The best car shipping companies of 2023 are Mercury Auto Transport, Sherpa Auto Transport & AmeriFreight.
Read our guide to research and select the Best car shipping company for you
4.9/5 from 156 reviews
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4.7/5 from 48 reviews
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Auto transportation is a process of shipping a car or auto by hiring a truck to move the vehicle from one place to another place. The cost of moving is relatively better when you calculate the amount of gas, service efforts and other emergency maintenance cost along the course of transportation. You can easily compare the cost all by yourself by getting auto transport companies quotes from top care transport companies.
You are probably here because you are in a situation where you need to use auto shipping services, but you don’t have sufficient time to research and choose the right company. As you want to find a reputable company that will meet your entire car shipping needs including door to door delivery, you don’t just want to pick up on the first company that comes your way.
To help you out in such a situation, here are some tips you could use to avoid the research part but still land with top car transport companies.
Our top pick: We rate Montway Auto Transport as the top shipping option overall.
Our Awards | Cheapest car shipping | Great customer service | |
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Type of company | Broker | Broker | |
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Every time you think about shipping your car, all you will be looking for is a company that is completely trustworthy. The last thing you need from the company is for your car to be delivered with some damage or with some delay in delivery. These issues can definitely be avoided if you use services from top car companies. Although picking one of the top company is a challenge, there is a reason why some are known as the best auto transport company and only few have the reputation for providing the best quotes among auto transport companies.
There are different types of quotes available online which are mostly easy and quick way to find the lowest price for shipping your vehicle. All you need to share is your details about the vehicle and the respective destination. The form will be designed in order to gather more information about your vehicle such as the year it is made, model number and the shipping date. In case of domestic and international destinations, you will have separate quotes to be filled. These quotes will help both the parties to determine the process of transportation with their unique requirements.
Best auto transport company will have a nationwide group of auto haulers to find you the best estimate once you fill in the quotes and submit the same. Your requirement may change from time to time and if you need the cost of just one vehicle to be transported or you may just want to ship your second car across the country after your first experience in terms of best pricing and service you received, it can be determined if you are using auto transport company quotes. These quotes will be documented once you submit and if you are not in a hurry to ship your car, these quotes will be used at a later stage as and when it is required.
One suggestion we would like to make here is, if you are in a hurry to deliver your car, you can check the price for door to door quote rather than terminal to terminal quote. This will be handy. Generally, you will get bot these options from the auto transporters. However, door to door service can be slightly expensive based on your location or destination of delivery.
In case you have someone at your new destination or location to pick you up from the terminal, you can certainly save some money. Basically, you should choose an auto transport company instead of driving because it is safer, faster and to a certain extent it is cheaper.
Here are a few sample quotes received from Mercury Auto Transport:
Shipping Distance | Type of Transport | Shipping Estimate |
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524 miles | Open | $650 |
Here are a few sample quotes received from Sherpa Auto Transport:
Shipping Distance | Type of Transport | Shipping Estimate |
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524 miles | Open | $650 |
1,032 miles | Open | $925 |
2,078 miles | Open | $1,825 |
1,032 miles | Closed | $$1,375 |
2,078 miles | Closed | $2,850 |
Sherpa's top-notch customer service, transparent pricing backed by their Price Lock Promise and thorough carrier vetting process is available for all types of transports from cross-country moves to snowbird routes. Their Price Lock Promise ensures that the quote you receive will be the amount you pay when your vehicle is delivered. In addition to being licensed, bonded and insured and offering insurance and door-to-door delivery included in every transport, you can further customize your shipment by choosing open and closed transport. Sherpa's Clean Car Guarantee allows customers to spend up to $20 for a car wash after their car has been delivered. In addition to regular cars, Sherpa also transports trucks, vans, SUVs, classic cars and non-operational cars. Sherpa offers several discounts, including those for military, students, repeat customers, snowbirds, seniors and multi-car transports.
Here are a few sample quotes received from Amerifreight:
Shipping Distance | Type of Transport | Shipping Estimate |
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524 miles | Open | $718 |
1,032 miles | Open | $828 |
2,078 miles | Open | $1,049 |
1,032 miles | Closed | $$1,401 |
2,078 miles | Closed | $1,888 |
AmeriFreight ships to 50 states, Canada, and some international locations. In addition to cars, they ship motorcycles, RVs, trailers and boats. Enclosed and door-to-door shipping are available as options. Their price guarantee means you will pay the exact price they offer. Discounts are available to students, senior citizens, and members of emergency and protections services. You can also ask about discounts for return customers or shipping multiple vehicles. AmeriFreight provides the AFta gap insurance plan for damage reported within 48 hours of dropoff. A calculator on their site can help you get a more accurate estimate of what they will charge.
