Every April 1st, people are on high alert for tricks. The fake news story. The too-good-to-be-true deal. The friend who swears your shoelace is untied.
But here’s the thing. In the auto transport industry, the tricks don’t just happen on April Fool’s Day. They happen year-round. And they can cost you a lot more than a bruised ego.
At American Auto Transporters, we’ve been in the car shipping business since 1980. We’ve seen every pricing trick in the book. And because we believe our customers deserve to know the truth, we’re laying them all out right here so you never get caught off guard.
The “Bait and Switch” Quote
You search online, fill out a form, and get a quote that seems almost too good. You’re relieved. You book it. Then a week before your pickup date, the price goes up because of “carrier availability” or “route surcharges” or some other term that didn’t come up when you first called.
This is the most common trick in the industry. A low number gets you in the door, and then the real price reveals itself when it’s too late to easily find someone else.
How we’re different: At American Auto Transporters, the price we quote is the price you pay. We’ve offered guaranteed pricing since 1980, not because it was trendy, but because it’s the right thing to do.
The Disappearing Carrier
Some companies operate as order brokers who take your money, list your vehicle on a load board, and then wait – sometimes for weeks for a carrier to pick it up. If no carrier accepts the job at the price point the broker set, your car sits. You wait. Nobody calls you back.
What looks like a great deal can turn into a frustrating situation where your car isn’t moving and neither is any information about why.
How we’re different: We run daily trips on major routes throughout the country, including regular runs to and from Florida, the Northeast, and across the Midwest. We know exactly when your vehicle is moving and we keep you updated.
Hidden Fees That Show Up at Delivery
Read the fine print on some auto transport contracts and you’ll find fuel surcharges, rural delivery fees, oversized vehicle fees, and terminal storage fees; none of which were mentioned in the original quote. By the time your car arrives, the bill looks nothing like what you agreed to.
This one is particularly frustrating because by the time you find out, your car is already there. You either pay or things get complicated.
How we’re different: Our quotes include everything. No surprise charges at pickup. No unexpected fees at delivery. What you’re quoted is what you owe. Period.
The Unverified Carrier
In the auto transport industry, anyone can claim to be a licensed carrier. Not everyone is. Some companies outsource your shipment to unverified third parties with minimal insurance coverage and no accountability if something goes wrong.
Your vehicle is one of your most valuable possessions. The company moving it should be able to prove they’re licensed, insured, and accountable before your car ever leaves the driveway.
How we’re different: American Auto Transporters is fully licensed and insured. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Our customers come back to us repeatedly and refer us to their friends because they trust us with what matters to them.
The “We’ll Get to It” Timeline
Some transport companies give you a pickup window of “7 to 14 business days.” That’s up to three weeks of not knowing when your vehicle will actually be collected. For people who are in the middle of a move, dealing with a relocation, or returning from a season down south, that uncertainty is a serious problem.
How we’re different: We offer 24 to 48 hour pickup in many areas. We know your schedule matters, and we make it a priority to work with it, not around it.
How to Spot a Trustworthy Auto Transport Company
Before you book with anyone, including us, here are the questions to ask:
- Is the price guaranteed? If a company can’t commit to the price upfront, that’s a red flag.
- Are they licensed and insured? Ask for their USDOT number and verify it at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
- What is their pickup timeline? Be specific. Vague answers should make you cautious.
- Can you read real customer reviews? Look for a pattern of consistent, genuine feedback. Not just a handful of five-star reviews.
- Do they answer the phone? This sounds obvious, but call them before you book. A company that answers questions before your money is in their pocket will be there when it matters after.
The Bottom Line
A low car shipping quote is only a good deal if the service actually delivers what it promised. In the auto transport industry, the gap between what gets advertised and what actually happens can be wide and expensive.
We’re not going to tell you that every other company is bad. But we will tell you that after 45 years in this business, we’ve built our reputation one honest quote and one reliable pickup at a time. Over 80% of our customers are repeat customers. More than 50% of our new customers come from referrals. That doesn’t happen by accident.
So this April, and every month after it, don’t get fooled. Ask the right questions. Demand a guaranteed price. And choose a company that treats your vehicle like it matters, because it does.
👉 Ready to get a guaranteed quote with no surprises? Call American Auto Transporters at 1-800-800-2580 or visit ShipCar.com today. We’ve been doing this right since 1980… and we’re not about to stop now.
