Glenn's Driving ServiceDriving your Car, RV or rental truck No commercial vehicles (except rental trucks). BIG UPDATE 1-14-22 from Madeline 'Becca' - a driver for Glenn's Driving Service: Glenn Campbell, the founder of this service, passed away in December of 2021 following a battle with cancer. The driving service is still in operation - I've taken over as the lead driver and manager. If you're looking for a driver for a cross-country trip or project, please send an email to gdscadre@gmail.com If you're a fan and follower of Glenn Campbell's online presence, know that part of my goal at the driving service is to keep his many websites online. As he always said, he was a ''hyper-prolific content generator'' and if you miss reading his work, odds are good that there are Glenn creations you haven't yet seen. His instagram and youtube accounts have years of his experiences documented, and he's got a few books available on amazon.com, and some podcasts on Spotify. He was a convention-defying eccentric adventurer- it's hard to imagine there being anyone else quite like him out there, and he will be dearly missed. I've had over a decade of various experiences driving vehicles (moving vans, manual transmissions, RVs, trailers, electric vehicles, the occasional heavy machinery) and caring for animals (dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses, lizards, snakes, hamsters- pretty much nothing is off the table). I've driven with Glenn's Driving Service for two years, and in that time I was able to learn a lot from Glenn about his business principles and philosophy. Working for Glenn's Driving Service has been devoid of dull moments, and providing this service has been a pleasure. It is one of my favorite jobs I've ever had, and I hope to continue to maintain the site and organize drives well into the future.
This page is HUGE because it works out best that way. Google loves the rich content, and I get a chance to download my 13 years of wisdom on transporting vehicles. I want you to use our service only if it is truly the best option for your needs. |
![]() Glenn (profile) ![]() Madeline (profile) ![]() Jeremy (profile coming soon) |
CURRENT AVAILABILITY
Earliest Availability:
- Available for firm commitments May 1, 2023 and beyond
- Before May 1st we may be able to accommodate you
but requires flexibility and creativity.
Email Madeline: gdscadre@gmail.com Call/text Madeline: 512-968-1013
Note: You can call me for basic information, but
I will need an email to give you a firm quote....
See green box below for the info I need.
Other Resources:
Truck Rental: Penske (usually best) / Uhaul
Moving a commercial truck: TruckMovers
Self-pack units: PODS, U-Pack, Pack Rat, ZippyShell.Situations Handled
- Cars filled with belongings.
- Cars stranded by COVID-19
- Empty cars—but it may be cheaper to use a truck-based car transport. The main advantages we offer are firm dates and flexible pick-up/drop-off options.
- RVs of any size
- Vehicles towing trailers
- Rental trucks (usually a Penske), optionally towing a car. details
- Experienced with Teslas and other electric vehicles
- Pets carried in your vehicle or a rental car. details
- Cars to and from Canada (but not solely within Canada), assuming the border is open. details
- Vehicles to and from Alaska (including winter if the vehicle is hardy). details
- Humans may be transported, either in their own cars or rental cars, but only under "humanitarian" circumstances where no other realistic options are available. Delicate negotiations are required, and most requests are rejected. details.
- Situations NOT handled: commercial vehicles (except rental trucks), difficult or overly demanding clients.
Drivers
- Your drive will be completed either by myself or by another driver who I have carefully vetted and have full confidence in.
- You will have direct contact with the driver before you decide to use them, and you are free to check their references.
- Drives are scheduled for no more than 500 driving miles per day. (So a trip of 2000 miles takes a minimum of four full driving days.)
- Our driver will give you periodic progress reports by text during the drive.
- We try to drive only during the daylight hours to minimize driver fatigue.
- I have three associate drivers—
- Madeline, a world traveler and wilderness expert based in Texas (but she's never there!). 33 years old. (Profile below.) Madeline has been working with me since May 2020 with stellar reviews. Strong on big vehicles and complex situations involving humans.
- Jeremy, my 31-year-old cousin who completed his first drive in early August 2021, New York to California. Works well with pets. His Instagram, including his first canine client.
- Douglas, a 32-year-old relative who started in Sept. 2021
- We are all vaccinated.
Restrictions
- Best for drives over 500 miles (for less than 500 miles, it may be more economical to find someone locally, since our drivers must fly in and out.)
- Pay attention to our availability dates shown above. You can inquire about other dates, but they are unlikely to be available.
- No trips to or from Mexico (but we do serve US border cities)
- No commercial vehicles (except rental trucks carrying personal belongings). If the vehicle requires a DOT number, we can't transport it.
- We can't carry a pet or merchandise in someone else's car. If you don't have a vehicle yourself, we would rent a car one way, with the cost passed to you.
- We can't transport a trailer without a vehicle to haul it with.
- We are reluctant to transport a used car or RV that you bought online sight unseen. This makes us a middle-man in a transaction where too many things can go wrong.
