According to a recent survey, more than half of Americans name their vehicles based on their features, colors, and other aspects. Such detail reveals how people are attached to their cars and what it means to them. Many car owners treat their cars as a precious personal belonging, not just four wheels with an engine. For many reasons, people may need to transport their cars from one place to another, such as moving for new work, attending college, or simply buying a car from a dealer in a distant location.
Although driving the car personally is an option, that might not be the case all the; maybe it’s a collectible car, and you don’t want to drive it for a long time to avoid any unpredicted circumstances, or perhaps the distance is pretty long, and you don’t want to spend days on the road driving your car.
In such cases, the first solution to one’s mind is to Google for a reliable vehicle transportation service provider. It’s common to search using the words “Car Transport” or “Auto Transport.” Still, the problem resides in the endless amount of results and information about car shipping that makes everything complicated, especially if it’s your first experience in automobile shipping.
These many results might confuse you slightly, but eventually, with some digging in, you will find two main types:
- Auto Shipping Brokers
- Car Carries
Your first impression is that they are the same; they are totally different. This article will help you understand more about auto-transport companies, what they do, and why you may prefer to have an auto shipping broker rather than a car carrier.
What is the Difference Between an Auto Shipping Broker and a Car Carrier?
The difference between auto shipping brokers and car carriers resides in the ownership of transportation trailers and equipment.
Car carriers own their own trucks and expert drivers and have particular routes. It could be a small business with a single truck and its driver or a nationwide company with a fleet of trailers of different types. In all cases, car carriers are the people who show up at your doorstep to take your car and transport it to the chosen destination. You may find them in different names such as car transport, auto transport, and auto hauler; they all refer to the same thing.
On the other hand, auto shipping brokers don’t have trucks and do not do car transport themselves; they are, in simple terms, “middlemen” between the client and the car carriers. You just contact them, and they carry on the whole transportation process, depending on their extensive knowledge of car carriers. They’ll use their understanding of the industry and vast network of professionals to select what works best for the client’s case and supervise everything till the vehicle arrives safely.
Read about Do Auto Shipping Brokers Transport Heavy Equipment
Why Choose an Auto Shipping Broker over a Car Carrier?
Auto transport can be stressful as your beloved car moves from one place to another, and everyone wants that to be done without a single scratch. Let’s agree that both auto shipping brokers and car carriers wish the best for you as a client and want to deliver the car without any damage.
Auto transport brokers offer this service anytime and anywhere, utilizing highly experienced car carriers and drivers to get the job done. In contrast, car carriers are limited to specific regions and predefined cost-effective routes.
Following are the reasons why auto shipping brokers are a better option than car carriers:
Higher Safety Standards While Shipping Vehicles
The first thing everyone cares about is car safety. Auto transport brokers know what they are doing; they are experts and handle different kinds of vehicles daily.
Instead of researching all car carriers yourself to find what works for your vehicle, brokers will help you find the suitable car transport company with the right haulers and safety measures such as heavy-duty straps, tie-downs, and other measures to pin your car on the haulers. They will get it delivered in one piece and in perfect condition for you.
Reach Qualified Drivers Easily and Quickly
Auto-shipping brokers build comprehensive knowledge about drivers and their skills by working with many different drivers across the States. They’ll save your time and money, and instead of hiring a car carrier you don’t know, the broker already knows who the skillful drivers are and what trailers are better for your condition.
Don’t Get Tied Down to Limited Routes and Trailers
Unlike car carrier companies, which stick with specified routes and tight schedules, the auto shaping brokers deal with many car transport companies and individuals. That made the auto shipping brokers flexible, providing their services every day, 24 hours per day. It’s on you to contact them and get them informed about where and when you need your car, and they will look up the nearest available auto transport company in your area to pick up your vehicle.
Finish the Whole Transportation Stress-Free
Hiring a car carrier company means you’ll supervise the whole process. You’ll have to ensure all aspects of the transportation like finding the suitable company, verifying its credibility, handling the insurance, tracking the routes, and others. Meanwhile, auto shipping brokers will manage the shipping from A to Z. They’ll cover everything and get your vehicle delivered to its new destination.
A Significant Customer Service
Have you met a middleman in real life? Auto-shipping brokers are the best example of that. When it comes to auto shipping brokers, you expect no less than good customer service. They will get a detailed brief of your inquiry, keep you in the loop and find you a great deal.
You will get total customer care, especially if you have your first auto transport experience and have tons of questions, as they will answer them all. Most importantly, auto shipping brokers keep various active communication channels via emails, calls, live chat, etc., to reach them anywhere and anytime.
The above applies when working with a reliable auto shipping broker. Tempus Logix is a dependable vehicle transportation brokerage company with over 30,000 delivered vehicles across the United States and 1000 reviews from satisfied clients.
All Transportation Steps Will Be Planned Ahead
With long-distance car transport, anything might happen.For example, if a car carrier transporting your vehicle breaks down or gets stuck, delivering your car on time becomes challenging. This situation may lead to delays and additional costs to find a new carrier to complete the delivery. An auto shipping broker handles these unanticipated issues, ensuring your car is transported on time.
