So you've REALLY been waiting. I don't know what the heck is going on, but us in PA, NJ, and MD are getting nowhere fast. My dealer is ALSO waiting (per Insight) on over a dozen 3500 diesels, most are sold orders like mine, and two went KZ a month before me.

By the way, WELCOME to the site. Where in Maryland are you located, and who is your dealer?

 

I'm in Ellicott City, 15 miles west of Balto. The dealer is Tate Dodge of Glen Burnie. They were the only dealer around with the allocation to order at the time. I could have settled for an auto 305/555 at the time, and still could for that matter. Just figured I should get EXACTLY what I wanted. It figures work has been slow all winter, (I always is) so I had plenty of time to put the accessories on, but as it is now, working 70-80 hrs. a week, I will have no time until Aug. Everyone tells me I always have bad luck. So I have just come to expect things like this to happen to me. I oredere the truck from a friend at the dealer. He quit around Jan. 1. The new salesman/mgr. is of no help. The old salesman (friend) had a "IN" with a dealer rep who is VERY high up. That would have come in handy

 

Welcome to the Twilight Zone BadKarma!

Wex, just in case you have to resort to plan 'B', check out the dodge.com website. It seems every dealer's site is built and run by DC so each site looks the same. They also have control over their inventory. Go build a truck and then select SEARCH DEALER INVENTORY under 'next step' (on the right of the page). There you can run a search of what trucks your local dealer has. It's pretty cool. You can also see a copy of the trucks window sticker (and see if its the new 600 or not).

Anyhow...just a FYI I guess.

 

Hoping I won't have to do that, NJ. Got a whole month yet before I start thinking about that. Hopefully, a month from now, I'll be chuckling at my own impatience.

Badkarma here seems to reinforce our concerns, however. WHERE are all the ordered/shipped trucks that are supposed to be going to Mid-Atlantic and East Coast dealers?

 

If you try to search dealers inventory, A certain truck may not be in stock yet. I have been told the website info is updated as they are INVOICED for the vehicle. Therefore they may swow 6 diesels in stock, but not have any, until the boat comes, or whatever. I have found a few 600s that are supposed to be on dealers lots. When I call or go there in person, they say they have'nt arrived yet.

 

I am awfully tempted to try to negotiate a deal on the one remaining dually my dealer has. But I don't want an auto, and this truck doesn't have the leather I wanted. Also it is an 04, not 04.5. It is the color I want, but something must be wrong with it as it has been sitting on the lot for 3 months now. Oh, I know why, it has 3 or 4 scratches all the way to the metal, and a few dents.

 

I feel a little better knowing its not just my truck or your truck but everyone's truck. There is a serious issue here and I hope with enough dealers screaming "Where are my trucks" someone at DC will listen.

Yesterday I was in panic mode thinking my next step was to find a 555 on a dealer lot miles away. Between the unknown delivery time and the issues with the new 600's, I almost broke down and took a truck I really didn't want. Today, I'm just going with the flow. If I would have given up my ordered truck I would have lost the 0% $2k which for me is worth a few extra grand (I'm taking full advantage of the 0%). I'm going to wait for the truck I have on order - the one I put together with the options I wanted. As for the gremlins that some of the 600s are showing, I feel confident DC will get them squared away in good time.

Its really out of our control. The truck will get here when it gets here. Looking at that **** Insight screen is of no help other then to get my blood pressure up.

Funny thought….dealer said call me Tuesday which is after 3/15, the date my truck is scheduled to arrive in port of Baltimore. Yea, right OK. Like you really believe that date isn't going to change and my truck will be sitting in the port with a smile going "Hello Gringo! La Cervesas?".


The wait continues…..

 

One thing that really made me mad was when my dealer called and told me the truck was in the port of balto. and it would be a few more days. That was around the first of Feb. Needless to say, I will never order again. I will locate a truck, fly out and purchase. This is the 2nd dodge truck I have bought that has gone this way. Both were expected in 6-8 wks. The first truck (95) took 11 wks. This truck...I've really stopped counting.

 

Welcome to misery loves company!

I am very puzzled by a couple of things:

1) Why bother shipping by boat in the first place? They already use railcars within a reasonable distance from Baltimore.

2) Why is it so difficult to get reliable information from Dodge? If a boat sank why not just tell it like it is?

I remember reading about someone's experience of having to reorder because there was severe water damage to the truck. No boat is not an easy answer either. I ordered 12.31.03, the truck was built 01.20.04 and predicted to be at the dealer on 03.17.04. It is reported as being parked in a lot 200 miles from the dealer since 03.05.04.

jr

 

Another reason all these dealers should be screaming to the Mother Ship. I know my salesperson told me that he received the invoice on my truck the day it went KZ - 2/18. All those invoices cost the dealer money. They have to pay DC for the trucks, but will not get paid until they hit the lots to sell, or are delivered to those of us who have ordered them.

OK, all you other "lurkers" in the Mid-Atlantic states - speak up. What has your order experience been like so far? Hello? Bueller?.............Bueller?........

 

Mine is going by rail, but I only found this out last week, when my dealer was able to get a railcar number for me. This information is not on Insight, so he obviously was looking at some other system. However, I was able to track my railcar from Union Pacific to New Orleans, where it was transferred to CSX, went to Greenwood (Columbia) SC, where information ended. Who knows, may be sitting on a side track somewhere.

Jarmar, you must be the exception in SoCal, as a couple other SoCal guys here (or maybe it was over on TDR - Dawall comes to mind) got their trucks VERY quickly.

Osama Bin Laden probably had himself shipped from Afghanistan with DC's delivery system - that's why no one can find him!

 

LOL! Good one!

Actually I live in Northern California in the foothills east of Sacramento. I ordered from Carson City Dodge. It is a mystery why it takes 12–14 days to get the trucks up the hill from Benicia in the Bay Area.

They said that their experience was that if they 'red flaged' a truck to expedite things it took three or four weeks longer.

jr

 

Listen to my rant. When I check all the diesels my dealer ordered on (Hind)sight, it shows about half loaded on the vessel 3/2, 10:36 AM, all at the exact same time, expected del is now 3/29. The other half of the diesels were loaded on 3/6, 1:29 PM, also all on the same time, also same expected del. date, 3/29. As you all know the dates change daily. The port info for my truck is rarely there. This led me to believe at first that there were 2 moves of trucks for the same boat (or vessel), and there is no way the vessel could have left until after Sat. 3/6. The dealer said it takes 3-4 days to get here by boat (Yeah, if the boat goes 100 knots), A reputable source from the shipping industry says no less than 6-8 days as the boats only go 15 mph (knots?). SOOOOOO ANYWAY, I don't know where I'm going with this, just thought I'd share. Im going to dealer when I get time this week to see if they will call a good rep to find out if it's on train, not boat.

 

How many trucks would you say they put on a boat (or train) 300?, 600?, any guesses. I know my truck wasn't the only one sitting waiting for a ride for over a month. Also how often do boats leave.

 

Ah, Grasshopper, these are the great mysteries of life.

It wouldn't suprise me a bit if yours was on a train. Call someone in charge at your dealer, and see if they can find a railcar number.

My project for this week will be to see if my railcar has moved any from South Carolina, and if not, why not.