Auto Hauler Exchange digital marketplace vs. RunBuggy broker as an app

Auto Hauler Exchange (AHX) and RunBuggy represent two fundamentally different approaches to vehicle transport. AHX is a true digital marketplace connecting shippers (like auto dealers, remarketers, fleets) directly with carriers, while RunBuggy operates as a broker (RunBuggy is federally licensed as a broker). AHX bypasses traditional broker-led workflows by eliminating the middleman entirely, whereas RunBuggy maintains the broker model with a digital interface. This core difference shapes their feature sets, workflows, and value propositions.

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To oversimplify it: AHX empowers dealers with market-driven pricing and direct carrier relationships for all their transport needs, while RunBuggy offers a broker-managed experience with preset pricing.

Market-driven pricing vs. broker-set rates

AHX is optimized for high-velocity dealer logistics with a revolutionary approach: dealers set their own rates and the market determines the final price. This freedom allows dealers to get fresh inventory from auctions, trades, or sister stores on the lot quickly and at competitive rates they control.

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RunBuggy maintains the traditional broker model where the platform sets the price, just with a digital interface. Their product design (instant, non-negotiated quotes) removes dealer pricing control in exchange for guaranteed rates, but also removes transparency about what carriers actually earn and the ability to get your vehicle moved at a lower market rate.

Control vs. convenience

AHX gives the dealer complete pricing control and direct negotiation with carriers; that's a HUGE change from the traditional broker model dealers are used to. This transparency and control is invaluable when managing costs across multiple shipments.

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RunBuggy maintains the broker model where pricing and carrier selection are handled internally by the platform. While this offers predictable quotes, it comes at the cost of transparency and typically higher rates. Dealers have no visibility into what carriers actually earn and cannot leverage market dynamics to optimize their shipping costs.

Overlap

Neither platform is exclusive to one use-case. AHX users do book retail deliveries (it’s in the testimonials), and RunBuggy hauls lots of auction and dealer-trade loads every day. The difference is where each company has invested its product roadmap and partner ecosystem.

Key Product Differences

Both platforms share core capabilities such as nationwide carrier networks, real-time shipment tracking, and fast carrier payments.

Workflow Difference

In summary, AHX gives shippers complete control over setting rates and negotiating directly with carriers (a true marketplace with modern tools), whereas RunBuggy maintains the traditional broker model with a digital interface, where pricing and carrier matching are handled internally by the platform without shipper input.

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The table below summarizes key differences in features and workflow:

Speed & Capital Turn

For inbound inventory, time is gross profit. AHX's broker-free marketplace posts each vehicle to 5,500-plus vetted carriers the moment you hit Publish. Those haulers aren't waiting on a middle-man to squeeze profit out of the lane, so pickup happens in roughly 24 hours and delivery in four to five days on average. That delta versus the 14-to-16-day broker slog shows up on your floorplan line first, then in reconditioning throughput, and finally in posting your vehicles for sale.

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RunBuggy, as a broker, can face challenges when their preset rates don't align with market realities. Their algorithm occasionally prices too low on certain lanes, forcing vehicles to sit until they adjust the rate or a carrier finally accepts the job. While some dealers report quick pickups on common routes, others experience significant delays when shipping to less-traveled destinations or during high-demand periods when carriers can be selective about which loads they take.

Price Transparency vs. "Broker-as-an-App"

AHX hands you the pricing wheel. You see the exact dollar the carrier will earn and the flat AHX fee. Dealers routinely report 20-25 percent freight savings compared with broker invoices—savings that compound every auction run you make this month. By letting the market dictate rates, vehicles ship faster and often at lower costs than through traditional brokers.

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With RunBuggy, you surrender pricing control to their broker model. The platform's margin is baked into the quote; it's clean, but completely opaque. You'll never know how much of your payment goes to the carrier versus RunBuggy's profit. While their preset quotes offer convenience, they typically build in higher margins than what you'd pay in a true marketplace, especially on popular routes where carrier competition would naturally drive down prices.

Visibility & Trust

Scott Moore at Suburban Volvo calls AHX's dashboard "bar none the best I've used," because every shipment milestone pings the team, and he can DM the driver directly. That line-of-sight means no more ringing a broker's 800-number to ask, "Where's my Escalade?"

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RunBuggy, operating as a broker, maintains control of the communication channel. Their ETA texts and map links provide basic updates, but what you won't get is the carrier's direct contact information or transparency about their pay rate. The whole trip is wrapped in RunBuggy's branded layer of glass, maintaining the traditional broker barrier between shipper and carrier.

Support When Things Go Sideways

AHX plays a high-touch concierge—real people, direct numbers, and quick responses. Dealers swap stories of AHX reps showing up at the store unprompted just to make sure throughput is humming.

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RunBuggy runs a scaled help-desk model. When volume flows smoothly, tickets close fast. But reviewers who hit edge-cases (oversized SUVs, rural zip codes) report long hold times and repeated delays while waiting for updated ETAs. This happens when their algorithm prices too low.

Integration Footprint

If your ops team lives in spreadsheets, AHX’s standalone web portal is a clean fit; export the data, fire it into your own BI dashboards, done.

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RunBuggy has integrations with Dealer.com checkout, OEM e-retail pilots, even consumer one-off moves. That can be beneficial if nationwide e-commerce drives your growth plan; irrelevant if your buyers still shake hands in the showroom.

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When to Pull Which Lever

Ultimately, both platforms are highly rated by their users and both offer dealers and shippers modern solutions to move vehicles faster and more transparently than the old broker model.

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Your choice will come down to your specific needs and preferences.

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If you value complete transparency, control over pricing, and a more personalized service, Auto Hauler Exchange shines. It lets you engage directly with carriers, save significantly on transport costs, and it's receiving enthusiastic feedback from dealers for its ease of use and support. AHX delivers on its promise of a truly broker-free, efficient marketplace where you set your own rates and let the market work for you.

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If you prefer the traditional broker model with a digital interface, RunBuggy offers that option. Its preset pricing removes the need for negotiation, though at the cost of transparency and potentially higher rates. You'll rely on RunBuggy's system to handle all the details, including setting carrier rates, which means surrendering control over a key aspect of your vehicle logistics.

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• Inventory flood at the auction? Post on AHX, flex the market pricing tool, and watch the capital cycle in half the time.

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• Need to move vehicles quickly and cost-effectively? AHX's market-driven pricing ensures carriers are motivated to move your vehicles at rates that work for everyone.

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• Running multiple rooftops? AHX's transparent platform gives you the control and visibility you need across your entire operation, with significant cost savings that compound with every shipment.

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Traditional vehicle transport is becoming more modern. With AHX, you're choosing a market-driven approach that gives you complete control over your shipping rates while letting the market work efficiently. This transparency not only saves you money but also gets your vehicles moving faster. Sleep better knowing your vehicles are rolling for the right reason, at the right price, with a partner that puts you in control.

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