Montway alternative: SelectDrive driveaway vs Montway
Last updated: June 2026
Montway Auto Transport is a broker. It finds an independent trucking carrier to haul your car on a trailer with other vehicles. SelectDrive is the opposite model: one professional driver personally drives your operable car door to door, on its own wheels, at a flat published price. If your car runs and you would rather have one accountable person than a brokered carrier you did not choose, SelectDrive is a driveaway alternative worth comparing.
Montway is a capable, widely reviewed company. This is not a knock on it; it is a comparison of two different ways to move a car so you can pick the right one.
What Montway is
Montway Auto Transport is one of the largest auto transport brokers in the United States (MC 611862, USDOT 2239816). It does not own trucks. It lists your shipment to a vetted network of independent carriers, one of which hauls your car on an open or enclosed trailer, door to door or terminal to terminal, across all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Guam. Quotes are not binding; it advertises a TruePrice Guarantee for price protection and offers 24/7 customer service and free contingent cargo coverage. Independent reviews note two recurring caveats: prices can still rise after booking if no carrier accepts the original rate, and GPS tracking is available but not guaranteed on every shipment. These facts come from Montway's own materials and independent review sites as of mid-2026.
| SelectDrive | Montway | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Driveaway: a person drives your car | Broker: arranges a trailer carrier |
| Who handles your car | One named driver, start to finish | An independent carrier the broker assigns |
| On a shared trailer? | No, driven on its own wheels | Yes, with other vehicles |
| Pricing | Flat 0.75 USD per mile, itemized, fixed at booking | Quote-based, non-binding; can change after booking |
| Tracking | Live GPS on every job | GPS only on GPS-enabled carriers, not guaranteed |
| Miles added to car | Yes, the route distance | None, it rides on a trailer |
| Inoperable cars | Not eligible, car must run | Possible with the right carrier |
| Pets and belongings | Allowed when they fit | Limited (about 100 lbs, uninsured) |
Where Montway fits
A broker like Montway is genuinely the better tool in several cases, and we will say so plainly. If your car is inoperable and cannot be driven, if you specifically do not want any road miles added to a low-mileage or collector vehicle, if you are moving several cars at once, or if you want the lowest possible long-haul number and can accept a non-binding quote, a national broker with a large carrier network and all-50-states-plus-territories reach is built for that. Montway's scale, 24/7 support, and roundup-topping reputation are real advantages for the trailer-shipping use case.
Why customers pick SelectDrive
For an operable everyday car, the driveaway model removes the parts of brokered shipping people dislike most. There is no load board and no carrier you never chose: one named driver, Dan Ketelsen, has your car the entire way. The price is flat and itemized, 0.75 USD per mile with a 500 USD minimum, and it does not move after pickup, so there is no quote that creeps upward when a carrier cannot be found. You get live GPS on every trip, not tracking that depends on whether the assigned carrier happens to be GPS-enabled. And because a person is driving rather than loading a shared trailer, your car can carry a pet or packed belongings that fit.
The honest trade-offs
Driveaway is not free of trade-offs. The route distance is added to your odometer, the car must be safely driveable, and SelectDrive is one driver based near Des Moines, so capacity is finite and our strongest lanes run through the Midwest. If any of the broker-fit cases above describe your move, Montway or another trailer carrier is the right call, and we would rather tell you that than take a job we are not suited for.
Frequently asked questions
Is SelectDrive a broker like Montway?
No. Montway is an auto transport broker that finds an independent trucking carrier to haul your car on a trailer. SelectDrive is not a broker. One professional driver personally drives your operable car door to door. There is no load board and no carrier you did not choose.
Does Montway's price change after booking?
Montway quotes are not binding. It advertises a TruePrice Guarantee for price protection, but independent reviews note that prices can still rise after booking if a carrier is not found at the original rate. SelectDrive gives a flat, itemized price that does not change after pickup.
Does Montway offer GPS tracking?
Montway offers GPS tracking on shipments handled by GPS-enabled carriers, but it is not guaranteed on every shipment. SelectDrive provides live GPS on every job, plus photo documentation at pickup and delivery.
When is Montway the better choice?
Choose Montway or another broker when your car is inoperable, when you do not want any road miles added, when you are moving several vehicles at once, or when you want the lowest possible long-haul price and can accept a non-binding quote and an assigned carrier.
Can I ship belongings in the car?
With trailer brokers, personal items are typically limited to about 100 pounds and are not insured. With SelectDrive's driveaway model, your car can carry packed belongings and a pet that fit, because a person is driving it rather than loading it on a shared trailer.
More comparisons
Car runs and you want one driver on it?
Tell Pilot your route for a flat, itemized driveaway price that will not change after pickup.