Delivery Delays on New Trucks

[davalt75]

I just bought a 2021 Laramie 6.7 that was already built but still in transit to the dealer from the factory. I was not aware of the car hauler shortage prior to buying the truck back on May 5th. Looking back, I remember the salesman making a couple of very vague comments about a few delays lately but I didn't think much about it. It was never mentioned in any detail whatsoever. The truck arrived by train in Georgia on the 15th and has been waiting since then for a truck to pick it up and deliver it to the dealer in NC. The initial delivery date was between the 14th and the 27th. That has already been extended to between May 27th and June 4th. I don't have a high level of confidence it will be here by then either. Have any of you bought a new truck that was in transit to the dealer recently and what kind of wait times did you experience?

 

[Graygoose]

In the industry we are in, we are seeing major delays and freight at an all time high...so if you even get that quick, feel lucky. All OTR trucking companies are seeing driver shortages.

 

[davalt75]

In the industry we are in, we are seeing major delays and freight at an all time high...so if you even get that quick, feel lucky. All OTR trucking companies are seeing driver shortages.

I knew about the chip shortage but figured I was safe there since the truck was already built and in transit. I had no clue about the nationwide driver shortage. I guess because it hasn't affected me directly until now. Luckily the dealer let me keep my truck until the new one arrives. So at least I'm not without a truck. They are telling me they are pushing for it to be here by the end of the month but I think they are just trying pacify me by saying that. I don't think there's really much they can do about it.

 

[any4xx]

If your dealer WANTED TO, they could send someone to get just your truck. I work (very) part time for a dealer and I’ve done that a few times. The rail yard is about 100 miles away so half a day later our customers had their vehicles. You might want to ask your dealer about paying for a driver or a couple of drivers to do that if you’re in a hurry.

 

[davalt75]

If your dealer WANTED TO, they could send someone to get just your truck. I work (very) part time for a dealer and I’ve done that a few times. The rail yard is about 100 miles away so half a day later our customers had their vehicles. You might want to ask your dealer about paying for a driver or a couple of drivers to do that if you’re in a hurry.

If it isn't here by the end of next week that will be a month since I signed the paperwork. I will start putting pressure on them to do just that and see where it gets me.

 

[Graygoose]

Or they knock off some, and you and wife take a road trip

 

[davalt75]

Or they knock off some, and you and wife take a road trip

The thought of going to get it has crossed my mind. But I test drove a truck at the dealership while I was there that had literally just rolled off the hauler. The truck was still in "dealer mode" and there were several things that would not work until it had been taken out of dealer mode. The a/c was one of them I remember right off the top of my head. So if I went to pick it up myself, wouldn't the truck still be in "dealer mode"?

 

[any4xx]

Problem is that the security at the rail yards is pretty extreme and the dealer will still have to PDI the truck. Very likely the rail yard folks will only release the truck to the dealer.

 

[LNL HUTZ]

I just bought a 2021 Laramie 6.7 that was already built but still in transit to the dealer from the factory. I was not aware of the car hauler shortage prior to buying the truck back on May 5th. Looking back, I remember the salesman making a couple of very vague comments about a few delays lately but I didn't think much about it. It was never mentioned in any detail whatsoever. The truck arrived by train in Georgia on the 15th and has been waiting since then for a truck to pick it up and deliver it to the dealer in NC. The initial delivery date was between the 14th and the 27th. That has already been extended to between May 27th and June 4th. I don't have a high level of confidence it will be here by then either. Have any of you bought a new truck that was in transit to the dealer recently and what kind of wait times did you experience?

This sounds consistent with what I was told by the dealer when I got my 1500 a couple weeks ago, way out here on the other side of the continent. This was a large dedicated Ram truck facility. Everything is to be taken with a huge grain of salt, of course, but they said that they have over 200 trucks sitting in a yard probably 60 miles away, half of which were pre-sold, and the dealership did not know when they would show up.

This seems nuts to me--on top of the chip shortages already killing the supply chain, to have so much undelivered product sitting a short drive away would be super frustrating.

The sales guy said that the dealership's lot is about half-full right now compared with three or four months ago. Again, grain of salt since he may have just been blowing smoke to make me feel special for paying below MSRP on a truck that was actually in stock, but none of the other Ram dealerships in the area seem to be swimming in inventory either.

 

[Smokey613]

The dealers stock near me look like ghost towns as far as anything we would be interested in. Sure, they are offering crazy trade in pricing but so what, they are offering very little discounts off MSRP so in reality your trade is actually worth less. Our 2018 looks better all the time.

