The car shipping industry runs on brokers and carriers, and the gap between a great experience and a nightmare usually comes down to who you book with. Here's how to choose well — and the traps to avoid.
A carrier owns the truck that hauls your car. A broker doesn't own trucks; they post your shipment to a national load board where carriers accept it. Most people book through brokers — that's normal and fine — but it means the broker's quote is really a prediction of what a carrier will accept. That's why the cheapest quote is often the least reliable.
The most common scam pattern isn't outright theft — it's the lowball quote. A broker wins your booking with a price no carrier will actually take, your car sits unassigned, and then the price "unexpectedly" rises to what it should have been. Knowing the fair range up front is your best defense.
Get an independent estimate first, then choose a licensed, insured, well-reviewed company whose price is in the fair range — not the one that simply undercuts everyone. See how we calculate that fair range, then check your route in the calculator.