The auto transport market is big and sophisticated; it’s not only a matter of carriers coordinating with clients and fulfilling their orders. Rather, hundreds, if not thousands, of employees from different specialties and experiences work hand in hand to ensure clients the best car shipping service they strive for.
Auto transport brokers are key players in this procedure, as they’re the facilitators that make the auto shipping process as easy as it seems; the skeptical Californian people still have hard times trusting brokers or finding reliable ones to hire.
So, if you’re one of those, we will clear up your confusion about auto transport brokers in California and learn how to find the best one to place your trust in.
Who is an Auto Transport Broker?
An auto transport broker is the middleman between a client and an auto transport carrier. A broker doesn’t have a fleet of carriers; they might have an office, an online website, or both, enabling them to accept orders from clients, then arrange all the shipment details with the haulers they deal with.
How do Auto Transport Brokers in California Work
Even though brokers don’t own their fleet of carriers, they have strong connections with hundreds of auto transport haulers around the US. So, once a client places their order and submits the shipping form with the pickup and drop-off locations, carrier type, vehicle make, etc., a broker reaches out to the carriers they usually work with to coordinate the shipping details to provide the best service on short notice.
Why Hire an Auto Transport Broker in California and Not a Carrier?
Even though auto transport carriers are responsible for picking up and dropping off the shipped car, directly dealing with them could be a bit challenging. Auto transport carriers usually don’t have their own office, website, or presence on any social media platform.
In addition, some carriers operate in specific areas only; for example, a carrier might be based in Maine and take shipping orders only to nearby states and local areas.
Auto transport brokers, on the other hand, with their extensive connections, can match a client with the carrier available and ready to complete their shipping order whenever they prefer, wherever they are. Furthermore, brokers and their team of customer service agents are 24/7 ready and willing to answer clients’ questions, which is a great plus.
Read more about Why Use Auto Shipping Brokers Instead of Carriers.
How to Find the Best Auto Transport Broker in California
There’re many auto transport brokers in California now, but there are quite a few trustworthy ones. Finding the best one among many needs a sufficient understanding of the auto shipping market in general and the brokerage strategies in particular. Here’s how to identify the best, most reputable auto transport broker in California to hire:
Start online
We’re in the internet era, where you shouldn’t roam the streets and run from one office to another to get matched with a good auto transport broker. Rather, everything is possible from the comfort of your home. Search reputable auto transport brokers in California and evaluate the given options one at a time.
Confirm their legitimacy
The number one rule to remember before hiring any broker or even visiting any website is that brokers should be operating in compliance with the law and have proof that they do.
A set of regulations stringently controls the auto transport market, and no company is allowed to operate without complying with them. The auto shipping processes are very complicated and impose major risks on carriers, cars, passengers, and public safety.
So, a good broker has to be licensed by the FMCSA and have a USDOT number, and both brokers are qualified to go through the rest of the sorting phases.
Scale down by reading clients’ reviews
Brokers’ legitimacy is a crucial factor; however, it’s not the only one. A good broker must be crowd-pleasing; clients who had hired the brokers you’re researching might have shared their good or bad experiences on companies’ websites. So, ensure you give the reviews section on each broker’s website a thorough read to evaluate the overall quality of the shipping services they offer and if you can trust them with your car or not.
Ensure the quality of customer service
Since most auto transport brokers don’t have offices and deal with their clients online, the customer service team must be professional enough to communicate a positive impression to possible clients. Talking with a customer care agent can reveal many things about the broker.
Tempus Logix has a great team of fast-paced and knowledgeable agents; they’re always available to answer clients’ questions, no matter how many.
Order and compare car shipping quotes
The auto transport brokers that made it to the finale still have to undergo one last test before settling for the best. The car shipping fee is one of the essential factors you must pay attention to.
A shipping fee shouldn’t be very high or ever very low; it must be affordable and reasonable. To guarantee you get the best deal, you have to order car shipping quotes from all the brokers you’ve gathered, then go for the most affordable.
Conclusion
Even though the auto transport brokers in California are many, the ones worthy of trust are few. So, before trusting any broker with your dear vehicle, ensure you’ve done your homework properly by following all the tips mentioned above.