c/auto-shipping-help

A broker's one-line email changed how I prep every car for shipping

Back in February I sent a 2018 Honda Civic from Austin to Phoenix and the broker just wrote back 'check the battery hold down, it slid before we loaded.' I had no clue that was even an issue, but sure enough the bracket was loose from a cheap install. Now I torque those bolts and also zip the wiper arms so they can't swing during transport. Has anyone else had a carrier flag something small that you never thought about, like antenna position or aftermarket splitters?

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sandra715•19h ago

Paid $400 for door-to-door enclosed shipping, got 2 weeks of headaches

Everyone swears by enclosed transport but my recent run from Phoenix to Portland was a nightmare of missed windows and a scratched bumper anyway. Terminal-to-terminal open carrier would've cost me half and the car would've sat at the lot waiting for me, not the other way around. Has anyone else had better luck just driving the route yourself with a cheap tow dolly?

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elliotshah•2d ago

The paper bill of lading trick that saved my $2,800 shipment

Driver tried to claim damage that was already on the inspection report, so I started taking a photo of the signed BOL next to the odometer before they leave. Has anyone else had a carrier dispute a pre-existing dent that the camera clearly shows?

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piper175•4d ago

A broker in Dallas told me to quit padding my quotes...

I used to add 15% to every enclosed transport quote to cover random delays, and my dispatch manager called me out on it after I lost a client in Phoenix. He said the extra cushion was making my bids look greedy next to carriers who itemized the real costs. Has anyone else had to strip their buffer down and find other ways to protect against weather or route changes?

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sean_foster52•5d ago

Why does nobody talk about broker double-brokering to save $40?

I dug into the FMCSA records after my last shipment from Houston to Phoenix got delayed 3 days. Found out my broker didn't actually have a truck lined up, they just posted my load on a load board and let someone else handle it. That's legal in a lot of cases, which surprised me, but the driver who finally showed up had no idea my quote was $1,150 while he was getting paid $880. Nobody in the booking process mentioned this risk, and every forum thread I read just says 'use a broker' without explaining the chain. Has anyone else pulled the actual carrier history and found their broker was just flipping the job?

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holly_gonzalez61•5d ago

Broker sent the wrong truck size, paid for it twice

Booked a 2-car carrier for my Civic and Jetta from Phoenix to Denver, but the driver showed up with a 1-car flatbed and I had to eat an extra $175 for a second trip last Tuesday. Anyone else get burned by brokers who dont verify their dispatch notes?

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the_henry•8d ago

Open transport was fine, I don't get the closed carrier panic

Everyone here acts like open shipping will wreck your paint, but I shipped my 2018 Civic from Dallas to Phoenix on an open trailer last month and it showed up with maybe two tiny bug splatters. I paid $680 for open versus the $1,150 quote for enclosed. The driver even texted me photos at each stop. I've used enclosed once for a classic Mustang and honestly the extra cost didn't buy me any less stress. Is the paint really that fragile on modern cars, or is this just people protecting their weekend toy? Has anyone actually had real damage on open transport, or is it all fear?

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sarah687•9d ago

The broker who called me out on my own quote sheet

Had a dispatcher in Phoenix tell me my prices were too clean, said real transport quotes always have a cushion for weather or driver no-shows. He pointed to my 4th of July booking that sat for 3 extra days, and honestly he was right. Anyone else started adding a buffer after a similar talk, or do you keep it tight and eat the risk?

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the_oliver•9d ago

Bait and switch on the quote, 2 extra days and $340 later

Got a quote from a broker in Phoenix for $850 to move my Civic to Denver, then the actual carrier showed up with a different truck and demanded $1,190 before loading. Took me 4 hours of phone calls to get my original broker to honor the written price, but the car sat at the yard for 2 extra days while they sorted it. Anyone else had the carrier try to jack up the price at pickup, and how did you handle it?

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river182•16d ago

Terminal-to-terminal beat the open carrier for my cross-country move

I chose a terminal-to-terminal shipment from Phoenix to Tampa over an open carrier door-to-door quote that was $400 cheaper, and after 6 days of zero updates and a pickup spot 30 miles from my apartment, the extra cost bought me actual communication and a delivery window that only slipped 2 hours, has anyone else found the cheaper option always turns into a guessing game?

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piper_green•17d ago

One broker's 3am call saved my cross country move

I was dead set on shipping my Mustang from Austin to Portland with the cheapest quote I found online, like $700. Then a broker named Dave called me at 3am because my pickup window changed. He walked me through why the low bid had no insurance backing and how delays pile up when trucks run empty. That one call made me pay $950 for a better carrier, and my car showed up two days early with zero scratches. Has anyone else had a last minute broker call actually turn things around?

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rowan666•20d ago

Portable winch on a car hauler, did not go the way I expected

I haul cars part time for a buddy out of Tucson, and last month I picked up a small 12V winch to help pull a non running sedan onto the trailer. Figured it would save my back, but the first time I used it, the strap slipped off the drum and the car rolled back about 4 feet before I got the chock in. Turns out the winch was rated for 2,000 lbs but the car was closer to 3,500, so the brake just gave up. I learned to double check the load rating and always use a snatch block to cut the pull in half. Has anyone else had a winch fail on a slope, or is it just me not reading the manual close enough?

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charlie_lane85•22d ago

Day 3 of hauling a Porsche through a snowstorm in Ohio

Car got stuck at a rest stop near Toledo for 6 hours while the owner kept texting me pics of his garage, and then the straps froze solid overnight. Anyone else ever deal with ice on their tie-downs and have to thaw them with a hair dryer?

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iris_green84•23d ago

Saw a carrier strap load wrong in a Georgia truck stop lot

Last month I was grabbing coffee at a Pilot off I-75 in Macon and watched a guy strap down a Mustang with the hooks on the frame rails instead of the tie-down points. He had the straps cranked so tight the suspension was fully compressed, looked like the car was squatting. I walked over and mentioned it, he said he'd done it this way for 10 years. The problem is those frame rails can shift or crack, plus the car bounces differently and can throw off the whole load balance. I told him about using axle straps or proper wheel nets, but he just shrugged. Has anyone else seen carriers doing sketchy stuff like this and actually gotten them to change their method?

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jamesmason•25d ago

Need a dependable auto shipper for a classic car

I need to transport a classic car I just bought from an auction. It's not running, so I need a company that can handle non-running vehicles and is careful. Any recommendations for dependable auto shippers?

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