Choosing the right car hauling company is crucial. How can you find a company that offers great value while taking good care of your car?
When it comes to choosing the best car hauling company, you may be overwhelmed by the number of options available to you. Many carriers claim to be the best, but which ones are in fact better than their competitors?
We’ve reviewed the best car hauling companies based on pricing, customer satisfaction, and shipping services so you can find the best option for your vehicle.
Ideally, you should compare quotes from car hauling companies at least two weeks in advance of shipping your vehicle. Check out our top five picks below and see which one is right for you.
Car transport brokers and car carriers are the two main types of companies that handle the shipping of cars. You should be able to find out which type of car transport company is right for you if you do a little research.
Auto Transport Brokers
An auto transport broker acts as a mediator between you and the car carriers. As they do not own a fleet of trucks, your vehicle won’t be shipped by them. They use a wide network of carriers to ship your vehicle.
Brokers can get quotes from dozens of carriers within a few days. Since brokers are experienced professionals, they know how to choose a carrier based on their specific shipping needs. Most consumers do not have the time or interest to research and vet car carriers.
Working with a broker can have some drawbacks. Some brokers just sell your information to several carriers. As a result, you receive emails and phone calls from carriers trying to win your business.
Car Carriers
Car carriers are usually companies that own their own fleets of trucks, but they can also be independent companies that own their own trucks.
Working directly with a carrier has the advantage that you will deal with the same business from beginning to end.
It is also typically much easier to communicate directly with carriers rather than brokers. For any questions or problems concerning your auto transportation order, you can call the carrier directly. There is no need to use a broker.
BBB Reviews: 4.9 out of 5.0 based on more than 675 reviews
Year in Business: More than 15 years
Type of Company: Broker
GPS Tracking: Available
Money-Back Guarantee: Yes
Guaranteed Quotes: No
Additional Insurance Coverage: Available
We rate AutoStar Transport Express as the best car hauling company. Their services are affordable, professional, and quality-driven.
In spite of starting as a relatively small auto transportation company, they have flourished and built a reputation as one of the top auto transport companies in the country. With AutoStar Transport Express, you can move your vehicle throughout the U.S., including Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
They offer free shipping quotes instantly. Best of all, AutoStar Transport Express is licensed, bonded, and registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. That means you can rest easy knowing your vehicle will be transported safely.
While AutoStar Transport Express has worked with more than 3,000 carriers, they have a list of 600 preferred carriers with which they work regularly.
They haul anything and everything, from classic cars to exotic sports cars to military equipment, motorcycles, SUVs, and motorcycles. They are one of only a few highly recommended Auto Transport companies to give full money-back guarantees.
Are you looking for car shipping across the Country?
People ship their vehicles for a variety of reasons. It’s possible you are relocating for a job or doing the annual snowbird migration south as a retiree.
The internet and popular used car websites like eBay Motors, CarGurus, CarMax, and others allow consumers to buy vehicles miles away from their homes.
A car hauling company can transport your car for you unless you want to drive long distances yourself. It’s more affordable, and it’s easier and less stressful than driving your own car.
Here are just a few advantages of using a car hauling company over driving your own vehicle:
It reduces wear and tear on your vehicle: Does putting hundreds of miles on your car make sense?
You will avoid roadside breakdowns: Why risk a breakdown driving your own car? Would you really like to deal with finding a tow truck, hiring a random mechanic, and possibly staying overnight in some random city or town?
You save money: It’s usually cheaper than taking the trip yourself. Fuel, food, lodging, and possible toll roads and airfares quickly add up.
You save time: Picking up your vehicle and making the trip home could mean you have to miss some work or spend some time with your family while on the road.
In light of the hundreds of thousands of cars transported every year, you can easily see the benefits of shipping a car with a hauler instead of making a long-distance road trip yourself.
How To Choose The Best Car Hauling Company
There are many things to look for in a car shipping company:
Guaranteed quotes: Your car shipping estimate often rises by 25 percent by the time you receive your final estimate. It is rare to find a company that will guarantee a portion of your shipping quote.
Experienced: An auto transport company’s longevity is a huge trust signal. Choose a car transport company that’s been around for a long time.
Extra insurance: Accidents are rare, but they do happen. A reputable company will provide you with more than a simple insurance policy.
Customer reviews: Customers’ reviews are considered carefully. Generally, we feel safe using a delivery company that has received at least 4.6 out of 5 stars in customer reviews.
Excellent customer support: Look for car hauling companies that can easily connect you with friendly representatives during the delivery process. All the car shipping companies listed above have excellent reputations for customer service.
Availability: The best car hauling companies should be able to transport almost any type of vehicle, including motorcycles and SUVs. The best auto transport companies can also handle cross-country car transport and long-distance car shipping for snowbirds, shipping cars to Hawaii or Alaska.
No matter how great a car hauling company is, it won’t be able to fit every preference you have, so it’s important to find a provider who will work with you.
Can I ride with the auto transport driver/carrier?
In most cases, you cannot ride with the carrier. Here’s why:
While you call an agency like AAA for local towing, you may be able to ride along as the vehicle heads back to the repair shop. Local towing usually involves one car being towed with a conventional drag-n-hook tow truck. It will take you directly from where you are to where you are going.
However, car shipping involves more than one vehicle. For this reason, it’s extremely rare. Our experience is that the carrier’s driver will do the favor in very short-distance transportation. Then again, this is not guaranteed and cannot be relied upon.
Furthermore, we do not observe it for long distances. Because the carrier doesn’t just go from A to B. Cars are usually picked up at one location, then taken to another to pick up another, and so on.
This post is worth a quick listen
Bilal
Bilal Ahmed is a dedicated auto transport researcher, blogger, and digital marketing expert with over a decade of experience. Holding a degree from MIT, Bilal passionately shares his insights and knowledge with a global audience. He began blogging to connect with like-minded enthusiasts, and his honest, relatable writing style quickly earned him a loyal following. Renowned for his candid discussions on complex topics, Bilal is committed to empowering others to find their voice through his platform.
Sol Abril is an INFJ soul with strong empathy and a passion for helping others. His experience of working for auto transports for over a decade helps him spot the problem and figure out the best possible solution.
Sol has served in different roles in different auto transport companies. He understands the ins and outs of the auto transport sector which he regularly shares on the Auto Star Transport blog.
He likes to spend his spare time with his family.
Your blog is very useful. I came to know about these trustworthy companies, all because of your blog. I will definitely try these for sure in future.
Hey peter, Hope you are doing great. We really appreciate your good deeds. We will be happy to have you as our customer.