- We are not going to participate in any of your harebrained schemes if they make no sense to us.
- We are not going to violate any law for you or misrepresent the truth to police or customs authorities.
- We are not going to transport your vehicle and worldly goods to Alaska if you have never wintered there before or at least have a solid situation set up for yourself. People see Alaska on TV and think "I could do that." Only after their first winter do they realize that they can't.
- We don't tow boats unless you can provide a solid towing vehicle AND that vehicle has a lot of experience with that trailer. Boat trailers can be very unstable on the highway and nerve-wracking for us. If you just bought a boat on eBay and need it transported to your home, we can't help. You should have thought it through before you bought the boat.
- We do not actively serve the state of Hawaii, but if you fly us there, we will drive your vehicle between any two points on one island for free!
- We carry no special insurance (apart from our own health insurance). If any accident occurs, it should be covered by your own insurance. You should check with your insurance company, but in general your car is covered regardless of who is driving.
Guidance Rates
Every drive is negotiated individually based on its own circumstances and the current epidemic restrictions, so it is hard to provide firm rates here. Instead I have these "guidance rates" as a starting point. The quoted rate below usually includes the driver's airfare and their personal expenses along the way (their food, lodging, etc). Our rate does NOT include the actual cost of fuel and highway tolls and the cost of the driver's ground transportation to and from the airports.Additional fees would apply for pets, cross-border deliveries, vehicles without cruise control, slow or awkward vehicles, rental trucks, towed trailers and other special circumstances.
- New York City area, to or from Florida: $1150
- Boston, Chicago or Minneapolis to or from Florida: $1350
- Anywhere else in USA up to 2000 miles: $1450
- Up to 2500 miles: $1650
- Up to 3000 miles: $1850
- Alaska to/from Seattle or Minneapolis: $2200 summer/$2700 winter. Additional fees beyond these gateway cities.
If your car is empty, you can probably get a much better deal through an auto transport service, where they put your car on a truck. We mainly handle special circumstances that the trucking companies can't handle, like pets and cars filled with stuff. (Google for "auto transport" and see our notes about it below.)
Airfare Surcharge: Our fee normally includes the driver's airfare between major cities. We can afford to to this because most drivers are arranged months in advance, and we can purchase tickets at the lowest rates. In general, we can usually get an advanced-purchase ticket between any major airport for about $120-150. Since the next client will pay the outgoing airfare, $120-150 is a reasonable cost to cover in our fee.
There are, however, situations where airfare costs skyrocket and we can no longer cover them in our fee. In this case, we may assess an "airfare surcharge" to cover the extra cost beyond what we would normally pay. These circumstances might include (1) last-minute trips, (2) flights from smaller cities with higher fares, and (3) special circumstances like the airfare spikes of 2021. I will warn you about the risk of a surcharge at the time I give the quote, but the exact cost can't be determined until we purchase our tickets. In most cases, our surcharge is determined by taking the actual fare and subtracting the "normal" fare (on an advanced-purchase ticket to a major airport).
Don't forget there are two hidden costs of driving a car long distances:
- Depreciation. That's wear and tear on the vehicle that wouldn't have happened if the car was on a truck. Every mile on the odometer ultimately increases maintenance costs and decreases a car's resale value.
- Risk of breakdown. A long drive is an opportunity for the car to break down. This is a low risk for newer cars, but it increases with age. I have AAA to cover initial towing, but you would be responsible for the costs of any repairs.
The Process
Everything about my services (and this website) is intended to be simple and transparent. You will know everything that is happening at every step along the way. Here is the anticipated process for getting your transport needs addressed under my post-Covid business model:To get started, please send me the info requested below.
- You send me an email with the information requested below. (Make of car, preferred dates, etc.) Be sure to spell the email address correctly and give me a clear explanation of the reason for the move. I will email you back as soon as I received the email, but it may take me up to a day to analyze the trip and come up with a quote. You can call me with questions anytime (512-9658-1013), but I usually need the email in hand before I can give you a quote.
- I can usually get back to you with a ballpark quote within a few hours. If this is a simple case, I will probably respond first by email. If the case is complex, I may call you to get more information.
- You can expect me to inquire about your motives, and I may help you explore better options that don't involve me. It is best for both of us when my services are genuinely needed. Occasionally, I may reject a drive because I think the customer is too disorganized or their motives are ill-considered. (I've also rejected people who have been so difficult in the planning phase that I know the drive would be hell.)
- Once I am satisfied that I understand your needs, I will get back to you with a driving plan and a firm quote.
- The driver will either be me or my associate Madeline. You will have an opportunity to check the driver's references. (Upon request, the driver can give you the phone numbers of the last few people they have driven for.)
- If the driver is Madeline, I will put you in direct contact with her. The two of you will work out the practical details of the trip, keeping me in the loop.
- When you and the driver agree on all the main details and we are reasonably sure of the dates, I will make up a written contract. The contract will be between you and the driver. In most cases, the contract can be signed when you and the driver actually meet at pickup.
