Sherpa Auto Transport alternative: SelectDrive vs Sherpa
Last updated: June 2026
Sherpa Auto Transport is a broker known for its Price Lock Promise, which absorbs up to 300 USD of any carrier-fee shortfall so your quoted total does not rise. SelectDrive takes a simpler path to price certainty: the price is a flat published rate, 0.75 USD per mile, fixed at booking, because one named driver drives your operable car door to door. There is no broker-to-carrier fee gap to lock against in the first place.
If Sherpa appeals to you because you want a price that will not jump, this comparison shows how a driveaway service reaches the same certainty by a different route, and where Sherpa is still the better tool.
What Sherpa is
Sherpa Auto Transport, founded in 2017 (MC 51106, USDOT 3053476), is a broker that works with a pool of more than 13,000 carriers to haul your car on an open or enclosed trailer, door to door. Its signature feature is the Price Lock Promise: the quoted total is the price you pay, and if the carrier fee proves too low to secure a reputable carrier, Sherpa contributes up to 300 USD of its own initial payment to cover the gap. Payment is two-step, charged when a carrier is assigned with the balance paid to the driver on delivery, and a 25 USD fee applies if you cancel after assignment. It also offers a Clean Car Guarantee (a small car-wash reimbursement). Independent reviews note that Sherpa tends to price somewhat above the industry average, and that tracking is handled by phone rather than a native live GPS feed. These facts come from Sherpa's materials and independent reviews as of mid-2026.
| SelectDrive | Sherpa Auto Transport | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Driveaway: a person drives your car | Broker: assigns a trailer carrier |
| Who handles your car | One named driver, start to finish | An assigned carrier from the network |
| Price certainty | Flat published rate, fixed at booking | Price Lock Promise, capped at 300 USD of shortfall |
| Pricing | 0.75 USD per mile, 500 USD minimum, itemized | Quote-based; tends to run above average per reviews |
| Tracking | Live GPS on every job | Phone-based updates per reviews |
| On a shared trailer? | No, driven on its own wheels | Yes |
| 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 |
Where Sherpa fits
Sherpa is a strong, well-reviewed broker and the right tool in clear cases. If your car is inoperable, if you do not want any miles added, if you are moving a classic or luxury car and want an enclosed trailer, or if you specifically value a broker's price-lock protection and are willing to pay a bit above average for it, Sherpa's model and reputation are well suited to that. The Price Lock Promise is a real answer to the most common complaint about brokers, that quotes drift upward after booking.
Why customers pick SelectDrive
SelectDrive reaches price certainty without needing a lock. Because we are not a broker, there is no carrier fee that might come in short, so there is nothing to absorb and no 300 USD cap to worry about: the flat 0.75 USD per mile is simply the price, itemized and fixed at booking. One named driver, Dan Ketelsen, has your car the entire way, you get live GPS on every trip rather than phone-only updates, and because a person is driving, your car can carry a pet or packed belongings that fit. For an operable car, that is a more direct kind of certainty: the same person, the same price, the whole way.
The honest trade-offs
Driveaway adds the route distance to your odometer, requires an operable car, and SelectDrive is one driver near Des Moines, so capacity is finite and our strongest lanes run through the Midwest. We also do not offer enclosed-trailer transport for show cars. If you need an inoperable car moved, want zero added miles on a collector vehicle, or want enclosed transport, Sherpa or another carrier is the better choice, and we will say so honestly.
Frequently asked questions
Is SelectDrive a broker like Sherpa?
No. Sherpa Auto Transport is a broker that assigns an independent carrier to haul your car on a trailer. SelectDrive is a driveaway service: one named professional drives your operable car door to door on its own wheels. There is no broker-to-carrier hand-off.
How does Sherpa's Price Lock Promise work?
Sherpa's Price Lock Promise means the quoted total is what you pay, and if the carrier fee set aside is too low to secure a carrier, Sherpa contributes up to 300 USD of its own payment to cover the gap so your total does not rise. The protection is capped at 300 USD. SelectDrive does not need a lock because its price is a flat published rate with no broker-to-carrier fee gap to absorb.
Does Sherpa offer live GPS tracking?
Sherpa's tracking is handled by phone with its support line rather than a native live GPS feed, according to independent reviews as of mid-2026. SelectDrive provides live GPS on every job plus photo documentation.
Is Sherpa more expensive?
Independent reviews note Sherpa tends to price somewhat above the industry average, in exchange for the Price Lock Promise and its Clean Car Guarantee. SelectDrive's price is a flat 0.75 USD per mile with a 500 USD minimum, itemized up front.
When is Sherpa the better choice?
Sherpa is a good fit when your car is inoperable, when you do not want miles added, when you are moving a classic or luxury car by enclosed trailer, or when you want a broker's price-lock protection and are willing to pay a little above average for it.
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Want a price that simply does not move?
Tell Pilot your route for a flat, itemized driveaway price, fixed at booking, with one driver and live GPS.