My uncle recently relocated across country, and his 2017 Lexus GS along with my aunt's 2018 Tesla are both being transported via an enclosed carrier. He has not utilized the transporter service before, and asked what the standard tip amount should be for a 3,000 mile trip with two cars. He did not pay for the transport (his employer did), so he is not aware if 10-15% of the total bill would be an obscene amount.

Thoughts?

 

The purpose of tipping is to provide a supplement to a laborer's measly base pay; to reward exceptional service; and/or provide an incentive for future quality service.

While there might occasionally be an exception, auto transport doesn't meet any of these criteria and hence no tipping is merited or expected IMHO.

In my recent experience, the fee was $779 to transport a car 800 miles from Omaha, NE, to Columbus, OH. The transport company stuck to its quoted price and reduced its fee by a bit to cover a larger than expected charge ($625 IIRC) from the independent driver who utilized a dually pick-up that towed an enclosed 2 car trailer. He dropped one car in Indy before coming to Columbus. While there is no way of knowing exactly how much he charged for the Indy car (also retrieved in Omaha), a safe guess is in the neighborhood of $500. If so, his fees totaled more than $1100, not too bad for the distance and trouble.

 

Back in early 2016 I transported two vehicles (new to me RCF and MB SLK55 AMG HARDTOP CONVERTIBLE) from my home to where I'll be from time to time due to my work. A distance of almost 2000 miles. It was a truly "professional white glove service" in a fully enclosed semi truck auto transporter. I asked specifically if my vehicles will be unloaded and loaded mid route. They said NO bc they are going to my two vehicles in the top deck most forward section. They did say unless at the weight station for balancing weight, then he might have to adjust. But unlikely with the route as planned with most of the vehicles picked up in California and heading and end up in NY.

As promised, my two cars were still in the same positions when he showed up about 4 days later. I don't know if all that was BS or what. He was able to make the turns at destination with very tight turns going on and come out without any problems.

Since he is the "owner and operator" I did not feel that I needed to tip him any additional. Also I had paid him slightly above market due to the urgency and tight schedules (for pick up and drop off windows)...... I thought it was more than fair.

Of course, if you want to "tip"...... By all means go ahead. I don't think he will turn you down. LOL

 

All these Auto Transport companies give you the cost up front, and most charge you before they arrive to p/u the vehicle. I like Reliable the best although I have been out of that game for years. If I were going to "tip" a driver I would tell them pre loading that I would give them a twenty if the vehicle arrived unblemished & on time at the agreed destination.

 

Never even heard of tipping for car shipping.

 

I may seem greedy to you, but I believe that tips for transporting my car are meaningless. All because the transport of cars and so the pleasure is not cheap, and it costs a decent amount. To tell the truth, I haven't heard of this kind of tip before, as I order a service from a decent company, rather than asking a neighbor for it. I have moved a couple of times in recent years and I turned to the company to transport my car https://shipnts.com/blog/canadian-sn...ship-your-car/. There was never even a hint of a tip, because the company is very good and I assume that the salaries of the employees are good. I also have no one gives a tip for the fact that I'm doing my job.

 

I wish I’d get tipped too just for doing my job.

 

I tipped my delivery driver $50 for delivering my LC about 350 miles.

 

I doubt it

 

wow you guys are all heart.

great minds, i also tipped my transport driver $50. he was on time, communicated well, polite, extremely careful, and trying to get home before Christmas (it was Christmas eve).

in this time of covid i've tipped food/beverage people 25-100% and some appropriate amount for others, including best buy curbside pickup people.

 

Tipping people that you will have a long-term relationship works long ways. If it is a one-time thing it depends on what the job is.

Last month, I had bathroom renovations done. I had guys that delivered my vanity up my driveway into the garage. I gave them something. I had a guy deliver tiles and he made ten trips with those heavy boxes. He got something. Yes, they do get paid for what they do, but the appreciation you sometimes see in their eyes is worth it and shows them you appreciate what they do. I paid a lot of money for the tiles. What’s another 20 to the guy that delivered it?

My father-in-law tips very well and he’s not a flashy guy. Guess what happens when he goes to those same places the next time? They run up to him to park his car, get him his table, etc.

Tipping a business owner is one thing but if he has others working with him, yes, I try to give those guys something.

To the OP, the uncle could give what he feels comfortable with. I'm sure the driver would appreciate it either way.

 

I tip for food service even when picking up an order. Delivery personnel are different. Do you tip the Amazon Prime guy or something? They don’t go into the business expecting tips to make ends meet.

 

Believe me, you do not want to get into a pissing contest with me over tipping.

But the reality is that tip culture is a nasty, ingrained part of Western society to the point where we make laws (tip credit) that allow businesses (restaurants, including big corps) to circumvent other laws (minimum wage) which forces common members of the general public to subsidize these businesses. We don't need to spread that to other industries.

And more to the point, waiters are paid less, including the possibility of not even being paid minimum wage, by their employers because of the expectation due to cultural norms of getting tips. So now, we must tip, even from a purely ethical standpoint, because we have to make up for not only what the businesses know they can cut out because of the social norm of tipping, but also even exceptions to the law. How moronic is that?

 

how coincidental i was just going to look into getting a car from across the country and this thread popped up!

for the topic at hand, i always wondered when i write a tip on the credit card receipt how much of it actually gets to the individual. i'd imagine since it's in the system that it will need to come out of the system somehow and by that time the employer likely has pocketed some of it? how about the others that are not interfacing with the public like the cooks and bus boys? perhaps tip cash every time?

 

The employer can't pocket the tips, that's illegal under FLSA. Some state laws even forbid employers from deducting any fees they've actually had to pay from the tip amount given by the customer (e.g., it's illegal even to deduct the prorated amount of CC fees that the employer had to pay on the tip amount).

Under FLSA, management can dictate how the tip pool is split (including with back of the house, but not with management positions), so long as it is documented. I'm not aware of any state/local laws that forbid this practice, but they might exist somewhere. (EDIT: slight update to this in my next post.)