A car shipping company should be reliable and willing to serve their customers from the beginning till the end, which is delivery. See if they own more trucks. If so, they will most likely serve you as a single point of contact which is a very good thing from a customer point of view, because you know to whom you should reach in case of any concern. And more importantly, if any problem they will solve them quicker because best car shipping companies are not just focussed about your cars, but also for their reputation built over the years. You should look for more details about the shipping process such as how long does it take to ship your car, average time range for delivery, do they provide covered or uncovered carrier options which will decide if you vehicle will be exposed or not.
Look for the pricing if they are too low cost, then chances are high that it could lead you to trouble in the form of hidden charges. You can get best auto transport quotes from different companies and get a fair idea about the pricing. Also, see if they have good storage place with security which will ensure safety of your car. Last but not the least, check for the shipper's license and insurance record. Below are some points you should look in to while choosing a car shipping company:
It is important you identify your requirement first as a customer and then check if that company is providing that service. You can save your time by doing this as the first step and focus on other important steps to choose your service provider.
You can always check online reviews as well as your family and friends. After shortlisting few companies from the internet, you can always get in touch with your family members and friend if they have any knowledge about the companies you have in your list. Online reviews come next.
Experience in the industry Determine the number of years each company has experience in the car shipping field and how big their organisation is. The more number of years, the more experienced they are and the quality of service will only get better.
Ensure they have good experts to advise, because the way they treat their customers will give you a picture of how their service can be. Make sure they give you all possible answers to your questions as well as see if they can suggest you more options.
A car shipping company removes a lot of trouble from you regarding the process of transporting your car to a new location. They are professionals and know how to handle their business. Once you choose them, you can be rest assured that your car is safe. Best car shipping companies have definitely earned their reputation with consistent performance and there are no easy ways to reach the top other than hard work. Years of experience have already gone through them which give them an edge over the others in delivering your car. They know how to handle your car during unexpected natural calamities or a road accident or any other unforeseen situations.
Points to be considered before shipping your car:
Finally, once you are done with the shipping please take time to share your feedback about the services you received and your experiences with that company. This will definitely help other movers who will be interested to read your honest comments and suggestions planning their next move. Being kind and sharing knowledge are the biggest quality of human beings. Let us make this world a happy place to live.
Here are some of the questions you should ask the auto transport companies while you are doing your research. The auto transport companies have their phone numbers and email addresses on their website; this would make the inquiry process easy.
a) How long does the transporting process take? Some auto transport companies’ deliveries usually take up to a month or more in some cases. Therefore, you must ask the companies for a timeline.
b) Do they offer covered or uncovered carrier options? An uncovered carrier is very affordable compared to the covered carrier option. An uncovered carrier can take up to 10 vehicles at a go. The covered carrier option is expensive because it takes less number of cars at a time, and it helps prevent the vehicle from harsh weather that might affect the colour of the vehicle. You might want to consider a covered carrier if you are transporting a 2019 Mercedes-Benz SL Class because of the security. You would not want the car exposed to harsh weather. You must ask the company about the options they have to offer.
c) What are the delivery options they offer? Do they offer a door-to-door delivery or terminal-to-terminal delivery? Door-to-door delivery is more convenient, but it is expensive when compared to terminal-to-terminal delivery. However, door-to-door delivery is safer.
d) Should you purchase insurance when using an auto transport company? Make sure you ask the auto transport company about their insurance policy before you opt for them. It is mandatory for every auto transport company to have an insurance policy; however, what the policy covers vary from company to company. Some companies’ policies cover the entire vehicle while shipping, while some may only certain parts of the car. It is essential that you ask what the company policy covers before purchasing additional insurance.
e) When should you book auto transportation? Most companies advise that booking should be at least a month to the delivery date, to give the company time to do the necessary paperwork and other required preparations.
4.9/5 Overall Rating
GET A QUOTESherpa Auto Transport checks all the right boxes when it comes to putting the customer first. Between quote transparency and a free car wash included in every move, the people at Sherpa do customer service right.
4.7/5 Overall Rating
GET A QUOTEAlthough AmeriFreight's website isn't the most polished of the bunch, the company offers all of the services and guarantees you’d expect from a top-tier auto transport provider. Plus, it has the most impressive lineup of discounts compared to others on our list.