DeTomaso Mailing List: April 98, Message #202

George counselled Charlie on the risks of shipping cars and the proper way
to deliver the car - While Georges concern might be valid with some shipping
lines it is not valid with all shipping lines.

If a car is shipped on a modern cargo ship the car would be below decks -
not on deck. Containers are stored above decks on these ships. Atlantic
crossing takes six to eight days in these ships. Cars are driven to a
staging area in their port of departure hours before the ship enters the
port. Then the cars are driven on the ship (just like a ferry) and strapped
by their wheels to the deck floor where they are parked. The ship will only
remain in port for a few hours. It would not be necessary to remove the
battery, stabilize the fuel and put the car in a sealed container. As a
practical matter, I am sure that the shipping costs would be less for a car
that could be driven on rather than a car that has to be loaded in a sealed
container. Obviously, you would not have to pay for all the additional
handling and packaging.

Typically, these ships are managed by a small elite crew (ten people or
less). There would be a greater probability of the car getting "raped,
pillaged and plundered" when it is parked on the street. I would not have
any concerns shipping a car on one of these ships. I have toured Atlantic
Container Lines ships and watched their operations - I was most impressed.
As I recall, they will contract with individuals to ship cars. I would
recommend that you check with them directly and cut out the middle men.
ACL's customer service number is (800) ACL-1235

Forest Majors