We put a bid into USHIP to find someone to haul our boat. Uship was easy to use and we had bids quickly. The comments of the shippers were helpful and we realized that we had to pay a little more than we first thought. But we still got a reasonable rate. In addition, our shipper, Doug, gave us a 10% discount for prepayment. We had thought about trying to pull the boat there by ourselves, but were concerned about the time it would take and if our vehicle would make it that far. Doug T did a great job, getting there on time. The tracking system on USHIP is really fun. You can look to see where the shipper is at any given time.
Cost-wise, it seems like more than you think it would cost you to do the hauling. That is, until you sit down and figure out the gas, the hotels, the wear and tear on your vehicle, your time off work, and then the stress of hauling a 5000 lb boat through the mountains. After all these factors, shipping is not that expensive by comparison.
We will definitely use USHIP because of their wide array of shipping services. What a great way to find good quality people to help you out.