Reliable Auto Transport: How to Choose a Partner You Can Trust

Written by

Elise Borngesser

Published on

November 11, 2025

In today’s fast-moving vehicle logistics landscape, reliability is everything. Shippers are facing an increasing number of fraudulent carriers and unreliable brokers who fail to deliver vehicles on time or at the agreed-upon cost. In 2024 alone, there were 65,000 thefts recorded — a 40% increase from the year prior.

Finding reliable auto transport means protecting your assets, maintaining customer trust, and safeguarding profitability.

In this article, we’ll break down what to look for in a trustworthy carrier, where to find them, and how to ensure your vehicles are handled by professionals who deliver.

What Is the Most Reliable Way to Transport Your Vehicle?

The most reliable way to transport a vehicle is through a carrier that is fully vetted, predictable, and experienced.

There are many ways to find reliable carriers: whether it be through brokers, load boards, or marketplaces. But some provide more protection than others. Jump ahead to the differences between the models.

Reliable transport is built on three essential pillars:

Speed: The faster your vehicles move, the less you spend on depreciation and interest.
Transparency: Knowing where your vehicle is at all times helps eliminate uncertainty.
Trust: Verified carriers backed by data and compliance ensure your vehicles are in safe hands.

Let’s dive into how you find transportation companies that deliver on these promises.

7 Tips To Find a Reliable Vehicle Carrier

1. Check Their Reviews and Ratings

Reliable carriers are transparent about their track record. Look for consistent positive feedback, verified reviews, and comments about communication and on-time delivery. Pay attention to red flags like unresponsive service, damage complaints, or unclear pricing.

Marketplace platforms like AHX do the heavy lifting for you, so you can have peace of mind that the carrier you’re working with is thoroughly vetted.

2. Verify Licensing and Insurance

Always check the carrier’s DOT and MC numbers through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Reliable carriers have up-to-date insurance and active operating authority. You should also confirm their cargo insurance coverage matches your shipment value.

3. Ask About Communication and Tracking

Communication is one of the most underrated aspects of reliability. A report by Tive found that 80% of shippers wanted better supply chain visibility. Reliable carriers provide visibility through real-time tracking, updates at key milestones, and easy access to contact information.

The platform on which you find the carriers can play a big role in this. For example, AHX allows shippers to communicate directly with carriers, eliminating delays from a broker in the middle.

6. Compare Market Pricing

If a quote sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Reliable carriers price their services based on current market conditions, not lowball rates meant to lure customers.

The AHX market pricing tool gives shippers insight into competitive rates that actually move vehicles.

7. Confirm Experience with Your Shipment Type

Different carriers specialize in different types of shipments — from dealer-to-dealer moves to OEM transfers. Ask about their experience, equipment type, and coverage area. When you find a company that specializes, it can bring peace of mind that they understand the job and are equipped to handle it.

Where to Find Reliable Auto Transport Companies

There are three main ways to find vehicle carriers. In this section, we’ll walk through the differences between brokers, load boards, and marketplaces when it comes to finding reliable carriers.

Brokers: Traditional brokers act as intermediaries between shippers and carriers. While many are reputable, others may inflate prices and obscure details about the carrier actually moving your shipment. Plus, levels of vetting vary from broker to broker.
Load Boards: Open to anyone, these platforms require shippers to do their own due diligence. The results vary widely and often lead to inconsistent service. Learn more in our Auto Hauler Load Boards Guide.
Marketplaces: Marketplaces like Auto Hauler Exchange connect shippers directly with vetted, insured, and monitored carriers. AHX removes the broker and adds transparency, so you always know who’s moving your shipment and what they’re being paid. AHX makes this easy by offering shippers access to performance data, safety metrics, and communication tools, all in one place.

💡 Vehicles shipped through AHX are delivered in an average of four days, cutting dwell time and reducing costs related to depreciation and interest.

Examples of Reliable Vehicle Carriers

When you work with an auto hauler broker, you don’t have transparency into what carriers are moving your vehicles. AHX eliminates the broker to offer shippers direct access to over 5,000 vetted carriers across the country.

Each carrier on the Exchange is monitored for insurance, compliance, and performance, ensuring reliability at every step.

Below are a handful of the most trusted names regularly operating on the Exchange:

👉 Explore more reliable carriers through AHX.

The Cost of Unreliability

Unreliable auto transport can cost your business more than just late or lost deliveries.

The financial impact of delays, damages, or poor communication can ripple across operations, creating significant losses that extend beyond a single shipment. When vehicles sit idle, interest rates accumulate, depreciation increases, and resale value drops. According to Cox Automotive, the average dealer holding cost per vehicle is over $40 per day. A shipment delayed by just five days can translate into hundreds of dollars in lost profit per vehicle.

Beyond monetary loss, the cost of unreliability includes damaged reputation. Customers expect precision and professionalism. A delayed or mishandled shipment can harm trust and jeopardize future business relationships. Dealerships and manufacturers who experience repeated delivery failures often see long-term erosion of customer confidence, making it harder to win repeat business.

Choosing a reliable auto transport company not only saves you from monetary loss, but also from reputation harm.

Hitting The Road With Reliable Auto Transport

Reliable auto transport really comes down to trust. You want to know who is moving your vehicles, how they work, and where your shipment is at any point in time. When you’re choosing an auto transport company, take into account communication methods, the vetting process, reviews, and pricing transparency. Having confidence that you can trust the carrier you’re working with makes the process a lot less stressful.

While there are many ways to find a carrier you can trust, some tools make it easier. That is exactly what Auto Hauler Exchange is built for. With a vetted carrier network and transparent rates, AHX helps you move vehicles with confidence.

Find a reliable auto transport company you can count on. Sign up for Auto Hauler Exchange today.