[eekthecat]

The Ultimate Tracking guide seems to say that BMW uses NYK for West Coast deliveries, and Wallenius for East Coast, but checking their shipping schedules, I can't find anything at all for NYK to the west coast, and have found a couple of ships departing Bremerhaven going to Port Hueneme (spaced two weeks apart).

My car arrived at Bremerhaven on Jan-09, and it looks like I've missed the Jan-11 ship -- the next one isn't until Jan-25

Does anyone know which companies BMW is using these days?

[sam1983]

For east coast, they mostly use WW and K-Line. My car was on the Michigan Highway

[Reposado]

How do you determine which ship it's on?

[eekthecat]

Originally Posted by Reposado

How do you determine which ship it's on?

Your CA can probably tell you after it gets on a ship, the 800 number rep might be able to tell you too, try entering your VIN into a shipping company's tracking site, or you can make a reasonable guess beforehand by looking at shipping schedules.

At this point, I'm trying to make that educated guess by looking at my car's port arrival date (Jan-09) and also looking at shipping schedules (can only find WW going from bremerhaven to west coast/oxnard), and I figure that if my car didn't make the Jan-11 ship, then it's gonna be Jan-25. (which is why I'm desperate to see if there are any other companies BMW uses to ship to the west coast) - Just something to keep me occupied...

[m6pwr]

The BMW Customer Relations folks (800-831-1117) can tell you what ship your car has been assigned to, provided you can tell them the last seven of the VIN. The wait at the port can be the longest delay or wait, I believe. Once on board, you can track your car/ship on http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/home.

[Reposado]

Thanks guys. My 435 has been sitting at the port for over 3 weeks "awaiting a shipping vessel." Apparently it's not on the "Tosca", which left today. Next ship leaves Bremerhaven Jan. 21. This wait has become excruciating.

[Steve33]

Originally Posted by Reposado

Thanks guys. My 435 has been sitting at the port for over 3 weeks "awaiting a shipping vessel." Apparently it's not on the "Tosca", which left today. Next ship leaves Bremerhaven Jan. 21. This wait has become excruciating.

Don't be so sure - the website is slow to update. The phone line is faster, but still a day or two behind. 3 weeks seems far too long and should be on a ship anytime now.

[Reposado]

@Steve33 -- thanks, you're so right. As of this morning the WW tracking site shows my car IS on the Tosca! Due in at NJ on Jan. 29. The excitement is really building now! How long after arrival do cars typically stay at port before they clear customs and are released for transport to the dealer?

[sam1983]

Typically a few days - i've heard folks saying from 2-3 days upto a week

[m6pwr]

Originally Posted by Reposado

@Steve33 -- thanks, you're so right. As of this morning the WW tracking site shows my car IS on the Tosca! Due in at NJ on Jan. 29. The excitement is really building now! How long after arrival do cars typically stay at port before they clear customs and are released for transport to the dealer?

I've only ordered one BMW, a 2014 delivered about two months ago, but there is not much delay at all at the port. But the cars are not shipped directly to dealers, but to a BMW Vehicle Processing Center. You should be able to Google BMW VPC and get a lot of info on what goes on there. All customer-ordered cars are supposed to get priority, but if you have some performance kit items, or satellite radio, these items are installed at the VPC and may delay processing a bit. In my case, I didn't have sat radio and only had the black kidney grills to be installed. The car made it through in one day.

FWIW, here's a tip from someone who has bought many BMW's (10 to be exact) from dealer stock. I took the opportunity on my first-time ordered car to ask my CA to tell the lot boys/porters to NOT do any cosmetic prep at all - - not even to wash the car. If they had to check tire pressures, fluid levels, etc, that's OK, but no toucha da paint or interior wood trim. I didn't want them washing and drying a car with the same dirty rags they used on the previous 15 or so BMW's that day. I was very pleased to get a car (Mineral Grey Metallic) that has not the slightest, tiniest, most minute, microscopic little hairline scratch anywhere in the clearcoat, either on the paint or on the interior wood trim, particularly the horizontal trim around the iDrive knob and shift (don't know how the dealers manage to screw that up, but they do). I was also surprised at how clean the car comes straight from the VPC. Then buy this little item for future service visits to your dealer -http://www.detailedimage.com/DI-Accessories-M12/Do-Not-Wash-Rear-View-Mirror-Hang-Tag-P897/.

[Reposado]

Thanks m6pwr. Great tip. Appreciate it.

[eekthecat]

Any other ideas for the west coast? So far, I've seen Wallenius and a NYK ship... don't know what other shipping schedules to check.

[ipilcher]

Originally Posted by m6pwr

The BMW Customer Relations folks (800-831-1117) can tell you what ship your car has been assigned to, provided you can tell them the last seven of the VIN. The wait at the port can be the longest delay or wait, I believe. Once on board, you can track your car/ship on http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/home.

That works while the ship is close to shore, but they want €249/month for satellite tracking. Anyone know of a site that offers a free satellite tracking trial?