Brantley Kendall 13 Aug 2024 4 months ago How does a car shipping broker operate? These companies offer a hands-off approach to people who need to transport their valuable vehicles across the country or state borders. The key difference between a broker for shipping cars and a car carrier lies in their purpose. Brokers act as the liaison between you and the shipping company, who are only responsible for the physical transportation of the vehicle. Shipping brokers also have to follow a range of federal laws and regulations to keep them in check. For you, the consumer, that means you pretty much always get what you pay for. For more information on this topic, read on! Table of Contents Car Shipping Brokers – Who Are They?Do I Need a Car Shipping Broker?Can You Ship a Car Without a Broker?The Takeaway Car Shipping Brokers – Who Are They? In essence, a car shipping broker serves as an intermediary between you and the car carrier that ultimately gets your vehicle from point A to point B. Most often, they don’t manage their own fleet of transport trucks and rely on carriers to do the actual shipping for them. This may seem counterintuitive – why would you go through the middleman, rather than working with auto carriers directly? There are a few reasons to do so: Accessibility: Car brokerage services operate robust networks of trucks that link together separate areas of the country. The car carriers themselves typically don’t have a strong online presence, making it difficult to book them, provided they even operate in your area Reliability: Trucking companies, i.e., the people who load, transport, and deliver your car, can often be a little unpredictable. This can cause frustration due to unexpected delays or even last-minute cancellations. With a car brokerage company, when a driver falls through, they will simply book another one. Legitimacy: You can’t just open a car shipping brokerage overnight. These companies have to operate in full compliance with federal law. They need to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, own an MC and DOT number, and collaborate with service providers that are actively insured. Going with a car shipping broker is a guarantee of credibility and trust. Do I Need a Car Shipping Broker? Most of the time, the answer to that question will be a resounding “yes.” That’s because relying on a car shipping broker greatly simplifies the process by streamlining virtually all of its aspects. First up is communication. Car shipping brokers have a dedicated customer service team that handles all of the formalities for you. You just provide them your basic details, get a quote, and they connect you with a driver, rather than having you call and schedule transportation with a driver yourself. Next, insurance. As we mentioned, car shipping brokers can only work with insured carriers, and they bear the burden of verifying that information, not you. Finally, flexibility. Scheduling transport with an auto carrier directly means you’ll receive a quote… and that’s it. You can try to haggle the price a little bit but that’s all. On the other hand, brokers give you more leeway and allow you to browse through multiple carriers to select the best option out there. Can You Ship a Car Without a Broker? Yes! Contacting car transport companies directly is always an option, and it will cost less money when you factor in the broker’s fee. However, doing so means rejecting the benefits and support that come with brokers for shipping cars. That may not be the smartest choice, especially If you are shipping a particularly valuable vehicle and want to be informed of delivery progress every step of the way. Additionally, you always have the option to simply take matters into your own hands. The choice of driving vs. shipping a car comes with its own array of pros and cons, but it does cut down on transportation costs. The Takeaway Are car shipping brokers worth it, then? Definitely so! If safety and reliability are your primary concerns, it’s undoubtedly the best way to ship a car, especially over long distances. Thanks to our decades of industry experience, SAKAEM Logistics is able to provide the best quality car brokerage services. We collaborate with an extensive network of trusted carriers domestically and internationally and offer reasonable pricing with no upfront costs. Fill out our quote request form online to get a free price consultation! You may also read: Simplifying Multiple Car Transport: A Comprehensive Guide Brantley Kendall Share this: