How We Verify Every Company in Our Directory

Finding a trustworthy car shipping company should not feel like gambling. But for most consumers, that is exactly what it feels like. You search online, find a dozen companies with similar-looking websites, and have no idea which ones are legitimate. That is why we built this directory differently.

Every carrier and broker listed on CarShippingHub is independently verified against the FMCSA SAFER database before being published. We do not simply accept a company's claim that they are licensed. We manually check their operating authority status, insurance filings, safety ratings, and inspection history. If a company has inactive authority, expired insurance, or an unsatisfactory safety record, they are not listed here — period.

We also assign each company an FMCSA compliance score based on the completeness and currency of their federal filings. This gives you an at-a-glance quality indicator that goes far beyond a generic star rating. Want to check a company that is not in our directory? Use our free FMCSA Carrier Lookup tool to verify any auto transport company by name or MC/USDOT number.

Brokers vs. Carriers: Which One Should You Hire?

This is the question that confuses most first-time shippers. The auto transport industry has two main types of licensed companies, and understanding the difference will save you from confusion when quotes start coming in.

A freight broker is a licensed middleman. They do not own trucks. Instead, they use national load boards like Central Dispatch to match your vehicle with an independent carrier who is already driving your route. A good broker adds value by negotiating rates, vetting drivers, handling paperwork, and managing customer service if something goes wrong. About 80% of the companies you find online are brokers.

A motor carrier owns the actual trucks and employs the drivers who physically pick up and deliver your vehicle. Most carriers are small operations — one to three trucks — run by independent owner-operators. Because they are constantly on the road, they rarely have time to manage websites, run ads, or handle customer calls. That is why brokers exist.

Some companies hold both broker and carrier authority, meaning they operate their own trucks but also dispatch loads to other carriers when their fleet is fully booked. This hybrid model can offer more flexibility on popular routes.

The bottom line? Neither option is inherently better. What matters is that the company — whether broker or carrier — holds active FMCSA operating authority and carries proper insurance. Our directory makes it easy to filter by type so you can compare options side by side.

What to Look for When Choosing a Car Shipping Company

Before you book with anyone, run through this quick checklist. These are the same criteria we use when deciding whether to list a company in our directory:

  • Active operating authority: The company's MC or USDOT number must show "AUTHORIZED" in the FMCSA database. If it says "INACTIVE," "REVOKED," or "NOT AUTHORIZED," do not book with them under any circumstances.
  • Current insurance on file: Carriers must carry a minimum of $750,000 in public liability insurance. Many also carry $100,000 or more in cargo insurance specifically for the vehicles they haul. Brokers must maintain a $75,000 surety bond. These filings must be current — not expired.
  • Safety rating: The FMCSA assigns safety ratings based on audits and inspections. "Satisfactory" is the standard. "Conditional" means documented safety concerns exist. "Unsatisfactory" means avoid entirely.
  • Transparent pricing: A legitimate company will give you a clear breakdown of the broker fee (paid upfront or at dispatch) and the carrier fee (paid to the driver at delivery). If a company cannot explain how their pricing works, that is a red flag.
  • No excessive upfront deposits: Industry standard is a broker fee of $100 to $300 collected after a carrier is dispatched. If a company demands the full amount before pickup, or insists on payment through Zelle, CashApp, or wire transfer, proceed with extreme caution.

How Our Compliance Score Works

Star ratings are easy to fake. A company can buy reviews, create fake profiles, or cherry-pick testimonials. That is why we developed an independent FMCSA compliance score that is based entirely on verifiable government data — not user reviews.

The score factors in several data points pulled from the FMCSA SAFER system:

  • Is the operating authority currently active?
  • Are insurance filings current and at the required coverage levels?
  • What is the official safety rating from the most recent audit?
  • How recently has the company been inspected?
  • Are there any reported crashes or enforcement actions on file?

The result is a single, objective number that tells you how clean a company's regulatory record is. You can sort any view in our directory by compliance score using the filter bar above. Companies with higher compliance scores have more complete and current federal filings.

Common Auto Transport Scams to Watch Out For

The car shipping industry unfortunately attracts its share of bad actors. Here are the most common scams our team sees reported on Scam Watch:

  • Lowball quotes: A company quotes $200 less than everyone else just to get your deposit. Once you sign, they claim the "rate increased" and demand more money. This is the classic bait-and-switch.
  • Phantom carriers: A broker collects your deposit but never actually dispatches a carrier. Days go by with excuses. When you demand a refund, they stop answering calls.
  • Hostage loads: A carrier picks up your vehicle and then demands extra payment upon delivery — more than what was agreed in the contract. They refuse to release the car until you pay.
  • Unlicensed operators: Someone with an unregistered truck offers a cheap rate. They have no insurance, no authority, and no accountability. If your vehicle is damaged, you have zero legal recourse.

The single best way to avoid all of these scenarios is to verify the company's FMCSA status before you send money. Every company in our directory has already passed this check, but we encourage you to verify independently as well.

Compare Carriers and Make a Confident Decision

Our directory is designed to help you research, compare, and decide — all in one place. Use the filter tabs above to narrow results by company type. Click into any carrier profile to see their full FMCSA data, customer reviews, service areas, and pricing structure. And if you want a head-to-head comparison, select multiple carriers and hit the "Compare Now" button to see them side by side.

When you are ready to move forward, use our free shipping calculator to get an instant cost estimate for your specific route. For a deeper understanding of how the industry works — including how to prepare your vehicle, what the Bill of Lading is, and how insurance claims work — explore our shipping guides library or read through the resource center.

Shipping your car is a big decision. Having the right information makes it a simple one.