Why Direct Shipper Access Beats Working with Brokers

For decades, brokers were the connective tissue of vehicle logistics. They had the phone numbers, the time, and the “feel” for the market. Dealers and carriers leaned on them because there wasn’t a better option.

But, technology has changed.

Today, the same tools that transformed retail, banking, and advertising have come to auto transport. Marketplaces like Auto Hauler Exchange (AHX) give shippers and carriers the power to connect directly with more transparency, speed, and control than brokers ever could.

So why keep paying broker rates when their old advantages have disappeared?

What Brokers Used to Be Good For

In the days before marketplaces, brokers really did fill a gap. It was practically easier to have one phone number to call for updates. And, before cell phones, drivers weren’t reachable at all. If you wanted to know where your vehicle was, you called your broker, who then called a dispatcher, who might finally reach the driver over CB radio. That information gap made a single point of contact feel indispensable.

Pricing worked much the same way. With no access to transparent market data, brokers acted as advisors, but always with a catch. Their guidance was never neutral. A broker negotiating rates was negotiating against both sides, trying to extract margin from shippers and carriers alike. That conflict of interest has always been baked into the model.

Connections used to be another broker stronghold. They were the rolodex. If you didn’t know carriers in another region, your broker did. But here’s the irony: today, most brokers don’t have the rolodex they once relied on. Instead, they scrape the same load boards as everyone else, which are the very boards plagued with ghost listings and shady actors. Ironically, what used to be a trust advantage is now a liability. That’s why we recently published The Dark Side of Vehicle Logistics. 

And of course, paperwork and payments were a hassle. Chasing W-9s, insurance certificates, and paper checks was tedious. Brokers were willing to do it, but at a steep cost.

Technology Has Closed Those Gaps

Every one of the jobs that once justified a broker fee has been replaced with tools that do the work faster, more reliably, and without conflict of interest.

Updates, without the phone tag.
Where brokers once called dispatchers who relayed updates over CB radio, today carriers are tracked in real time through GPS. Dealers don’t wait for a callback. They open a dashboard and see exactly where a vehicle is. That single innovation alone has made the broker-as-messenger obsolete.

Pricing, without the bias.
The old excuse for brokers was that they “knew the market.” But that market knowledge was never neutral. Brokers had every incentive to negotiate against both shipper and carrier. Transparent pricing tools have eliminated that conflict. AHX’s AI Pricing Engine helps adjust the pricing for the shipper based on lane and recent pricing data, leveling the playing field in a way a broker never could.

Connections, without the rolodex.
A broker’s value used to be their list of carriers. Today, that rolodex is digital, scaled, and verified. The Exchange gives shippers instant access to 5,500+ vetted carriers nationwide.

Paperwork and payments, without the shuffle.
Instead of faxed W-9s, insurance forms, and overnighted checks, marketplaces handle documentation and payments in-platform. On AHX, shippers post, carriers book, and everything from gate passes to invoices is captured digitally. What once took days of back-and-forth is handled in minutes.

Every gap brokers used to fill has been closed. Technology delivers speed, transparency, and trust that manual processes could never achieve.

Why Paying Broker Fees Doesn’t Add Up

Brokers continue to charge as if they’re indispensable. They still skim 20–30% off the top, positioning themselves as if nothing has changed. But the reality is stark: the jobs that once justified their fee are now done faster and more reliably by technology.

That means their margin isn’t buying efficiency. It’s adding friction. Vehicles sit longer, arbitration windows are missed, and dealers end up paying more in storage and depreciation while waiting for a broker to work the phones. We broke down those hidden costs in The Real Cost of Vehicle Transportation for Dealerships, and the numbers make one thing clear: broker fees are not justifiable in a world of transparent, direct marketplaces.

Dealers and Carriers Take Back Control

Direct access cuts costs. It changes the relationship. Dealers regain control over their transport process, with visibility into who is hauling their vehicles, when they will arrive, and how much it will cost. Vehicles show up faster, arbitration deadlines are protected, and capital starts turning sooner.

Carriers, too, benefit from the shift. They keep the full rate, avoid wasted time haggling, and get paid reliably without waiting months for a broker’s check. More importantly, they build real working relationships with shippers, not transactional ties with middlemen.

Together, dealers and carriers are rewriting the rules of vehicle logistics. As one dealer put it: “This new way of posting direct opportunities to a carrier has made me a believer!” – Dan Greene, Soerens Ford

Outdated As Travel Agents

Brokers were useful when technology and transparency didn’t exist. Today, those gaps are closed.

What’s left is their fee. And that’s one cost your business doesn’t need to carry.

It’s the same story we’ve seen in other industries. Remember when you had to call a travel agent to book a flight? They had the systems and connections you didn’t. But once airlines and booking sites went online, the “advantage” disappeared. Today, paying a hefty commission for someone else to click the same button you can click yourself feels absurd.

That’s where vehicle logistics is now. Brokers are still charging as if they’re indispensable, even though the hard parts of their job like finding carriers, checking paperwork, tracking loads, setting rates have been automated or replaced by marketplaces like Auto Hauler Exchange.

With direct shipper access on AHX, you move vehicles faster, cheaper, and with more control than ever before. In 2025, paying broker fees is about as sensible as hiring someone to book your flight on Delta.com.

Ready to see the difference? Post your next shipment directly on the Exchange.