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Car Shipping Decisions: Carriers, Not Brokers?

Published by Joe Webster.

What's in this article?
  1. Carriers, Not Brokers?
  2. Is It Better To Use A Carrier Instead Of A Broker?
It Better To Use A Carrier Instead Of A Broker

Carriers, Not Brokers?

Shipping a car can be a confusing experience, especially if you’re just starting out and trying to find relevant information about auto carriers or brokers. In this article we’ll examine the difference between the two, as well as why it can be hard to tell the difference between a carrier and a broker (hint: some companies operate as both).

Carriers - Auto transport carriers, as opposed to brokers, make up the part of the industry that does the physical work of moving the vehicle. This includes loading, driving, status updates, delivery, unloading, and in some cases, storage. Carriers are a vital part of the car shipping process and they are the ones that log the miles for cross country shipments and put in the time to make sure your car gets where it’s going on time.

Brokers - Brokers simply arrange for the transport process, typically between a carrier and the customer or client. The majority of auto transport carriers in the business work with brokers in some form or another it simply makes it easier for them to contract fuller shipments and find business. A good broker can be very helpful for a company, as well as a customer, since they’re generally more familiar with the process, which services are offered, and which carrier will best fit the customer’s needs. Real estate agents are a type of broker that you may be more familiar with, essentially doing the same thing between home owners and prospective buyers.

For more information about what a freight broker is, this article has more a more in-depth look at the topic.

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Is It Better To Use A Carrier Instead Of A Broker?

Whether you choose to work with a broker or a carrier is ultimately your choice as a customer. That said, it can sometimes be difficult to tell which is which. In fact, some companies operate as both a carrier and a broker, further blurring the line between the two. In this section, we’ll discuss why someone might prefer to work with a carrier instead of a broker and vice versa.

The reason some customers prefer to work with carriers and not brokers is pretty simple: the carriers are the ones who will be actually moving your car. It makes sense that someone would prefer to get a feel for the person or business doing the service, rather than an intermediary that simple coordinates and arranges transport of a vehicle.

Unfortunately, many carriers do not have the time or manpower to invest heavily in finding customers since much of their work is in the actual moving of vehicles. This is where a broker comes in, which is a fairly common practice within the industry. Some very popular names in the industry (uShip being one of them) are large scale brokers that simply take your request and match it up with a company that performs the service.

While some people may be reluctant to work with a “middle man” it can be really helpful if you have an eye toward getting the best value.

Have questions about car carriers or auto transport brokers? Give us a call at the number at the top or send us an email through our online contact form to learn more! We’re happy to answer your questions and all price quotes are give FREE OF CHARGE!

Car Shipping Decisions Carriers Not Brokers
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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.

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...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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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
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