- At the time we send you the contract, the driver will also offer you a photo of their driver's license.
- If you are satisfied with the contract, you will send the driver a deposit via Venmo or PayPal—usually between $150 and $300. The deposit is intended to cover the driver's pre-purchased airfare, and it will be deducted from the final fee. This deposit is refundable only to the extent that the airfare is.
- On the day of the drive, the driver will fly into your local airport and take available transit to the car's location. (If appropriate, you can meet at the airport itself.)
- You can pack the car with whatever you like, so long as the driver's seat reclines and the front passenger seat and floor are available for the driver's luggage. The driver will examine the contents of the vehicle, since they are responsible for anything inside the car if stopped by police.
- At the time of pickup, you will be giving the driver a second deposit to cover our best estimate for the cost of fuel and highway tolls along the way (usually $100-300). During the trip, the driver will retain all paper gas and toll receipts, and you will settle any difference at the end.
- The driver will keep you informed of their location every day (on shorter trips) or every other day (on cross-country ones).
- The driver is expected to drive mainly during the day, usually no more than 500 miles a day.
- The driver will inform you immediately of any driving irregularity (like a flat tire, breakdown, significant delay or a problem with a pet) so we can resolve the problem together.
- Just before arrival at the destination, the driver will send us a photo of the gas receipts and give you a final accounting.
- You will settle your bill with the driver at the time of delivery. The form of this payment will be determined at the start of the trip but is usually a combination of cash and check.
- The driver will take available transportation to the airport (unless you meet there). The cost of this transportation will be included in the final accounting.
- Unless you object, we may use you as a reference for future customers, giving them your phone number. (If any customer calls you, it will probably be within the next two months.)
How to Start the Process
Send me an email (at gdscadre@gmail.com), giving me the following information....You can call me anytime for general information (512-968-1013), but I usually need an email with the above info before I can give you a firm quote.
- Year and model of vehicle.
- Starting and ending cities. (If these are big cities, please give the general neighborhood.)
- Preferred dates.
- Is the car registered and insured? (required) In what state or province?
- Whose name is on the registration? (Yours?)
- Does the car have cruise control?
- What will be carried in the car?
- If pets will be carried, tell me about them. (Age, breed, disposition, etc.) A photo of the pets would be appreciated.
- Approximate odometer mileage on the vehicle (if known).
- Please tell me about your situation and why you are transporting the vehicle. The more details you can give me, the better.
- Your phone number. (I will normally use email first.)
NOTE: If you don't get a reply within 24 hours, something is wrong. (Maybe the message went to Spam.) Double-check the spelling of the address, and feel free to call or text me at 512-968-1013
About Glenn Campbell
- I have been a driver of cars and pets for almost 12 years, since I was laid off as a US Airways ramp worker during the 2008 financial crisis.
- I estimate that I've driven roughly a million miles in North America since then.
- My longest drive was 4700 miles from Florida to Anchorage. My shortest was about 200 miles.
- Since starting this business, I have lived almost exclusively on the road. Legally, I reside in Massachusetts, but I'm rarely there. I try to go directly from drive to drive.
- I have visited 88 countries, including every country of Europe except Russia. My overseas airfare is often funded by frequent flyer miles collect during my driving work, and I'm very frugal once I get there.
- After my computer and passport were stolen in Chile in Nov. 2019, I decided to take an hiatus from overseas travel in 2020. I couldn't have picked a better time!
- I was known in the past as an expert on "Area 51", the secret military in the Nevada desert. If you have heard the name, it is due in part to my promoting it in the 1990s. See 1994 New York Times article. Later, I was an activist at Family Court in Las Vegas. See 2005 Las Vegas Sun article.
- I also have my finger in countless other projects. You can find them all on my main website. None of these things make me any money.
- While driving around North America, I'm very active on Instagram and Facebook. Driving is my way to support my intellectual interests and chosen lifestyle. Once I am out on the open highway, all my driving time is productive as I listen to podcasts, listen to videos and have articles read to me on my iPhone. Mostly, however, I just ponder in silence.
- See more about me below.
Second Driver: Madeline
For almost 12 years, I operated this business alone, with just me as the driver. I didn't try to employ other drivers because I wanted to keep things simple. My attitude changed after two bouts of lymphoma cancer in 2018 and 2020 (now in remission). That's when I decided to become a broker for other drivers, because it was something I could do from my hospital bed. I put a "Driver's Wanted" ad on my website and recruited an excellent candidate, Madeline, who has been working with me since May 2020.My arrangement with my drivers is that I set up the drive, negotiate the fee and write the contract, then I turn the drive over to them. At the end of the drive, they pay me a commission.
See More about Madeline below.
