Shipping a car across the country is stressful.
You’re trusting your keys (and thousands of dollars worth of vehicle value) to a stranger who will drive it half-way across the country.
Why wouldn’t you want a company you can trust?
Here’s the problem:
The auto transport industry is filled with scam artists.
Phantom brokers, bait and switch quotes, lost vehicles, wrecked cars… you name the horror story.
The good news is that finding a reputable car shipping company is easy when you know what to look for.
Why Trust Matters In Auto Transport
Booking with the wrong company can cost you thousands.
Your car can arrive damaged.
Or worse… never arrive at all.
The industry is exploding.
Which means a lot of sharks.
Just this month FreightWaves analyzed 2,400 car shipping companies across the country.
That says something about how saturated this market has become.
Whether you need door to door service, open transport, enclosed transport or terminal-to-terminal shipping, you want to make sure that the company you deal with is reputable.
There are lots of great providers of affordable car shipping that offer terminal-to-terminal service at reasonable rates — you just have to know what to look for.
Let’s look at the signs.
7 Signs Of A Trustworthy Car Shipping Company
These are what distinguish good companies from the scams.
Keep these in mind when you are comparing quotes.
They Have Proper Licensing and Registration
This is the very first check to make.
Every reputable car carrier will have a USDOT number and MC number (Motor Carrier number) issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
There is no negotiating these.
One recent industry article highlighted double brokering scams, where unlicensed companies illegally resell contracts you obtain.
How to verify these numbers:
- Head to the FMCSA SAFER website
- Type in the company’s DOT or MC number
- Confirm the business name matches
If they won’t (or can’t) give you these numbers up front, walk away.
Period.
Transparent Pricing With No Low-Ball Quotes
If a quote sounds too good to be true… it is.
The most frequent type of car shipping scam involves low-ball quotes.
You are quoted an extremely low price by an unethical broker in order to secure your business.
Shortly before vehicle pickup, the price is “raised” because no carrier will transport your vehicle for that low price.
A trustworthy company gives you:
- A detailed written quote
- A clear breakdown of costs
- A price they will honour
- No hidden fees
Respectable companies price their quotes based on actual market rates — gas prices, distance, truck size and type of transport.
If one estimate is significantly lower than the others, be wary.
Real Reviews and A Verifiable Track Record
Reviews tell you almost everything.
Where to look:
- Google Reviews
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- Trustpilot
- Transport Reviews
Customers want to read hundreds of reviews that have a good average score.
They don’t want to see a few 5-star reviews from fake accounts.
Authentic reviews talk about the driver name, pickup day and how problems were handled.
Watch how the company handles negative reviews.
A legit business will own up to their errors and provide solutions.
A shady business will attack back or won’t acknowledge complaints at all.
Clear Insurance Coverage
Every car shipping company should have cargo insurance that covers your vehicle during transport.
Request a copy of their insurance certificate prior to booking.
If they are legitimate they will send it to you right away.
Look for:
- The insurance provider’s name
- The coverage limits
- What is (and isn’t) covered
If they get cagey when insurance comes up, that’s your cue to move on.
Multiple Shipping Options To Choose From
A trustworthy auto transport company provides you with various types of shipping services to fit your budget and needs.
These services include open carrier transport, enclosed transport, door to door, and terminal-to-terminal.
Terminal-to-terminal shipping is often the most affordable option because:
- You drop your car off at a nearby terminal
- The carrier delivers it to a terminal near the destination
- Fewer miles are driven off-route
- Costs are shared across multiple customers
When a company only sells one service and tries to strong arm you into buying, they know they don’t have the network to meet your needs.
A reputable company will walk you through your options and help you choose what is right for you.
Responsive And Professional Communication
Try calling before you book.
If they answer promptly, talk in a professional tone and clearly answer questions, that’s excellent.
If they leave you on voicemail, ignore you or treat you rudely, envision how they’ll react when your car is broken down in the middle of Texas and California.
Look for companies that offer:
- A dedicated customer service line
- Real-time shipment tracking
- A single point of contact throughout the booking
Communication makes or breaks the whole experience.
Trustworthy companies know this.
Secure Payment Methods
Here’s a big one:
Never pay a car shipping company with wire transfers, Zelle, cash apps or gift cards.
Scammers always use these methods.
They are untraceable.
If you get scammed, there is no way to recover your funds.
A reputable company will take credit cards or secure online payments.
They normally won’t charge you the full amount until a carrier is selected — they will ask for a deposit however.
Red Flags That Should Send You Running
You know the good signs.. now it’s time for the bad ones.
Watch out for these red flags:
- No USDOT or MC number listed on their website
- Prices much lower than every other quote received
- No physical address or a suspicious P.O. box
- Requests for wire transfers or gift card payment
- Pressure to book immediately
- A brand new website with no online history
- Reviews that all sound the same (or none at all)
Two or more?
Move on.
There are lots of reputable companies who will treat you (and your vehicle) with respect.
Final Thoughts
Booking with a trustworthy car shipping company doesn’t have to be hard.
Do a bit of homework before handing over the keys.
To quickly recap:
- Proper FMCSA licensing and registration
- Transparent, fair pricing
- Solid reviews with a real track record
- Clear insurance coverage
- Multiple options including terminal-to-terminal shipping
- Responsive communication
- Secure payment methods
Double check these signs for another hour.
You could literally save yourself thousands and skip the headache.
Your car deserves it.
And so do you.
Hope you’ve found our article, Signs of a Trustworthy Car Shipping Company Worth Booking With useful.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If you’d like to add a comment or thought on this post, please use the comments section below. I can also be contacted via the online contact form. Keep up to date with the latest news on social media.