 11:23 AM
#44
Racer
Museum Delivery!!! I got to pick the date to have my car delivered.
Plus I got to see a lot of others getting built, can't say for sure if I saw yours on the lot or not???
Plus I got to see a lot of others getting built, can't say for sure if I saw yours on the lot or not???
01-25-2018, 10:28 AM
#45
Burning Brakes
If I am beating an old or dead horse, I apologize. But, I am hearing too many horror stories about shipping problems by rail. My friend had a Z51 coupe which was finished on 10/27/14. It was shipped the next day and was at the rail yard in Toledo the same day. The car was loaded on a train 2 days later. It made its way across the country, making various stops and train swaps, arriving in a Phoenix rail yard on 11/15. It was unloaded from the train and loaded on a truck transport on 11/17 and delivered to the dealer. Three weeks to transport a car. Another aquaintance had a Z06 finish on 11/15. It did quality control for 10 days then was shipped to Toledo. It sat a couple of days in the train yard then to Gary, IN where they switched engines (different companies). It sat in Gary several days before heading to Phoenix. The train arrived in Phoenix on 12/13. The local transportation company didn't deliver the car to the dealer until Friday,12/19. Local trucking company said the key didn't start the car and at one point it was lost (hmmm). If these cars had stayed on a truck transport, it would have been 5 to 6 days max. While watching my friends car being built, we happened to talk with a transport truck driver. He was headed for Miami. No trains to transfer to. He said, if the car is going 1,000 miles or less from Bowling Green, it stays on the truck. Otherwise, the 3 week transport. Looks like those in the east will see their cars a lot sooner than those of us in the west. When you consider the time it takes plus loading and unloading these cars 3 times (more risk for damage), it doesn't make "cents". When you take delivery of your new "baby" tell GM you're not happy with their shipping policy. Or tell them with an email or thru this forum. They are watching.
Dear OP your post is useles because most corvette buyers are old farts or cheap *** dudes who never experienced any exotic car buying process, this is why corvette will always be corvette, not because car is any less than Ferrari it's because buyers are less than Ferrari buyers,And GM is cheap auto maker, my z06 is still on the train who knows where, when you buy other exotic cars you are not buying any better performance than the corvette but you are buying exclusivity that's why it cost what it cost, even door to door delivery with a special truck that says Ferrari and it pulls up in front of your house worth every penny for the car, that's called car buying EXPERIENCE.Go head attack me I don't give a flying ----, you know the truth GM knows the truth and we all know the truth
Last edited by C7ZO6; 01-25-2018 at 10:39 AM.
01-25-2018, 10:48 AM
#48
Burning Brakes
Oh yeah stop your BS comments with museum delivery,
we didn't go to Milano to pick up our car they did door to door delivery and asked where would u like it to be delivered, what time, by what day, with amazing show of delivery process,
i can't wait to get my z06 but the buyers experience is zero compared to other exotic cars.
and GM doesn't treat those cars as exotic why should market do.
we didn't go to Milano to pick up our car they did door to door delivery and asked where would u like it to be delivered, what time, by what day, with amazing show of delivery process,
i can't wait to get my z06 but the buyers experience is zero compared to other exotic cars.
and GM doesn't treat those cars as exotic why should market do.
Last edited by C7ZO6; 01-25-2018 at 11:24 AM.
01-25-2018, 10:56 AM
#49
Team Owner
Dear OP your post is useles because most corvette buyers are old farts or cheap *** dudes who never experienced any exotic car buying process, this is why corvette will always be corvette, not because car is any less than Ferrari it's because buyers are less than Ferrari buyers,And GM is cheap auto maker, my z06 is still on the train who knows where, when you buy other exotic cars you are not buying any better performance than the corvette but you are buying exclusivity that's why it cost what it cost, even door to door delivery with a special truck that says Ferrari and it pulls up in front of your house worth every penny for the car, that's called car buying EXPERIENCE.Go head attack me I don't givwe a flying ----, you know the truth GM knows the truth and we all know the truth
01-25-2018, 11:00 AM
#50
I agree with the OP to an extent. Waiting is the hardest part and if I have the option to get my car sooner by paying a little extra then I would have done it. My car was built Dec 5 and I didn't pick it up until January 11. It sat in the KC shipyard for a couple weeks (I don't know if it went to Toledo. The first OnStar location was in KC.) and then arrived at the Mira Loma shipyard on January 1 where it sat for over a week. Perhaps the holidays were a factor, but I think I read that shipyard runs 24/7/365. I was hoping my aging father and I could take delivery together. It was painful watching it through OnStar sit an hour away. Delivery from the dealer lot by truck would have been faster. However, I did a courtesy delivery because no dealer had what I wanted. Museum Delivery was an inconvenient option that time of year. It is what it is. But going through this process with a few others, we'll tell you that the wait is the one thing we would change if we could. I'm not sure I'll "ding" GM heavily on their survey, but I may mention having an option for a "rush delivery".