Alternative Options
I want you to use my services only if they are the best option for you. Not only does this serve your needs; it makes my work more meaningful. I prefer to work for intelligent, thoughtful people who plan ahead and have a genuine need for my services. To make sure I'm the best option for you, please consider these alternatives:
- If you are transporting an empty car, your best best may be a car transport service. That's where they put your car on a truck with a bunch of other cars. Their total cost is usually lower than mine and there is no miles added to odometer. Service between major metro areas is usually reliable, but pickups in smaller cities can sometimes fail to materialize. Cargo in the car is usually limited to about 50 pounds (e.g one or two suitcases). To find a service, Google for "car transport".
- Advice for working with transport companies: The companies that provide the service are usually reliable, but the people who sell it are sharks. Expect aggressive sales pressure. The biggest risk with a transport company is they don't show up as scheduled—or don't show up at all. A no-show is most likely in smaller, more remote cities, like Burlington VT. Whatever date they give you, be sure you're not in a bind if they fail to show up. (I have often had to rescue people when their transport didn't show up.) Once the car actually gets loaded on the truck, you can be confident it will safely reach its destination.
- On several occasions, we have rescued people when a car transporter failed to show up. This is most likely to happen in a smaller city like Burlington, Vermont, rather than large metropolitan areas. If you live in a smaller city and feel you are getting the runaround, you may want to contact us.
- The main reasons you would want to use us are (1) You have cargo or pets in the car, (2) You have a a large vehicle like an RV or van, (3) You want guaranteed pickup and delivery dates, or (4) You have an irregular situation that the transporters can't deal with.
- If you are moving your stuff a long distance and are thinking of renting a truck that we would drive, please consider the alternatives in our Moving Your Stuff section.
- If you have an older vehicle (say, over 100k on the odometer), you should seriously consider whether it is worth moving. It doesn't make much sense to spend $1000+ transporting a car that is technically worth a little more than that. It may be best just to sell it at your starting city and buy another at your ending city. From my standpoint, I am cautious about driving a vehicle with very high mileage, like 150k+. There is a high risk of breakdown, which we will have to think through in advance.
Transporting Pets
About 1/3 of our drives involve pets. While it is easy to put an empty car on a truck to ship it to its destination, you can't do that with your precious Fido. Dogs especially require a lot of personal attention en route. I usually enjoy their company. It's like borrowing a baby: You get to play with it and have fun with it, but then at the end of the drive, you're happy to give it back to its parents.
One of my clients checking in at Motel 6 The alternatives to pet transport are limited: For a smaller cat or a cat-sized dog, you can take them on the plane with you in a soft carrier. The carrier must fit under the seat in front of you. For a larger pets, you can sometimes get the airline to carry your pet as cargo. As a former airline worker, I know this can only happen on Boeing 737 and 757 jets, because the hold is pressurized. On Airbus jets, the hold is not pressurized so pets can't be carried. A third option is to get your pet certified as a "service animal", like a seeing-eye dog, so it can be taken in the cabin with you. People are increasingly doing this to skirt airline rules. I regard this as dubious and wouldn't want to advise you on it.
If these options don't work for you, I would be happy to transport your pet. I will need a vehicle to carry it, which can either be your vehicle or a one-way rental car. In either case, my fee is the same as for a transporting a car plus an additional pet fee, which depends on the pet and care required. My fee usually includes our nightly stays at Motel 6, which allows pets without a fee.
Every pet has their own personality and their own trustworthiness, which I have learned to gauge quickly. A few dogs, especially bigger ones, can be highly intelligent and responsive. I can talk to them like people and they'll try their best to understand and obey. A few dogs are trustworthy enough that we can walk in the woods without a leash, but we would have to jump through a lot of hoops before I am comfortable doing that (including your permission).
Cats? They are a bit more like cargo. The usually end up hiding in the darkest part of the car and I never see them. As long as they have access to a litter box, food and water, they're fine, and I have earplugs in case they get vocal.
Cats can travel in crates or loose in the car. It depends on the temperament of the cat and the comfort level of the owner. I tend to prefer them loose if possible, because it gives us both more breathing room. It also gives you more space in the car to pack things. I am very careful about preventing escapes when I step out of the car, making sure the cat is far from the door when I open it. On several occasions, I have handled nearly feral cats that require all the care and safety of nuclear waste—including protective gloves—but most house cats are quite docile and can be picked up and moved without protest. The fatter the cat, the easier it is to handle.
With both cats and dogs, I am very careful to monitor the temperature of the car to avoid excess heat. Cats and dogs tend to tolerate cold pretty well, but heat can be deadly, and I am very conscious of ambient solar energy. Summers can be particularly difficult. The pets and I may be joined at the hip for the duration of the trip, because I can't leave them alone in the car during the day for more than a couple of minutes.
