Some thoughts from someone who has done both - or all 3 really; I've had fish delivered in a fish truck, I've had fish shipped FedEx overnight, and I've picked fish up and drove them myself.
1) If you haul the fish yourself consider all the variables; if your vehicle breaks down, if you're involved in an accident, if you have the fish in the cab and that fish water leaks into the cab on seats and carpets, traffic delays, suitable containers for holding the water and the fish and not leaking, leak proofing the inside of your vehicle, oxygen for the fish.
All of these above are reasons that even as frugal as I am, I will almost always pony up for delivery.
Fish transport water out of the container and into the car on the seats and carpet? Check. Done that. What a bad smell for weeks thereafter. This is very stinky water. So double up on your commercial grade tarp, get strong plastic totes, seal the lids with electrical tape, and put your oxygen though a small hole in the lid.
If you are involved in an accident, if your vehicle breaks down, if there is a delay in your route you and likely you alone are responsible for the dead or dying fish. I wonder, and I think it likely, that if the fish hauler breaks down or stuck in traffic etc. they will make it right and bring you new fish. Seems like that is responsible thing to do.
2) If you think you're saving money by not paying $1/mile delivery, think again. Add up the tarps, the totes, the tape, the gas, the time involved in driving to the pick up location, the time to transfer the fish to your totes, time to seal lids, etc etc etc. Then the stress of hauling those live fish to your body of water. And then acclimating those fish in your totes. Getting those heavy totes off your vehicle, etc. You may find that your expenses equal the delivery expense. Or maybe delivery is $100 or $200 more.
Man, I've been down this road and if you don't have a pick up truck or flatbed trail and the right totes and oxygen source seriously consider paying for delivery. Just sit and wait for them to show up and they acclimate and they transfer and you just realize that $100 or $200 more is SO worth it.
I do not recommend hauling fish inside a vehicle with seats and carpet. Period. Utility van with no carpet or Uhaul is fine. But not in a vehicle your misses rides in.
I am a worker. I hand saw trees to fell them. We grow veggies from seeds inside before transferring outside. But I really see the benefit of allowing the professional to deliver the fish.
Just considerations.
