uShip alternative: SelectDrive driveaway vs uShip
Last updated: June 2026
uShip is a shipping marketplace. You list your car, independent carriers bid to haul it on a trailer, and you pick a bid and vet the carrier yourself. SelectDrive is a driveaway service: one named professional drives your operable car door to door at a flat published price, with no auction and nobody to vet. If you would rather have one accountable driver than the lowest bidder, SelectDrive is a uShip alternative worth comparing.
The marketplace model is powerful for the right person. This page is about which approach fits your move, not about knocking uShip.
What uShip is
uShip, founded in 2004 and based in Austin, is the largest shipping marketplace. You post a listing with your vehicle and route, registered carriers submit competing bids over minutes to days, and you compare bids, carrier profiles, reviews, and insurance, then choose one. Listing is free, uShip charges a service fee on top of the carrier's bid (commonly reported in roughly the 50 to 150 USD range for vehicles), and it offers a Ship with Confidence Guarantee with secured payments and support. Two structural points to know: uShip does not vet carriers on your behalf, so you verify each carrier's insurance and authority yourself, and any tracking depends on the carrier you choose. These facts come from uShip's own site and independent reviews as of mid-2026.
| SelectDrive | uShip | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Driveaway: a person drives your car | Marketplace: carriers bid to trailer it |
| Who handles your car | One named driver, start to finish | The bidding carrier you select |
| Who vets the driver | We do; the owner drives, insured and documented | You do, from carrier profiles and reviews |
| Pricing | Flat 0.75 USD per mile, fixed at booking | Carrier's winning bid plus a uShip service fee |
| Price certainty | Fixed and itemized | Winning bid not guaranteed; can change |
| Tracking | Live GPS on every job | Depends on the chosen carrier |
| On a shared trailer? | No, driven on its own wheels | Yes |
| Pets and belongings | Allowed when they fit | Limited (carrier rules, about 100 lbs, uninsured) |
Where uShip fits
A marketplace is a genuinely good fit for a particular customer. If you are a confident bargain hunter with a flexible timeline, you are comfortable reading carrier profiles and verifying insurance and authority yourself, and you like comparing many bids to drive the price down, uShip can surface low numbers that a single operator cannot match. It also handles far more than cars, so for boats, freight, or household items alongside a vehicle, the marketplace breadth is an advantage. For people who want maximum control over price and provider and do not mind doing the vetting, it is a strong tool.
Why customers pick SelectDrive
Driveaway removes the work and uncertainty of an auction. There is no listing, no waiting on bids, and no homework verifying a stranger's insurance: one vetted named driver, Dan Ketelsen, drives your car the whole way, and you can talk to him directly. The price is flat and published, 0.75 USD per mile with a 500 USD minimum, fixed at booking rather than a winning bid that may change. You get live GPS on every trip instead of tracking that depends on which carrier won, and because a person is driving, your car can carry a pet or packed belongings that fit. For most people moving one operable car, simplicity and a single accountable human beat running an auction.
The honest trade-offs
SelectDrive will not always be the cheapest line item, especially on a long haul where competing bids can go low. Driveaway also adds the route distance to your odometer, the car must be operable, and we are one driver near Des Moines with finite capacity. If your priority is the lowest possible price, you enjoy comparing bids, or you are shipping several item types at once, a marketplace is the better choice, and we will tell you so.
Frequently asked questions
How is uShip different from SelectDrive?
uShip is a shipping marketplace. You list your car and independent carriers bid to haul it on a trailer, then you choose a bid. SelectDrive is a driveaway service: one named professional drives your operable car door to door on its own wheels at a flat published price, with no bidding and no carrier you have to vet yourself.
Do I have to vet carriers on uShip?
On a marketplace, you compare carrier profiles, reviews, insurance, and authority yourself before choosing a bid. SelectDrive removes that work. Your driver is the owner, insured and documented, every time.
Is uShip cheaper than a driveaway service?
A marketplace bid can be low, especially on long hauls, because carriers compete for the job. The trade-offs are that the winning bid is not guaranteed, you vet the carrier yourself, and the car is trailered. SelectDrive's price is flat, published, and fixed at booking.
Does uShip provide tracking?
Tracking on a marketplace depends on the individual carrier you select and is not guaranteed. SelectDrive provides live GPS on every job plus photo documentation at pickup and delivery.
When is uShip the better choice?
A marketplace like uShip suits bargain hunters with flexible timelines who are comfortable comparing and vetting carriers, and who want to ship a range of items beyond cars. If you want one accountable driver and a fixed price with no self-vetting, a driveaway service fits better.
More comparisons
Skip the auction, get one driver
Tell Pilot your route for a flat, itemized driveaway price and live GPS the whole way.