Choosing the Right Vehicle Transport Provider

Auto and truck rental agencies can face plenty of uncertainties: Is your fleet well-maintained? Do you have a variety of desirable makes and models? How competitive is your pricing? Do you have sufficiently trained staff? Are you effectively addressing identity theft and fraud?

It would be great if you had one less worry: wondering if you’ve selected the right vehicle carrier.

There are many ways to get transport quotes these days — from directly contacting individual haulers to getting quotes from various transport brokers, says William Billiter, managing partner of MetroGistics, a full-service vehicle transportation company based in St. Louis.

You may think you’re saving money by choosing a local or regional transport company, but often national companies with vast networks can generate competitive shipment quotes. Local doesn’t necessarily mean cheaper.

Other than pricing, here are four other reasons to consider a national carrier when selecting a vehicle transport provider:

• National companies have the ability to handle moves within the lower 48 states, while local carriers don’t necessarily have the means to service these states. “Two years ago, my company had an average move of 400 miles,” says Billiter. “Today, we’re seeing averages of up to 600 miles per move. This shows that auto rental companies are expanding their reach and can purchase vehicles from greater distances to add to their inventories.”
• Most national carriers can find the right size hauler to handle any order. National companies can tap into a wider network with greater variety in size and type of haulers. “You’d be surprised by the types of things that I’ve seen shipped: shuttle buses, large boom trucks, ambulances and more,” says Billiter.
• National carriers can handle a wider variety of load sizes, regardless if you’re transporting one or 100 vehicles.
• Although most reputable local haulers carry sufficient insurance, some national carriers carry contingency cargo insurance that goes beyond those limits. This can provide additional peace of mind when transporting expensive inventory.

If you have a great relationship with a trusted local hauler, by all means feel free to continue using them. But if your geographic and load needs are expanding, it might be worth it to consider contacting a national carrier, says Billiter. Most will provide no-obligation quotes and explain additional services they provide.