With both cats and dogs, we typically spend the night at Motel 6, which allows pets without a fee. The journey is carefully planned to hit selected Motel 6's at the right intervals. With cats, I just bring them in, set up food, water and a litter box and they're fine. Before I bring them in, I check under the bed to make sure there isn't a crawlspace they can can get into avoid capture. (With certain feral cats, I've had to tear the room apart and turn the bed on its side to get them back in their cages.) Some trustworthy cats get to roam then entire motel room, while others must be locked in the bathroom to avoid problems with recapture. With certain unsociable cats, I may find it best to leave them in the car for the entire trip, supplied with food, water and a litter box.
Your pets are welcome to sleep on the bed with me, if it is allowed in your household, just so long as they leave me at least 1/3 of the bed for my own sleeping purposes. If there are territorial disputes I will firmly resolve them in my favor.
My care for your dog depends on your instructions, your assessment of their personalities and my own observations gleaned along the way. Dog personalities differ as much as humans, and it is important for me to detect their issues and adapt to them. Some dogs are a joy to travel with; others less so.
Some dogs have barking issues, which can disrupt other motel guests. In extreme cases, I have had to put the dog back into the car for the night. Either that, or we both sleep in the car. While traveling in the car with noisy dogs, I use OSHA-approved hearing protection 🎧🤣 when appropriate.
I am very sensitive about pitbulls and other large mastiffs. These are powerful creatures that could rip me to shreds if they chose. We will have to go through a vetting process before I agree to accept them. I'm less sensitive about Labs, Goldens and "Doodle" variations. Their breed tells me all I need to know. (I apologize for my canine discrimination.)
I am open to carrying rodents, reptiles and any kind of bird. The only birds I've carried so far are cockatiels. Their individual personalities differ as much as dogs. One cockatiel spent the whole trip on my shoulder, nuzzling my ear. She pooped in that location, but I didn't mind. Here are some Instagrams of my cockatiel clients.
Animal Clients
Below are some of my happy clients (and a few disgruntled ones). See more on Instagram.
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See more of my canine clients on Instagram. Also: CockatielsTransporting People
We are not a limousine service, and we do not transport people in the normal course of our business. This is for liability reasons and because humans can be... difficult. Pets are fine. They have no problem with the driver starting and stopping as they choose. Humans need more structure and management.Nonetheless, we recognize that there are difficult situations where a person, usually elderly, needs to be moved from one place to another and for some reason can't use conventional transportation. We realize there are also legitimate practical conditions that prevent people from flying. We are willing to consider these situations on a case-by-case basis.
There are complex negotiations involved, and I need to be convinced that this human will not cause problems. A fragile medical condition is not necessarily a barrier (since I have been in that state myself), but a difficult personality might be.
When she is available, Madeline tends to handle human transport, as she is much more tolerant of the species than I. She has her own style in dealing with humans, and you will probably be talking directly with her before we agree to the trip.
When we travel with a human, we try to complete the trip as quickly as reasonably possible, with a minimum of stops. At night, our driver may drop the client off at the lodging of their choosing, while they go to the cheaper quarters (Motel 6). In the morning, we pick them up at a mutually agreeable time.
We will need to have a vehicle to travel in. Either you will provide it, or we will rent a car one-way. You can expect to pay a premium for the transport of a human, usually at least $600 more than our usual rates.
Depending on the human's condition, we will have to think through all the possibilities if something goes wrong along the way, like a medical emergency. In all cases, everyone needs to be flexible and recognize that this is not a normal driving situation. This is a utilitarian mission to get a vital job done, not a chauffeur service.
Please note: We are reluctant to serve people who are merely afraid to fly or drive, for no valid medical reason—because they are probably afraid of a lot of other things, and the en-route maintenance costs for our driver may be too high.
Transporting Your Stuff By Rental Truck
I and Madeline are comfortable driving rental trucks, optionally towing a car.Financial components of the trip include:
The total of these costs can often add up to $4000 or more.
- Our driving fee, which is higher than cars for the same distance
- The truck rental cost. (Go to the Penske website for a quote.)
- Insurance (from Penske). We require insurance on the truck itself (the "Limited Damage Waiver" at $120-200). Other insurance is at your discretion.
- Fuel. Trucks get between 6 and 10 mpg. (At present you can assume $3/gal for either regular gas or diesel fuel.)
- An additional fee from us if we tow a car (plus the trailer rental cost).
- Loading and unloading labor. (We don't usually participate in the loading of the truck, but we may be able to help with unloading for an hourly fee.)
We usually prefer Penske over Uhaul and other truck rental companies. Their prices tend to be lower, and their trucks are newer, bigger and better equipped than Uhaul's. Penske has locations almost everywhere, and their biggest trucks run on diesel fuel, which is usually more economical than gasoline. There is a substantial discount for AAA membership. (Nonetheless, there are situations where Uhaul offers the best deal, so you should always check both websites.)
Before you try to move your worldly goods from one part of the country to another, please ask yourself this: Is the stuff you're moving worth the $4000+ you will be paying to move it? If not, it might be better to sell your stuff at the starting location, then reproduce it as needed at the other end. You could hold a garage sale at one end, then visit a few garage sales at the other. There may also be other options, like towing a Uhaul trailer behind your car.
