Gift Icon
Get a 20% discount from our partners! Discount code will get added automatically when you submit the form.
Auto Transport Truck on Highway
4.7 Star Rating4.7 (67,926 reviews)
96.3% positive
No Surprises, Just Savings: Verified Carriers, Instant Quotes, and Best Price Guarantee!
You save 20% compared to other companies
Get quotes from trusted carriers, thoroughly vetted and fully insured. Enjoy trackable deliveries, fair pricing, and hassle-free transport from start to finish. Transport any type of vehicle and drive away worry-free.
Customer Images
7790 people shipped using A-1 Auto Transport last week
Scratch-Free Guarantee
Vetted Carriers
Transparent Costs
Customer Ratings By Feature
Value for Money ★★★★★ 4.9
Vehicle Care ★★★★★ 4.9
Fast Delivery ★★★★★ 4.9
Friendly Staff ★★★★★ 4.9
Globe
190+
Countries
Served
Car
2M+
Delivered
Services
Car
97%
Customer
Recommended
Dave loved the fast deliveryDave C.
★★★★★
Dave loved the fast delivery
My relocation to Chicago was fast, smooth and without any delay thanks to A1 Auto.
Courtney enjoyed the honest guidanceCourtney J.
★★★★★
Courtney enjoyed the honest guidance
Just what you need when trusting someone with your wheels! Kudos to this company!
Jeff enjoyed the fair priceJeff D.
★★★★★
Jeff enjoyed the fair price
Moved my ride hassle-free with these folks.Fair pricing, no surprises. Definitely recommend them!
Maria enjoyed the special care and safetyMaria L.
★★★★★
Maria enjoyed the special care and safety
Huge thanks to the movers – they were meticulous with my car. Love these guys.
Recently featured on USA Today

“A1 Auto Transport became synonymous with top-notch service delivery, unfailing punctuality and constantly preoccupied with customer satisfaction.

See Article— USA Today

5 Ways to Find a Real Professional Auto Transport Company

Published by Joe Webster.

What's in this article?
  1. Certificate of Liability Insurance
  2. DOT Certificate of Authority
  3. Broker’s License
  4. Payment
  5. Using the Right Carrier
Car shipping time estimate

Everyone claims that they are something big on the internet and they guarantee that they are the best. However, it is only after a few trips or a disaster that we become wiser but in a costly manner. So when we need to transport something as expensive as a car, then we need to do a few checks to find out whether the company is truly a professional auto transport agency.

Certificate of Liability Insurance

The transporter needs a Certificate of Liability Insurance to cover the value of his cargo. As the value of the cargo can vary, the transporter must be prepared to have the right amount of insurance to cover the cargo at any given time. Usually, the transport company will have $250,000 for a standard unit carrying 10 cars but the value of the 10 cars must be around the given amount. However, if you need the company to transport 10 expensive cars for you, then the insurance amount has to be higher to match the cost of the cars.

Auto transport liability insurance

DOT Certificate of Authority

All transporters in the country must have gone through the Department of Transportation (DOT) and should be having a Certificate of Authority to show that they are legally conducting their business. Check out http://www.dot.gov/ for more information. Also, the transporter must have bought permits or gotten the license to travel across state lines. Look out for a DOT number that the transporter would have gotten from DOT after a thorough check-up and inspection of all the equipment. So the company can now do any kind of business with the DOT certificate as long as only their equipment is used. Also, you cannot sub-contract your equipment to another company as that would make you a broker and you can only do it if you have a broker’s license.

A-1 Auto Transport Ships Worldwide.
Get a Free, No Obligation to Buy, Auto Shipping Quote.
Get my free quote now
or call us to do it for you:
Auto transport broker license

Broker’s License

This brings us to the Broker’s license which can again be gotten through DOT and to get their license, brokers must go through an insurance agency or a bank which gives them $10,000.00 bond. The bond must not be cashed in at any time and so one has to check the license as well as the status of the bond before working with the broker. It is always better to go through a broker as they now the inside story of all the companies that they work with and will give the customer the best ones depending on their availability. However, there are some brokers out there who may ask you for a non-refundable deposit offered in exchange for a really low attractive transportation charge. However, you may find out too late that there is no such low transportation charge and you would have paid the broker a deposit for no reason at all. So check whether you are dealing with a professional auto transport broker before signing up with them. www.safersys.org will give you more information.

