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Most “best car shipping companies” pages are written by companies who put themselves at number one. We are one of the companies on this page, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. So instead of a ranking, here is the verifiable data on each — Google rating, review volume, and what each one is genuinely best at — with the places our competitors beat us marked plainly.
The comparison, on real numbers
Ratings and review counts from each company’s Google Business Profile. Verify them yourself — they change.
Where our competitors beat us, plainly
Montway has roughly 50 times our review volume. If sheer track record is your deciding factor, that is a real argument and we are not going to talk you out of it. Their network depth also means better availability on thin, rural routes where we may take longer to cover a load.
Sherpa’s price lock is genuinely better than the industry norm. If your single biggest fear is a quote changing after booking, they built their whole product around that.
uShip is a marketplace, not a broker. If you want to see competing carrier bids and choose yourself, that is a different model and we do not offer it.
Where we do compete: a 4.9 rating, and review themes weighted toward enclosed transport, exotic cars and professional drivers rather than volume throughput. We are a smaller operation, which is the trade-off — fewer loads, more attention per load.
How to verify any car shipping company in two minutes
This matters more than any ranking on any page, including this one.
- Get their USDOT and MC numbers and look them up on the FMCSA SAFER database. Confirm the operating status is active and authorised. Ours are USDOT 3446819 and MC-1120978.
- Check whether they are a broker or a carrier. Neither is bad; hiding which one they are is. Most national names, including us, are brokers.
- Confirm the deposit policy. No reputable company takes payment in full before a carrier is assigned. Wire transfer, gift card or crypto requests are a scam pattern, not a payment method.
- Ask for the cargo insurance limit in writing and compare it to what your vehicle is actually worth.
- Get the quote and terms in writing before anything is paid.
Which one is right for you
- Shipping a classic, exotic or low-clearance vehicle? Prioritise enclosed specialists and check cargo limits against the car’s value — see our enclosed transport and luxury and exotic pages.
- Standard sedan or SUV on a common route? Almost any established broker will do. Compare on price and deposit terms — see open car transport.
- Rural or low-traffic origin? Favour the largest networks; availability beats rating when carriers are scarce.
- Hard deadline? Ask specifically about pickup windows rather than delivery dates — see expedited shipping.
- PCS move? Check your JTR entitlement first — overseas moves may already be covered at government expense.
What car shipping actually costs across the industry
Pricing is set by the carrier market, not by the broker’s brand. Two brokers quoting the same route are bidding for the same trucks, which is why quotes cluster. Anyone materially cheaper than the rest is usually quoting a rate no carrier will accept — the load then sits uncovered until the price rises.
The industry average sits near per mile at 1,000 miles, falling to coast to coast and rising to under 500 miles. Enclosed adds 40–60%; expedited adds 20–40%; a non-running vehicle adds depending on whether it rolls.
Broker or carrier — and why nearly every name on this page is a broker
A carrier owns trucks and employs drivers. A broker holds federal authority to arrange transport and assigns a vetted carrier to your job. Montway, Sherpa, SGT, AmeriFreight and Dispatch Dudes are all brokers. uShip is a marketplace. Reliable Carriers is one of the few genuine national carriers, which is why they appear on enclosed searches specifically.
Brokers are not the lesser option — there are roughly 10,000 auto transport carriers in the US, most running fewer than ten trucks, and no single fleet covers every lane. A broker’s value is access to all of them. What matters is whether they tell you they are a broker and disclose the assigned carrier before pickup. Any company that will not name the carrier collecting your vehicle is the one to walk away from.
Deposit policies compared
This is the clearest practical difference between reputable and not, and it costs nothing to check.
- No deposit until dispatch — you pay nothing until a specific carrier is assigned to your vehicle. This is the standard among reputable brokers, ourselves included.
- Small deposit at booking — common, and acceptable if the amount is disclosed and refundable while the load is uncovered.
- Full payment up front — not standard practice anywhere in this industry. Treat it as a red flag.
What the review data actually tells you
Star ratings compress a lot. The themes underneath them are more useful, and Google surfaces them publicly on every profile:
- Montway’s reviews weight heavily toward communication and punctuality across nearly 24,000 ratings — consistent with a high-volume operation with mature processes.
- Sherpa’s cluster around no hidden fees and pickup window — their price-lock promise showing up in what customers actually mention.
- SGT’s emphasise communication and booking process at scale.
- Ours weight toward enclosed transport, exotic cars and professional drivers — a smaller sample, concentrated in specialist work.
Read the one- and two-star reviews on any company before booking. On a high-volume broker they are usually about a carrier delay; if they are about money changing after booking, that is a different and more serious signal.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most reliable car shipping company?
Reliability in this industry is largely determined by the assigned carrier, not the broker’s brand. The brokers with the strongest records — Montway, Sherpa, SGT, AmeriFreight — are the ones with mature carrier vetting. Ask any company how they vet carriers and when they will share the assigned carrier’s details.
Is it cheaper to book direct with a carrier?
Occasionally, if a carrier happens to run your exact lane on your exact dates. In practice most owner-operators do not sell direct to consumers and find their loads on dispatch boards. That is what a broker is buying access to.
How far in advance should I book?
One to two weeks for standard routes. Three to four during summer and the autumn snowbird migration, when southbound Florida lanes tighten considerably.
Does a higher rating mean a better price?
No. Rating reflects service experience; price is set by carrier supply on your lane. Compare quotes on the same transport type and deposit terms, or you are not comparing like with like.
Get a quote from us
If enclosed, exotic or high-value transport is what you need, that is where our reviews concentrate and where we would back ourselves. No deposit until a carrier is assigned and their USDOT number and insurance certificate are sent to you.
Call 754-201-8264 or email support@dispatch-dudes.com, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm ET.