 

[turkeybird56]

I keep getting Emails from my "dealership" ref yer MY 19 worth a lot, come and trade and buy. Does me no good to go from a 19 to a 21, same basic truck but I lose in the $$$$$, just saying. Might get more for my truck, but inventory around here is priced 30% higher than a few months ago.

 

[mikeru]

I keep getting Emails from my "dealership" ref yer MY 19 worth a lot, come and trade and buy. Does me no good to go from a 19 to a 21, same basic truck but I lose in the $$$$$, just saying. Might get more for my truck, but inventory around here is priced 30% higher than a few months ago.

Yeah, I think you missed the window if you wanted to upgrade your truck. I thought about just selling and driving my other vehicle until all these shortages end, but who knows how long that will be. And I do occasionally need a truck for hauling things that won't fit in my Audi. I was fortunate to find a truck on a lot for a decent price, equipped with everything I want, and still take advantage of great trade-in value. But that was a month ago, and dealership stock on hand was still somewhat decent.

 

[turkeybird56]

Yeah, I think you missed the window if you wanted to upgrade your truck. I thought about just selling and driving my other vehicle until all these shortages end, but who knows how long that will be. And I do occasionally need a truck for hauling things that won't fit in my Audi. I was fortunate to find a truck on a lot for a decent price, equipped with everything I want, and still take advantage of great trade-in value. But that was a month ago, and dealership stock on hand was still somewhat decent.

My biggest upgrade wanted was MFT and better trailer control. But to get, have to go to a special ordered Laramie or Limited, and I am not paying 60-75K for a truck, just saying, especially since my truck is, as they say, "I have the Pink Slip", LOL....

 

[davalt75]

Dealer called me earlier and actually offered to send a driver to get the truck. I didn't even have to ask. He said they are willing but Chrysler has to give them the ok. Best case scenario is it could be here in a couple of days. My luck usually does not run like that, though.

 

[mikeru]

My biggest upgrade wanted was MFT and better trailer control. But to get, have to go to a special ordered Laramie or Limited, and I am not paying 60-75K for a truck, just saying, especially since my truck is, as they say, "I have the Pink Slip", LOL....

The MFT is something I really wanted. I also really hated the puny 23 gallon gas tank. I eventually wanted to get into a Limited for a long term truck. This situation with the high used truck values just made that happen about a year earlier than I had planned. Everyone's situation is different, and if you're happy with your current truck that's great.

 

[RedNBlack]

I placed a deposit on my truck on April 25th, it landed at the rail yard on May 2nd and I picked it up May 20th. I'm on the west coast.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

 

[GTyankee]

When stock gets built up at the Railway Hubs, like it did in the past when Union truck drivers were trying to get better pay.
Dealerships were hiring Hot Shots to make runs from the Rail road hubs back to the dealerships

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Off topic:

Chances are you saw on the News where UPS drivers were driving Semi Trucks loaded with Vaccine to battle the Corona Virus.
Each of those semi trucks was being escorted by Police & other armed personnel.

Imagine a Fleet of Armored Trucks loaded with Microprocessors heading to the Auto Assembly Plants
Each truck would need a Battalion of armed personnel

 

[davalt75]

I placed a deposit on my truck on April 25th, it landed at the rail yard on May 2nd and I picked it up May 20th. I'm on the west coast.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

Roughly 2 1/2 weeks. Not too awfully bad from what I've been reading but that seems like an eternity when you're waiting on it. Mine hit the rail yard on the 15th. Saturday will be 2 weeks.

 

[davalt75]

When stock gets built up at the Railway Hubs, like it did in the past when Union truck drivers were trying to get better pay.
Dealerships were hiring Hot Shots to make runs from the Rail road hubs back to the dealerships

My dealer said today they might send a driver to get it if they can get it approved. I wouldn't think they would bother to send a driver from NC to GA for just one truck though. I could see maybe sending someone in a dually pulling a car hauler to grab a few of them. I know they are waiting on more than just mine.

 

[GTyankee]

Usually a Hot Shot driver will haul 3 or 4 vehicles at a time

Georgia has 2 possible RR towns where they can drop off Rams

Hapeville, GA (Atlanta)
Lawrenceville, GA

Is Winston-Salem, NC too far away from where you live, they, the RR unload vehicles there also

Found another R.R Hub
Columbia, SC (Dixiana)
SC003
CSX
3450 Charleston Hwy, RT321 W. Columbia, SC