Best way of auto transport company payment

Payment

Most companies will ask you to pay a small amount as a deposit which will usually be the broker’s fee. However, when the company asks you to pay the entire amount beforehand, take a step back and look out for another company. When you pay the entire amount you may not be able to claim damages from them in case your vehicle arrives in a battered condition. It is always better to pay the bigger amount after the vehicle has been delivered to you as then you can check the condition of the vehicle before payment.

Using the Right Carrier

There are many kinds of carriers available like “hotshots”, “flat-beds”, “Drop-decks” and many more. The advantage in

choosing a professional auto transport company is that they will have a wide-ranging fleet to suit all your needs. Hotshots are good for transporting damaged or large vehicles which will not fit into other carriers and are used mostly for shorter distances. You might also need a Flatbed when you want to transport large vehicles like vans or trucks. It just will not do for the transporter to give you a sub-standard or an inappropriate vehicle as that might be more expensive or might damage the cargo.

Best auto shipping companies bbb
Share this content on social media for a chance to get up to 20% off your next shipment.
Copy link

Joe Webster always knew the auto transport industry would be a great career option. And with decades of experience, Joe is now an established consultant for A1 Auto Transport.

Joe was born in Santa Cruz, California. During high school, Joe worked as a mechanic; a job continued to work part-time during his bachelor's degree.

Email Me


Testimonial
Mylene Rutllant
It’s my number one pick in auto shipping to this day.
★★★★★

...my choice in terms of auto transport has to be A1 Auto Transport. It’s in the name, but also in the quality with which they do their jobs. I’ve never had a problem with this company.

Testimonial
Luis Rodriguez
You have my full support and recommendation!
★★★★★

A1 Auto Transport... From the get go, they were very different from my past options. Their website was very professional and up to date, full of useful information. I requested a quote using their online form, and I got an email response within an hour. Surprisingly fast!

Testimonial by Cristine Benoit
Cristine Benoit
I can safely say this is a legit company that will get the job done.
★★★★★

There are a lot of options for auto transport these days, which surprisingly makes it harder to find a good company. I received more than 10 offers to ship my car, but I couldn’t decide on any of them... Fortunately, I made the right choice with A1 Auto Transport.

Testimonial
David Osallo
We give A1 Auto Transport a big 10 out of 10!
★★★★★

We give A1 Auto Transport a big 10 out of 10! We chose them to move our car from California to Vermont, since we needed professionals.

Visit our social, and see what our clients are saying about us:

Ship Your Vehicle With A-1 Auto Today
Get an instant free Quote Now

Or Call Us Today and Speak Directly to Our Sales Team:

Call Us 1-888-230-9116

Our Partners:

Better Business Bureau Accredited
FMCSA Member
INC. 500 Member
VeriSign Secured
AMSA Member

A-1 Auto Transport is a disclosed agent for the following shipping companies:

CSI Logistics
435 Division Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
FMC 22206
Intl Cargo
45 Campus Drive
Edison, NJ 08837
NO. 17858N
Trans Global Auto Logistics, Inc.
3401 E Randol Mill Rd,
Arlington, TX 76011
NO. 018191NF
CFR Rinkens
15501 Texaco Avenue
Paramount, CA 90723
NO. 013055NF
ABC Worldwide LLC
2840 NW 2nd Ave #105
Boca Raton, FL 33431
NO. 025472F
ShipYourCarNow LLC
1160 South Rogers Circle Suite 1
Boca Raton, FL 33487
NO. 025646
Merco Air & Ocean Cargo, Inc.
6 Fir Way
Cooper City, FL 33026
NO. 021869F
Copyright © 1988-2024, A-1 Auto Transport - All Rights Reserved.