There are two ways the loading can be done. Option 1 is that you pick up the truck yourself a day or two before the move. You would load it and have it ready to go by the time the driver arrives. Option 2, for an additional fee, is that our driver can arrive early, rent the truck under their own name, bring the truck to you and wait for it to be loaded, then drive away. You would use this option if you are not comfortable driving the truck from the dealership to your house. Other possible advantages of Option 2: (1) Driver can use their AAA card for a 12% discount, (2) The truck itself can provide the driver's ground transportation from a major airport to a remote pickup location, (3) You have more potential pickup cities available, possibly giving you a cheaper price. (For example, if you are moving from New York City, it is far cheaper to pick up the truck in Springfield, Mass, enough to justify the longer drive.)
For an additional fee, we can tow a car behind the truck. The trailer is rented from Penske. (We use only the kind that completely lifts the car off the road.) Not all vehicles are towable. SUVs tend to be too heavy. See Penske's website for info.
Our rate is the same regardless of the size of the truck, and you are free to change the size of the truck right up to the time of rental. When choosing the size of a truck, always err on the side of bigger. You probably have more stuff than you think you do, and these trucks fill up quickly. The total cost differential of a bigger truck usually isn't great. (Personally, I prefer bigger trucks because they handle better.) If considering a 22' Penske, you might as well get a 26' because the total cost difference is trivial, and they often end up giving you the bigger truck anyway. The 22' and 26' trucks run on more-efficient diesel fuel, so the total fuel cost is about the same as the smaller gas trucks. Bigger Penske trucks always have cruise control. Smaller gas trucks usually do. If there is no cruise, we may add an extra fee.
Loading the truck is time-consuming, because everything has to be packed and arranged. Unloading tends to be a breeze, because you just have to shovel everything out of the truck into a holding area. That's why we don't usually help with loading, but we may help with unloading for an hourly labor fee. This is at the driver's discretion and is mainly negotiated with them.
What is to prevent me from stealing your stuff and hightailing it for Mexico? First, you're going to check my references. Secondly, I don't want your stuff. As precious as it is to you, I wouldn't know what to do with it. I would much rather be paid at the other end. The risks of random theft are also low. There will be a sturdy lock on the outside, but even if a thief broke into a packed truck, they wouldn't know where the expensive stuff was or how to get to it.
ALTERNATIVES. One alternative to a rental truck is a load-it-yourself portable storage unit. These services will park a container in your driveway; you will load it, and they will transport it to the final location, where you will unload it. Options include: PODS, U-Pack Moving, Pack Rat or ZippyShell.
Don't forget to consider standard moving companies. Advice: Lots of potential pitfalls here. Don't necessarily go for the lowball quote. Check references. I have heard lots of first-hand stories of people getting their stuff stolen by fly-by-night companies or held hostage while the mover demands a higher fee. Nonetheless, if you're vigilant and get a good quote, this could end up being the most economical solution for your particular situation.
Canada and Alaska
As of early Sept. 2020, the border remains closed to all "non-essential" traffic. Presumably this will end at some point. In the meantime, American drivers are currently allowed to pass directly through Canada to Alaska as long as they don't make any unnecessary stops. In other words, we cannot deliver to Canadian addresses yet, but we can deliver to Alaska.One possible way to get around the Canadian restriction is for us to deliver the vehicle to a border city, like Niagara Falls, and then you hire a local tow company to bring the car across the border.
In any case, Alaska and Canada drives are extremely complicated right now and require a lot of planning and negotiation. Contact me to discuss your needs.
More about Glenn
I am a writer, podcaster, photographer and world traveler of good repute, and I have a big presence on the web if you care to check me out. I have had many past lives and was once featured in a New York Times article on Area 51. Later I was profiled in the Las Vegas Sun regarding my work in Family Court.
I drive because I enjoy it. It gives me time to think about my writing projects. I stop from time to time to work on my laptop (which is one reason I rarely take human passengers). I have been everywhere in the country many times (at least a dozen times in each state, including Alaska and Hawaii), but I try to visit a new tourist attraction on every trip. On most drives, I take lots of photos and short videos along the way, which I make public on Instagram and my Facebook albums.
Although I technically live in Massachusetts, I travel continuously and visit only fleetingly. I usually fly from one drive directly to the next. When I'm not driving, I often travel overseas, funded in part by frequent flyer miles earned in the course of my business. (I am a budget traveler who uses a lot of hostels.) In November 2019, after my passport and computer were stolen in Chile, I decided to refrain from travel overseas for all of 2020. I thought my travel had become an addiction and I needed to work on more important projects back in the home country. It turn out to be the right call!Before my hiatus, I visited 88 countries on 6 continents. My Facebook albums from most of those countries are indexed here.
