Lou B

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/l/bes...utm_medium=cpc

I have shipped several cars, the last one was our S560 from KY to ME and return. My experience has been that the "Shipper" simply searches out independent drivers whose rig fits your needs. It's worth while getting quotes. But, once the car is picked up, the "Shipper" is out of the picture.

This may not always be true, of course. But, what I'm saying is that the drivers and their rigs are independent contractors mostly.

JohnLane

If you are shipping one car from BFE to BFN your choice will be a guy who tows usually an open trailer able to tow one or two cars. This rules out big companies with good reputations.

Some research will find the guy who tows one car at a time in an enclosed trailer. Expect to pay more for the service.

Lou B

Well, your abbreviations are clear as mud to me, but that's okay.

Actually, my experience in this tiny Kentucky town of 7,500, 65 miles from Cincinnati or Lexington, I can get any kind of a rig I want, and it doesn't rule out any company. Of course, an enclosed trailer or truck is more costly. YGWYPF.*

My guess is that you're in an urban area, and don't understand how to get along in Tinytown, USA.


*Figure it out yet?

chassis

@Lou B your use of the word "shipper" in fact means broker in the freight world. A broker is a third party that takes your order, places it on an electronic load board, which is then "taken" or "picked up" by a carrier. The carrier is a company which holds a license to transport goods.

The carrier may or may not own its own trucks and may or may not employ drivers as full time employees. It's a fragmented industry. On the other hand, companies like Reliable and some others represent themselves as full service transport companies. The customer-facing image is that one "logo" handles the whole transaction. The equipment (tractor and trailer) may indeed have the company logo on it, but equipment ownership and employment status of the driver may not be with the "logo" company.

I have shipped with a broker with full success, no complaints.

Lou B

I accept and thank you for your clarification, and apologize for my misuse of terms - I should have known better.

S_W222

There is no way around brokers to get the actual carriers, unless you yourself is a broker. Even dealers sometimes don't have access to carriers unless they have a broker account. Almost 99.99% of brokers in the US use the same platform to post your car waiting for a carrier to accept the pickup and drop off locations. The best that we (regular consumer) can do is to work with a "fair" broker. This means, if they charge you 1000 USD, I'd hope that they are posting the car on the broker-only website for 900 USD or more so that it can be picked up quickly. A bad broker would first try to post it for 500 USD (as an example) to make 50% profit, and would start to increase the offer slowly until it's picked up which causes delays for you.

I buy most of my cars out of state when I go pre-owned, and finally was able to find a fair broker who would even tell me straight how much he will be posting it for (usually he'd take only take 5-10% for himself and use 90-95% of what I paid him to post it on the brokers website. Also, a fair broker would help you pay a fair amount that is not too low so that you wait forever, and just high enough for a carrier/driver to pick up the posted car quickly. Some brokers would be happy to promise you a very cheap rate, but you may have to wait then weeks and weeks until a desperate driver picks it up.

chassis

montway.com is a good broker. They shipped a Porsche 2,400 miles for me, full satisfaction.

United-car002

That's a risky approach. While it can be cost-effective, relying on independent contractors for car shipping can lead to unexpected issues. You have less control over the process, and there's a higher chance of delays, damage, or even scams.

I'd recommend exploring other options like reputable vehicle shipping companies that have a proven track record and offer insurance. They might be more expensive, but you'll have peace of mind knowing your car is in good hands.