Search for the best car shipping companies and you'll find hundreds of them, most promising the lowest price, the fastest pickup, and five-star service. They can't all be the best — and the difference between a smooth shipment and a stressful one usually comes down to a few things you can check before you book.
This guide explains how the car shipping industry works, what makes an auto transport company reliable, and the nine checks to run on any company you're considering, including us.
What "Best" Actually Means in Car Shipping
Most cars arrive safely no matter who you book with. What separates the best car shipping companies is everything around the drive:
- The car is picked up within the window you were quoted
- The price you agreed to is the price you pay
- Someone answers when you call and tells you where your car is
- If something goes wrong, the company helps you resolve it instead of disappearing
Keep those four outcomes in mind as you compare companies. Star ratings and slogans matter far less than evidence that a company delivers on them.
Brokers, Carriers, and Lead Sites: Know Who You're Hiring
Carriers: Trucking companies that own the car haulers. Most run a handful of regular routes, so a single carrier rarely covers every pickup and destination.
Brokers: Companies licensed by the FMCSA to arrange transport. A broker prices your shipment, finds a carrier with space on your route, and manages the booking. Most car shipments in the U.S. are arranged by brokers. ShipMyCar US is a broker.
Lead sites: Websites that collect your details and sell them to several brokers at once. If you enter your phone number on a quote site and your phone starts ringing nonstop, you've used a lead site.
The best choice for most people is a reputable broker with a strong carrier network. To avoid lead sites, use a calculator that shows a price before asking for your phone number.
9 Checks Before You Book Any Car Shipping Company
1. FMCSA registration: Look up the company's USDOT and MC numbers on the FMCSA website. Brokers must hold broker authority and keep a $75,000 surety bond or trust on file.
2. A written, all-in quote: The quote should list the full price, including fuel and door-to-door service, not a low base rate with extras added later.
3. Deposit terms: Reliable companies charge a small deposit or nothing until a carrier is assigned. Be cautious of anyone asking for the full price upfront.
4. Proof of insurance: Ask how carriers are vetted and whether you'll get the carrier's certificate of insurance before pickup.
5. A realistic pickup window: Most pickups happen within 1–5 days of your first available date. A promise of next-day pickup at a rock-bottom price is a warning sign.
6. Recent reviews — especially the bad ones: Read the 1- and 2-star reviews on Google, the BBB, and TransportReviews.com, and see how the company responded.
7. Cancellation policy: Find out what happens if your plans change before a carrier is assigned, and after.
8. Communication: You should have one point of contact who can tell you where your car is.
9. Damage process: Ask how the Bill of Lading inspection works and what happens if there's damage at delivery.
Red Flags That Signal an Unreliable Car Shipping Company
- A quote far below every other quote you received
- Pressure to pay the full price before a carrier is assigned
- No USDOT or MC number, or numbers that don't match the company name
- Vague answers about insurance and carrier vetting
- A price that goes up after you book, or a new "fuel surcharge" at pickup
- Requests to wire money to a personal account
- No written agreement or Bill of Lading
One red flag doesn't always mean a scam, but two or three together are a good reason to keep looking.
Why the Cheapest Quote Is Rarely the Best
Brokers post your shipment to a load board where carriers choose which cars to haul. A carrier picks the loads that pay fairly for the miles. When a broker wins your booking with a quote below the market rate, carriers skip your car — and you wait, sometimes for weeks, until the broker asks you to pay more.
A reliable company quotes a price carriers will actually accept. It may not be the lowest number you see, but it's the one that gets your car picked up on time.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
- Is this price all-inclusive, and can it change after I book?
- How much do I pay upfront, and when is the balance due?
- When will you assign a carrier, and how will I know who it is?
- What insurance does the carrier have, and can I see the certificate?
- What's the realistic pickup window for my route?
- Who do I call while my car is in transit?
- What happens if my car is damaged?
How ShipMyCar US Measures Up
We built ShipMyCar US around the checks above.
- FMCSA-licensed auto transport broker
- $0 upfront — you pay on delivery
- All-inclusive quotes with no fuel surcharges added later
- An instant price estimate with no email or phone number required
- Carriers vetted for authority, insurance, and safety before every dispatch
- One coordinator from quote to delivery
- A 4.9★ average rating from more than 240 customer reviews
Run the same nine checks on us that you'd run on anyone else — then get your free quote.
Source: every broker and carrier's operating authority, safety rating, and insurance status is public record — verify any company for free at the FMCSA SAFER System.
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