I hold a standard driver's license in Massachusetts (not a commercial license). I have had no traffic tickets in North America in the past five years. (However I have had speeding tickets overseas: two in Botswana, Africa, where speeding tickets are a source of local revenue, and two speed-camera tickets in Latvia, where the cameras are too damn sensitive.) I am adept at driving on both the left and right sides of the road, should your job require left-side driving. My character is such that I passed TSA/Homeland Security background checks and worked successfully for an airline for one year before being furloughed during the previous financial crisis in 2008. I worked on the ramp in Las Vegas for US Airways, routinely guiding in and pushing out multi-million dollar aircraft (photos).
I have had only one road accident in the past decade: a fender bender in Colorado in July 2018 when I blacked out on the highway due to a tumor in my brain. After extensive treatment, my lymphoma cancer is in full remission (photos). More importantly, the client's car I was driving wasn't seriously damaged. The owner's insurance paid for the damage and even for my ambulance ride to the hospital. Blacking out again is unlikely, because I am regularly tested for cancer and now know the warning signs.
The largest vehicles I have driven across the country are 26-foot Penske trucks towing a car (photo). (This is the maximum size I can drive with my standard license.) My longest drive was Florida to Fairbanks (nearly 5000 miles in 14 days with a dog named Phade). My shortest drives are about 200-500 miles. (Less than 500 miles and you are probably better to hire someone locally.) The most unusual vehicle I have driven was the Freedom Bus. My most challenging drive was the Alaska Highway in winter (photos), which I have done twice (and six times in summer).
I am happiest when I am driving for intelligent, organized people in genuine need of my services. (And who plan ahead!) Therefore, you may find me dissuading you of the drive if it doesn't make logical sense.More about Madeline
Madeline (AKA "Becca") has been working with Glenn's Driving Service since May 2020, with excellent reviews. She has already passed through 49 states (and much of Canada!) in service to our clients. Technically, she lives in Austin, Texas, but she is hardly ever there.
Madeline doesn't normally sit on client's cars. This car is her own. Madeline is
unafraid of solidified water and has spent many winters deeply entrenched in it.At age 33, Madeline has already seen a good portion of the planet. She has trekked in the Himalayas, scuba dived in Thailand, rafted in Central America, and survived extended periods in the Rocky Mountains without cellphone coverage. She has worked as a toucan wrangler in Costa Rica, helicopter lumberjack in New Zealand, artist's model in England, ski instructor in Minnesota, bar bouncer, rigging technician, lynx tracker, and drone pilot. With a degree in forest biology, she worked for seven years with the U.S. Forest Service in various capacities, including botanist, canoe ranger and wilderness firefighter. While working as a firefighter, she was formally trained in the handling of large vehicles with trailers.
Between driving gigs, Madeline works as a photographer and a construction rigger. Her drives for us tend to involve unusual situations, like pets, people, rental trucks, trailers and high-value cargo. Glenn is responsible for booking drives and negotiating the fee. If your drive is assigned to Madeline, you will be put in touch with her directly and she will collect the deposit and fee.
❝Madeline delivered the rig safe, sound, and right on time. I just wanted to write to tell you how impressed I am with your whole operation and the entire transaction. In addition, Madeline is an exceptional person and complete professional. I am so happy to have met her. You are lucky to have her on your team. It is clear she is trustworthy, reliable, dedicated, and there is no doubt that I would give her the highest recommendation possible. My grandfather also commented to me how impressed he was with Madeline and how pleasant it was to talk to her.❞ —Jonathan D. (phone number available upon request)
(Madeline was driving a pickup truck and fifth-wheel RV from Arizona to North Carolina in Sept. 2020.)
❝Quick thank you for providing Becca as our designated driver! She could not have been more responsible/responsive, and I knew the minute we met that all would be well, and it was. Seamless is the best descriptor I can come up with to describe the experience. Knowing that my boys were in good hands made what could have been a very anxiety-ridden few days much less so, and for that I thank her, and you.❞ —Wendy B. (phone number available upon request)
(Madeline was driving a car and two dogs from Austin to Albany in June 2021.)↑ Unsolicited comments from Madeline's clients.
Contact Madeline with Glenn's Driving Service at gdscadre@gmail.comor phone 512-968-1013 (cell) . Send me the info requested above.
Glenn's Old Reviews (2008-2010)
Below are some reviews I collected when I first started this service—over 10 years ago! (To avoid inconveniencing my clients, I no longer ask for reviews. Instead, I will give you the phone numbers of the last few people I have driven for.)
