There are many instances where you may want to choose an auto shipping carrier over an auto broker. Since car shipping in the USA is complicated, you want to have an auto transporter that is not focused on just the business and sales aspect of the job. Since brokers tend to push people into getting a quote, they may not choose the best auto transport company for your vehicle and its destination. Make sure the company you choose is a real company with an office and staff and not a lead generation company who will give your information to many different companies.

Shipping without a broker can definitely be a positive experience as well. Carriers are owners of their own auto transport trucks and brokers are not, which may be an issue. As there are pros and cons, many carriers are family run businesses with one or two trucks and are very reliable. Carriers are also able to have control of all of their trucks, where brokers refer you to drivers they have no control over. Brokers will have many carriers to choose from but they are not in control of the schedule of those carries.

Carriers have a lot of positives to them. There are generally no hidden fees, as opposed to hidden fees with the car carrier brokers. They will give you a low quote, but will often charge you additional fees after they received your non-refundable deposit. Once the broker collects money from you, there may not be a carrier that will pick up your vehicle for such a low price. So, you will have to give additional money so a carrier can come pick it up for a more expensive price.

A carrier can give you an idea of what your exact pickup and drop off time for your vehicle will be. This is a good idea to use this carrier if you are planning a trip and have a certain time your vehicle needs to arrive at its destination. The brokers can never guarantee a date to pick up or drop off your vehicle since they have to go by the schedules of the drivers that they refer you to. Insurance is also a complicated issue when using a broker. Your vehicle will not be insured with the broker but with the carrier. If your vehicle ends up being damaged, then you have to go through the carrier and not the broker – which can be a hassle. So, a broker may offer more options for carriers and better quotes upfront, but we cannot assure you everything you are getting with them and that the quality service will be the same.

So whether you are looking for a car carrier or broker, know that there are both positives and negatives to both. Shipping without a broker can be much less of a hassle since you have direct contact with the company. If anything were to go wrong with the auto shipping, you do not have to call the broker, who transfers you to maybe two other people. You will likely have direct contact with an employee at the transport company or even the boss. Since there is no middleman with a carrier, the auto shipping process is much easier and is often a positive experience for the customer.