The Best Affordable Vehicle Shipping Offer
With auto shipping brokers having that much of a network, they will try to provide the highest quality car transport service at a relatively low price. And that is to your advantage because they are pretty good when negotiating with car carriers.
Although you might have to pay a little extra fee since brokers need to be paid for their services, the amount of benefits you’ll get in one package compensates for that fee.
Save the Automobile Transportation Time
Googling a suitable car carrier is the most time-consuming and tedious task. You have to get in touch with at least a decent number of them to find the best choice, answering a list of questions from each one of them about their trailers, drivers, working regions, operating routes, etc. Auto-shipping brokers save you that time.
Auto Shipping Brokers vs. Car Carriers Comparison table
To summarize the differences between auto shipping brokers and car carriers, we put everything together in one table:
| Auto Shipping Brokers | Car Carriers | |
| Time | Consume less time to process the whole transportation process based on their knowledge and experience working with everyone in the industry. | It might take more time because the client has to ensure many aspects of the transportation process, like the insurance and the routes. |
| Risks management | Can manage risks better based on their vast network of professionals in the automobile shipping industry. | Can manage risks to a certain level if it falls within their criteria of doing business. |
| Cost | It might cost slightly more because auto shipping brokers need to be paid. Simultaneously, brokers can sometimes negotiate offers with car carriers that would drop the price significantly. | It might cost less if the client can negotiate the prices well and knows how to get a good deal from the car carrier company. |
| Diversity | Although they don’t personally own any trailer, they can find any trailer that suits the client’s request. | Mostly they have a limited number of trailers for specific functionalities. |
| Regulations | Mainly they have a comprehensive knowledge of transportation regulations across the states. | Their knowledge is usually limited to the local regulations in some states based on their work areas. |
| Client knowledge | The client doesn’t have to know anything about the transportation industry. | The client needs to have a basic understanding of the industry to arrange things correctly. |
The Disadvantages of Auto Shipping Brokers
With that being said, auto shipping brokers have their disadvantages. Following are the most common ones:
- Having an additional party in the car transport process.
- You can’t vet your carriers and drivers since the shipping broker will do that part.
- It might result in extra fees since the auto shipping broker will pay for the work.
- Some brokers are not licensed or legally registered, and they scam people.
Working with well-known and reputable auto shipping broker companies like Tempus Logix can minimize and eliminate those disadvantages.
Best Practices in Choosing Your Auto Shipping Broker
Now, as it has been clear that hiring an auto shipping broker instead of a car carrier is your best option for your car transport, finding the right one is essential. There are some tips to follow a pleasant and satisfying auto transport experience with full benefit from all the advantages and minimized disadvantages:
Research auto shipping brokers before choosing one
The first step in finding an auto shipping broker is researching potential vendors. Reputable brokers must have a proven record that you can check to confirm their professionalism. Also, you should be able to check the broker’s insurance and licensing details.
Read past customer reviews about the shipping broker
Reviews from previous clients can give more insight into the auto shipping brokers’ services and how they will treat your cars. You can find those reviews on their official website, social media, and other valuable websites like Google, BBB, and Yelp.
Don’t just focus on the good reviews; look for the negative ones, and check how the auto shipping broker handles the complaints. Were they answered and resolved? Or just ignored?
Discuss a realistic delivery time and date for your car transportation
Having your car shipped as soon as possible is your primary concern. Unfortunately, this can’t happen in a blink of an eye. Auto-shipping brokers can speedily deliver your vehicle but not instantly. So, when choosing an auto shipping broker, they will provide the best timing they can manage.
Have the right information about your vehicle
Before going to the quotation phase, be sure you have the full information you precisely need along with your requirements. This information includes:
- Your car description, such as your car model, modifications, and condition.
- The pickup location and transportation destination.
- Special requirements like if there is any structural damage they need to be aware of.
- Quickly check available trailers and their differences to discuss the terms better.
This information will help the auto shipping broker provide the most suitable quote for your car transport.
Cost isn’t the decision-maker
Of course, you’re looking for high-quality service with the lowest cost, but when it comes to finding the best auto shipping broker, the charge is not what you have to decide on. A low price or that rocking discount can be catastrophic and even may damage your car. Therefore, add the low cost as a reasonable criterion, not an essential criterion.
Multiple quotes
After doing those steps correctly, you will shortlist your primary auto shipping brokers. Then, you reach the final stage and contact them. As they are online, some of them have an online car shipping quote calculator that you can have instant quotes. The more quotes you have, the more options you can entertain. Compare those quotes, what you will get as a service, the price, and for how long it’s valid, and make your decision.
Conclusion
It’s understandable how vital your car is for you, and having it transported to a new location can be a delicate situation for anyone. Transport companies, car carriers, and auto shipping brokers are the leading choices.
As this article explained, there are more advantages to dealing with an auto shipping broker company. It does not just have an extra hand for your car transport, with them you grant your car safety, be confident about the driver’s experience, multiple routes to choose, have a full support customer service, and you can have the best offer with free stress and no worries of unexpected problems.
However, to find the right auto shipping broker, you need to follow some tips, as you have to do your research, find out insight through customer reviews, set the right timing, and have complete information. When it comes to the final decision, don’t make it upon the cost only and collect multiple quotes before hiring an auto shipping broker.