Auto Transport Bidding: Comparing Prices & Services

1. Bidding On Car Shipping | What Is A Load Board?
2. Comparing Bids From Different Auto Shippers

Auto transport bidding is something that mainly happens behind the scenes, and which customers typically have little information about. Often times, customers may not even be aware that a load board is used within the industry. In this article, we’ll explain how the process of auto transport bidding works and then dive a little bit into how different shippers use load boards.

Technology has had a huge impact on logistics, including everything from communication and billing to allowing for a more streamlined infrastructure that makes business in the industry more efficient. As a result of developments in software and connectivity, many customers can now work directly with a shipper and cut out the middle man in a way they couldn’t have in the past.

In past years, you either had to contact a shipper directly to work with them or go through a larger broker to have your information submitted to a load board (see below). Now it’s easier for customers to work directly with carriers, and also for load boards to work more effectively, both for customers and auto transporters.

Bidding On Car Shipping | What Is A Load Board?

In response to your request for auto transport services, the company will coordinate the pickup and delivery of your vehicle using one of its auto carriers. A "load board" is a list of vehicles that need to be shipped that is used by some brokers and larger shipping companies. The customer then decides whether or not to accept the lowest bid, which is submitted by the carriers competing for the task.

Some popular names in the industry such as uShip are known to use load boards so that carriers in their network can bid on jobs. Businesses like eBay are known to use services like this to ship autos on a regular basis.

This wiki has some good information that covers the basics of how a load board works, as well as how it fits into the bigger picture of auto transport bidding.

Here’s how the bidding process works. This mainly applies to when you’re working with a broker rather than a carrier, which is a bit of a confusing distinction in its own right. (For more on the difference between carriers and brokers, see here.)

Comparing Bids From Different Auto Shippers.

As a customer, there are a few things you should know about auto transport bids before deciding to accept one. First of all, you can, and absolutely should, contact a couple companies to see what kind of pricing and service they offer. You’ll find that the cost may vary slightly between companies and so too will their level of service. If you don’t get a good feel from a company by speaking with them on the phone and requesting a cost estimate, that’s a good indication they may not be a good fit for you.

What you want to see from an experienced car shipper is that they are straightforward in their business dealings, transparent about their pricing, and honest about the services they provide. Of course, it’s not always easy to glean all of this from a simple phone call or website, which is why it can pay to contact a prospective company a couple times. This way, you’ll find out how good they are getting back to customers, what sort of response time, and the level of customer service they offer in comparison to others in the industry.

Have a question about auto transport bidding or how the process of connecting with a carrier works? Contact us today by calling the number at the top of the page and our staff will be happy to answer your questions! If you’d like an instant quote, please use our online request form at the top of the page!