uShip alternative: SelectDrive driveaway vs uShip
Competitor details and SelectDrive planning details reviewed: July 26, 2026.
uShip is an active shipping marketplace where independent providers bid. SelectDrive is planning a different, non-marketplace model in which an identified driver would operate an approved car on its own wheels.
SelectDrive status: Quote and route-planning requests are open while required federal interstate operating authority is pending. No SelectDrive interstate for-hire move will begin unless and until that authority is granted and active and the specific vehicle, driver, insurance, route, and signed agreement are approved. Use an authorized provider if service is needed now.
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 is an active shipping marketplace. You post a listing with your vehicle and route, service providers submit quotes, and you compare the available provider information before choosing. According to uShip's Fees and Service Charges page, retrieved July 26, 2026, its service charge is variable by commodity and appears with the bid and total at checkout. A protection plan may be offered separately. Tracking, insurance, authority, and other service terms depend on the provider selected, so verify them before booking. Provider terms can change.
| Planned SelectDrive model | uShip | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Driveaway: a person drives your car | Marketplace: carriers bid to trailer it |
| Who handles your car | A future approved trip would name one driver | The bidding carrier you select |
| Who vets the driver | A future approved driver would require SelectDrive review | You compare provider profiles and reviews |
| Pricing | $450 per driver day, half-day increments, one-day minimum; itemized trip costs; preliminary only | Carrier's winning bid plus a uShip service fee |
| Price presentation | Would be fixed only in an approved signed agreement | Provider bid and variable service charge shown before checkout |
| Tracking | Could be enabled on a future approved trip | Depends on the chosen carrier |
| On a shared trailer? | No, driven on its own wheels | Yes |
| Personal effects and animals | Pet or ordinary belongings only with advance written trip approval | Provider rules and coverage vary |
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 may consider the planned SelectDrive model
SelectDrive can prepare a preliminary non-marketplace plan. The preliminary model bills driver pay at $450 per day in half-day increments, with a one-day minimum. A planning day is about 8 driving hours or roughly 500 miles. It itemizes gas fuel at about $0.18 per mile where applicable, tolls at about $0.02 per mile, lodging at $120 per night, an insurance surcharge of 8 percent of driver pay, and assigned-driver positioning travel using the cheaper feasible option between a round-trip drop-off and a flight plus ground transport. Electric charging is billed at documented actual cost with receipts. Requests with less than 3 days notice add 5 percent. If authority becomes active and a trip is approved, a signed agreement would generally call for a 25 percent deposit and would identify the driver, itemized route costs, vehicle rules, insurance documents, and tracking terms. A pet that travels well may accompany the vehicle it belongs to, and ordinary belongings that fit safely below the window line may be accommodated, but both require advance disclosure and written approval in the trip agreement. Approval is separate from the price estimate and is never automatic. These accommodations are incidental to delivering the vehicle. SelectDrive does not offer household goods moving, standalone goods delivery, or standalone pet transport. No person may ever travel in the vehicle. Planning is not a dispatch commitment.
The honest trade-offs
A future SelectDrive driveaway could cost more than a marketplace bid, would add route distance to the odometer, and would require an operable car and available approved driver. Capacity would be finite from the Des Moines base. A marketplace or other authorized provider is the practical choice when service is needed now.
Frequently asked questions
How is uShip different from SelectDrive?
uShip is an active shipping marketplace where independent providers bid. SelectDrive is planning a non-marketplace driveaway model in which an identified driver would operate an approved car on its own wheels. No SelectDrive interstate move will begin while required authority is pending.
Do I have to vet carriers on uShip?
On a marketplace, compare provider profiles, reviews, insurance, and authority before choosing. A future approved SelectDrive trip would identify the driver and trip documents in writing, but SelectDrive currently accepts planning requests only.
Is uShip cheaper than a driveaway service?
Marketplace bids can be low, especially on long hauls, but provider and price terms vary. SelectDrive's preliminary model bills driver pay at $450 per day in half-day increments, with a one-day minimum. It itemizes gas fuel at about $0.18 per mile where applicable, electric charging at documented actual cost with receipts, tolls at about $0.02 per mile, lodging at $120 per night on multi-day trips, an insurance surcharge of 8 percent of driver pay, and assigned-driver positioning travel using the cheaper feasible option between a round-trip drop-off and a flight plus ground transport. Requests with less than 3 days notice add 5 percent. If authority becomes active and a trip is approved, a signed agreement would generally call for a 25 percent deposit. The planning estimate is not a final price or dispatch commitment.
Does uShip provide tracking?
Tracking on a marketplace depends on the selected provider. SelectDrive's planned model could include private tracking on a future approved trip, but no interstate dispatch occurs while required authority is pending.
When is uShip the better choice?
A marketplace like uShip may fit people who need an active provider now, have flexible timelines, are comfortable comparing providers, or want to move items beyond an operable car.
More comparisons
Compare the planned model
Tell Pilot your route for a preliminary itemized plan. No interstate dispatch occurs while required authority is pending.