Last edited by SouthOCBoy; 01-25-2018 at 02:59 PM.
01-25-2018, 11:27 AM
#51
Burning Brakes
Although I've always bought all my cars off the lot, & have never gone thru the agony of waiting for an ordered car.
I don't know why all the people on here attacking the OP for a suggestion to GM from a loyal customer.
I've always like to support those who has a better more efficient business practices, esp in today's highly competitive market place.
With Tesla, Carmax, numerous .com sites, etc... GM may want to listen to the customer.
Just because they've been doing this way for the past 100 years, doesn't mean it's the best way of the future.
Anyways, this is not a free service. You're still paying $1000 for delivery whether it's 2 miles or 2000 miles away. Plus another $1000 if u want museum deliver, just to pick it up at/near the factory.
Maybe GM can add another option, like for example: u can pay another $1000 for express one week rail delivery, $2000 for 3 day truck delivery, or $10000 for next day air delivery, etc...
Anyways, this is a forum to discuss ideas, & I wished more people are more supportive of constructive more efficient ways for businesses, GM in this case, to give customers a better buying & owners experience, instead of keep defending the status quo.
Maybe one day, Amazon or Costco or another business can sell you any car with many other options, including quicker cheaper delivery options...
I don't know why all the people on here attacking the OP for a suggestion to GM from a loyal customer.
I've always like to support those who has a better more efficient business practices, esp in today's highly competitive market place.
With Tesla, Carmax, numerous .com sites, etc... GM may want to listen to the customer.
Just because they've been doing this way for the past 100 years, doesn't mean it's the best way of the future.
Anyways, this is not a free service. You're still paying $1000 for delivery whether it's 2 miles or 2000 miles away. Plus another $1000 if u want museum deliver, just to pick it up at/near the factory.
Maybe GM can add another option, like for example: u can pay another $1000 for express one week rail delivery, $2000 for 3 day truck delivery, or $10000 for next day air delivery, etc...
Anyways, this is a forum to discuss ideas, & I wished more people are more supportive of constructive more efficient ways for businesses, GM in this case, to give customers a better buying & owners experience, instead of keep defending the status quo.
Maybe one day, Amazon or Costco or another business can sell you any car with many other options, including quicker cheaper delivery options...
01-25-2018, 11:27 AM
#52
Burning Brakes
Beautiful example of corvette owner, Do you know me ? do you know what I have and what I don't ? Stay in a corvette level my friend.
Last edited by C7ZO6; 01-25-2018 at 11:29 AM.
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01-25-2018, 12:35 PM
#54
Team Owner
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01-25-2018, 01:07 PM
#56
Burning Brakes
01-25-2018, 01:34 PM
#57
Safety Car
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That begs the question. Just because you are complaining does not mean everyone here agrees with you. If it came to a vote, there's no guarantee you'd win. You are dismissing these responses out of hand. What you ought to do is consider them "No" votes to your idea.
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01-25-2018, 01:40 PM
#58
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Good luck with that!
01-25-2018, 01:58 PM
#59
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St. Jude Donor '12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Oh yeah stop your BS comments with museum delivery,
we didn't go to Milano to pick up our car they did door to door delivery and asked where would u like it to be delivered, what time, by what day, with amazing show of delivery process,
i can't wait to get my z06 but the buyers experience is zero compared to other exotic cars.
and GM doesn't treat those cars as exotic why should market do.
we didn't go to Milano to pick up our car they did door to door delivery and asked where would u like it to be delivered, what time, by what day, with amazing show of delivery process,
i can't wait to get my z06 but the buyers experience is zero compared to other exotic cars.
and GM doesn't treat those cars as exotic why should market do.
2. Corvette isn't an exotic car, it's a mass produced Chevrolet.
3. GM isn't going to change their entire business model because a few people whine on an anonymous internet forum.
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01-25-2018, 02:07 PM
#60
Moderator
4. It is far cheaper to ship by rail. - See post #4.
