The auto shipping process can be overwhelming. Before shipping a car for the first time, it is important to understand the process and those involved.
- Auto Transport Broker - The vast majority of auto transport companies that you will encounter are auto transport brokers. These brokers are licensed by the US Department of Transportation to arrange transportation with DOT licensed carriers. While a lot of people would like to arrange their transportation directly with a carrier, this is often impractical as most carriers are very small operations consisting of less than 10 trucks with a limited on-line presence.
- Auto Transport Carrier - These are the businesses that are contracted by the auto transport brokers to physically transport your vehicle from origin to destination. All auto transport carriers are licensed by the Department of Transportation and required by federal law to maintain at least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance. These carriers also maintain cargo insurance that ranges from $100,000-$1,000,000 plus, depending on the type of equipment that they are operating and the scope of the cargo that they transport. The auto transport carrier industry is very fragmented and consists of mainly owner operators with one truck.
Due to the way the auto transport industry is organized, it is impractical for carriers to book shipments for their equipment. Carrier routing changes weekly and they are not staffed to provide the customer service functions provided by auto transport brokers.