An automotive transportation company uses a fleet of trucks and its drivers to move its customers cars. Not all services move cars from one location to another using trucks owned by and drivers employed by the company. Companies such as Intercity Lines send cars door-to-door using the same trucks and drivers.
We will deliver your vehicle door to door, using one of our trucks when we can. We always try to send cars first with our own trucks (acting as the transporter), but if we can move the car faster to your destination using one of our trusted partner carriers, we will do that to (acting as the broker). If we can get your vehicle shipped faster by brokering to one of our trusted partner carriers, without compromising on the safety and superior customer service that we are known for, we will.
In the end, auto transportation brokers and vehicle carriers are what get your vehicle shipped from Point A to Point B. Some smaller, or local companies that run smaller vehicle carriers – or one-vehicle flatbed carriers – may be able to take your car from Point A to Point B, but the turnaround times may be slower.
If you decide that you would like to have a car carrier move your vehicle, you may be able to work with a car transport company directly. A car transport company is not allowed to transport your car without having insurance. The car transport company will inform you during the transportation process.
Keep in mind that it all depends on the auto transportation company that you choose, but any reliable company should make your auto transportation booking experience quite seamless. Car transportation companies, such as Alpine (an automotive transportation management company), will give you an estimate for your vehicle transportation costs and coordinate all of the logistics. An auto transport management company, like Alpine, serves customers end-to-end, serving as the one-stop shop from the time the quote is made until delivery.
There is a difference between a transportation company and broker, but not every service makes that distinction upfront. A vehicle transportation broker is the company that books orders for the transportation of a persons vehicles. Brokers work in coordination with the transport companies to execute the orders for the car transport.
The main role of an automotive transportation broker is to locate and verify the best carriers for each client, given the types of vehicles they have and their shipment timelines. Once the customer decides to work with the broker, then the broker finds a car mover that will move the car for a quoted rate, which is at the time, the drivers fair rate.
The auto hauler does not directly work with individuals sending their cars there, as they are working with the Broker, who posts the vehicles to the Central Board. We are mostly a car hauler operator, with our own truck fleet, but we are also a licensed Broker. When you are doing research and you type in the search engine, car moving companies or car transport companies, the majority of results are brokers.
You receive your auto transportation quotes by giving an auto transportation company the specific details about your transport. Such a lengthy listing may sound a bit intimidating at first, but when you take a closer look, you will notice that the lengthy listing includes both car haulers and car transportation brokers. The best car transportation brokers will partner with both big and small carriers serving routes across the nation.
Another similarity is that both auto transportation brokers and carriers, as well as the vehicle carriers, must be registered and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is a division within the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Open-bed truck carriers can carry up to ten vehicles at once, allowing carriers to charge less per car and keeping their prices competitive. Open car transport trucks are great, cheap ways to move vehicles around the country. One of the main advantages to an open-bed truck is price, especially since the vehicles they are shipping are typically everyday drivers. If you are shipping a car that gets driven on a regular basis, then an open transportation truck is likely a good choice.
Vehicles are loaded into single-car trailers either by being attached to a tow truck, or driving onto a trailer ramp. Open-bed deliveries enable multiple vehicles to be loaded on the same trailer while being transported. Hauling also allows carriers to transport many different vehicles, including SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks (usually).
This means that the carrier owns one, perhaps two, trailers, and uses one of them to carry the persons vehicles. Unlike flatbed tow trucks, which must frequently carry vehicles that are out of motion, trailers for vehicle carriers are not equipped with a tow bar or a winch, relying instead on loading vehicles by themselves.
Car carrier trailers of commercial sizes are typically used for shipping new cars from manufacturers to car dealerships. A car-carrying trailer, also known as a vehicle-carrying trailer, vehicle trailer, or car transport trailer, is a type of trailer or semi-trailer designed for efficient transportation of passenger vehicles by truck. Sometimes, a car hauler involves one single vehicle being moved across the country in an enclosed, covered trailer. Sometimes, a car transporter is opened up, and this single vehicle is now in a 10 car auto transporter, along with nine other vehicles.
Unless you know who is taking care of your vehicle specifically, companies may try to charge more to guarantee your space on a hauler truck when your moving day approaches. That is why you will want to call us for a quote if you are looking to move heavy machinery or pickup trucks that do not fit onto regular transportation trucks. Most Interstate Transport companies will require that your vehicle go onto a bridge when it is loaded, and then drive it off a bridge when it is delivered. Smart Auto Move makes sure that you receive the stellar vehicle moving support and services you have come to expect, by assigning you your own personal mover.