Customer Comments... (These are comments I collected in the first year of my business, 2008-09. Today, I will give you the phone numbers for my latest five clients.) "Glen was wonderful to work with and amazingly reliable.... " [See full review.] — Lorra L., Cleveland (Toyota Sienna and dog, Cleveland to Ft. Myers, Florida)
NOTE: I am no longer collecting new reviews (because they all say basically the same thing and I don't want to impose on my clients) but I can give you a list of my most recent clients so you can contact them yourself."I would absolutely recommend Glenn with no hesitation. I had initially hired two different shipping companies to transport my car from Burlington, VT to San Francisco. They both said yes and then later backed out when they could not get enough other cars to ship on the same route. Glenn is honest, gave us updated along the way, and showed up with the car on time at the destination." — Georgo F., San Francisco (Prius, Burlington VT to San Francisco)
"I went online and so many companies responded, but NONE were as personable and easy going and inexpensive as Glenn. It was an easy decision really. And 4 days later he pulled up to my door. The service was impeccable. Who could ask for more!" — Latifa A., Chapel Hill, NC (Toyota Prius, Taos, NM to Chapel Hill, NC)
"Glenn didn't hesitate when I asked him to drive a 26' U-Haul truck with a large car trailer in tow. He arrived at the appointed hour, stepped into the truck, stayed in touch every day with an email and drove over 2,000 miles to arrive a day early on the trip from Minneapolis to San Diego. Uneventful; just the way we wanted it to be."— Casey P., San Diego (Uhaul and towed Mercedes, Minneapolis to San Diego, photo)
"I'm so glad I found Glenn's service online. I looked at other ways of transporting my car but all were more expensive and none would have taken my keyboard and camping gear on board. Glenn brought my Subaru on schedule and in great condition." — Emily S., Denver (Subaru Outback, Ithaca, NY to Denver, CO)
"Glenn did a beautiful job driving my son's Volkswagen from Seattle, WA to Broadway, VA. The car was in good shape and Glenn was very professional. I highly recommend him." — Nancy S, Broadway, VA (Volkswagen Passat, Seattle to Virginia)
"Glenn was a true professional - he was extremely organized and provided great communication. He is also a true gentlemen - he picked me and my 16 month old twins up at the airport, helped me track down my luggage, and got us all loaded in to the car. I would highly recommend Glenn for your car transportation needs!" — Donna W., Kansas City (Infiniti G35, Connecticut to Kansas City)
"Organized, professional and reliable are the three words I'd use to describe our experience. Glenn was so professional that this is the second time we've used his services." — David M, Charleston SC (Land Rover Discovery: Charleston to Portland ME & Portland ME to Charleston)
"Glenn assisted me by driving a Dodge van with wheelchair lift from Orange County, CA to Green Bay, WI where my mother was relocating. The van arrived as planned in plenty of time to meet my mother and I at the airport when we arrived by plane. Glenn also kept me informed along the way, gave me a complete itemization of expenses with receipts and was very professional. I feel very lucky to have found him and enjoyed the entire experience." — Terry J., Anaheim CA (Dodge Ram 2500 Van: Anaheim CA to Green Bay WI)
"Glenn went through hoops to pick-up my dogs on time in Florida and arrived on Cape Cod just when he said he would with everyone in very good order. Lucky and Charm (Wheaten Terriers) seemed very content and well taken care of. I am very grateful for this personal service. Thanks, Glenn!" — Joan S., Dennis MA (Lincoln Aviator: Ft. Myers FL to Dennis MA)
"Glenn was totally professional with regard to his commitments, scheduling, budgeting and auto handling, including crossing the border. The vehicle arrived in perfect condition on time and on budget. The man is a consummate professional." — Mike M., Toronto (Mazda 3: Denver to Toronto)
"Finding you was like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - no airline fees; total honesty and reliability; punctuality; an incredible sense of humor and a great writer, to boot! Please keep in touch - and I promise to recommend your services far and wide. Feel free to ask anyone to email me for a recommendation." — Julie S., Miami (Chevy Silverado: Miami to Camp Lejeune, NC)
"I was so lucky to find Glenn Campbell to drive my daughter's car from Rochester, NY to Denver, CO. He was very professional and I felt very comfortable trusting him to drive the car. I would recommend him and use his service again if needed." — Audrey W., Rochester, NY (Subara Tribeca: Rochester, NY, to Denver, CO)
"We found Glenn Campbell to be honest, reliable and trustworthy. His customized service was convenient and flexible. His care and efficiency make him an excellent choice." — Peter M., Alexandria, VA (Toyota Camry: Alexandria, VA to Austin, TX)
"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Mom was very appreciative and liked you a lot. She called you a 'Gem' and I agree." — Tamara L., Asheville, NC (Honda Acura: Asheville, NC to Miami (twice!) and Miami to Asheville)
Contact Madeline at Glenn's Driving Service at gdscadre@gmail.com
or phone 512-968-1013 (cell) .To obtain a quote, send me the info requested in the green box above. CELLPHONE NOTE: I don't answer my phone while driving (except with my headset on). If you leave a voicemail, I'll try to call you back within 15 minutes. If I don't, try email, which I usually have better access to.
This page copyright ©2020, Glenn Campbell. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden.
Preferred URL: http://glennsdrivingservice.com
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