Auto Transport Directory: Carriers & Brokers

A-1 Auto Transport Directory: Carriers, Brokers, & Movers

While it’s not always easy to determine which auto transport company is a carrier and which is a broker, both can arrange car shipping on your behalf. The primary difference is that brokers arrange transport, while carriers handle the physical delivery. There is no decided advantage to using a carrier over a broker other than your preference. (It should be noted that many companies operate as both a broker and a carrier.) When you use a carrier, you deal directly with the company that will transport the goods, whereas a broker takes the details of your transport request and contacts carriers on your behalf.

Moving companies operate similarly to car shipping companies because you will find both movers who do the actual labor and brokers who contact movers for you. If you’re moving locally, either within the same city or another nearby city, you’re more likely to deal directly with a local moving company. If you’re moving long-distance to another state or even another country, there’s a greater likelihood that you’ll be dealing with a broker. As with auto transport companies, some moving companies work as brokers and movers.

How To Use The List To Your Advantage

The directory above is simple: click on the option you seek services from. You’ll find an exhaustive reference of available options, including ratings and customer reviews. The advantage this provides is that it allows you to quickly and easily get a snapshot of several different companies and assess their performance based on customer feedback. Since the auto transport and moving industry both operate in a way that provides an estimate before you commit to service, you can save considerable time by picking out a few that best fit your needs and calling them for an estimate. After that, it’s a simple matter of price comparison and basic research to determine which is best for you.

Car Transport & Moving Resources

FMCSA Company Snapshot - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) database allows you to look up auto transport companies using either their motor carrier or USDOT numbers. It’s one of the best tools for researching companies as it provides safety and performance information and the current operating authority.

Moving Company Registration - Similar to the FMCSA vehicle shipping database, the moving company registration look-up provides information about companies in the moving industry. An added benefit of this resource is that you can also search by state, which comes in handy if you plan an in-state move.