How to choose a car transport company: 12 questions to ask
Updated July 26, 2026
A polished website and a low estimate do not tell you who will touch your car, what the final bill can become, or which documents apply to your trip. Get the answers below in writing before paying a deposit. The checklist works whether you are considering a broker, trailer carrier, marketplace, or driveaway service.
SelectDrive planning status as of July 26, 2026: SelectDrive is accepting quote and route-planning requests only 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 this checklist to verify any provider needed now.
1. Who am I contracting with?
Get the legal business name, contact information, and the name that will appear on the agreement and payment receipt. If the website brand and contracting entity differ, ask why. Save the written quote, terms, emails, and payment record in one folder.
2. Who will actually move the car?
Ask whether the company is the transporter, a broker arranging another carrier, a marketplace where providers bid, or a driveaway service assigning a driver. If another company or person will take possession, ask when you will receive that identity and contact information.
3. Will the car be hauled or driven?
A trailer avoids route miles but may involve a pickup window and several vehicles on one load. Driveaway adds route distance to the odometer. Provider rules for transfers, personal effects, and animals vary. SelectDrive's planned ordinary model would require an empty vehicle with no animal aboard. Confirm the method and what happens if the vehicle is not operable at pickup.
4. Is this a firm price or an estimate?
Ask the provider to label the number clearly and list every condition that can change it: route, vehicle condition, dates, fuel, tolls, lodging, driver travel, seasonal capacity, or expedited service. A useful quote shows the total and its parts; a very low number without written assumptions is not a comparison.
5. What are the deposit and cancellation terms?
Know the deposit amount, when it becomes nonrefundable, what happens if the provider cancels, and how already purchased travel is handled. If your schedule depends on military orders, a home closing, medical care, or weather, ask how a date change works before booking.
6. What current insurance documents apply to my trip?
Do not stop at the phrase "fully insured." Request a current Certificate of Insurance and ask which policy applies to the vehicle and assigned driver, the effective dates, limits, deductible, relevant exclusions, and claims contact. A certificate is evidence to review, not a promise that every loss is covered.
Keep your own auto policy active and ask your insurer how it treats the exact transport method. Read the car transport insurance checklist for a deeper walkthrough.
7. Which operating identifiers or permissions apply?
The requirements can differ by service model, vehicle, route, and who has custody. Ask the provider to identify the rules and operating identifiers it says apply to your trip, then verify those details with the issuing agency or qualified counsel. A logo or generic compliance claim is not verification.
8. How is vehicle condition recorded?
There should be a shared pickup record showing the vehicle's exterior, interior, glass, wheels, mileage, fuel or charge level, warning lights, and existing damage. Ask who takes the photos, whether they are time-stamped, how you receive them, and how delivery condition is accepted.
9. How will I track the move and reach someone?
Clarify whether tracking is live GPS, milestone messages, carrier-dependent, or unavailable. Ask for the phone or support path used during transit and who responds after hours. "Tracking available" can mean very different things.
10. What pickup and delivery windows are realistic?
Separate an estimate from a guarantee. Ask what can delay the route, how you will be notified, who may release or accept the vehicle, and what happens if a handoff contact is unavailable. Leave margin for traffic, weather, vehicle trouble, rest, and access restrictions.
11. What can be inside the vehicle?
Get written rules for personal effects, animals, valuables, hazardous items, and coverage for contents. Do not assume the vehicle policy covers personal property or animal-related loss. SelectDrive's planned ordinary model would require an empty vehicle with no animal aboard.
12. What is the damage or complaint process?
Before pickup, know who receives a notice, what deadline and evidence the agreement requires, and how an insurer is contacted. At delivery, inspect before signing, photograph any change, note it on the delivery record, retain all documents, and notify the appropriate parties promptly. This is general preparation, not legal or insurance advice.
A simple comparison sheet
| Write down | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Contracting entity and actual transporter | Shows who is responsible and who has custody |
| Driven or trailered; transfers or terminals | Determines added miles, handling, and timing |
| Written total and change conditions | Makes prices comparable |
| Deposit, cancellation, and date-change terms | Defines your financial risk |
| Current insurance and applicable identifiers | Gives you documents to verify |
| Inspection, tracking, delivery, and claim steps | Defines the evidence and communication trail |
Red flags that deserve a pause
- The company will not identify the contracting entity or actual transporter.
- The price or cancellation terms are only verbal.
- You are pressured to pay before receiving the agreement or provider details.
- Payment is requested by gift card, cryptocurrency, or an unrelated person's account.
- Insurance is described vaguely and current documents are refused.
- The provider promises an exact arrival regardless of road, weather, or vehicle conditions.
- You are asked to sign a blank inspection or delivery record.
Frequently asked questions
What should I verify before hiring a car transport company?
Verify identity, who moves the car, method, price conditions, deposit and cancellation terms, current insurance documents, applicable operating details, inspection, tracking, delivery, and claims contact.
Is a low car shipping quote guaranteed?
Not necessarily. Ask whether it is a binding price, estimate, or broker target, and get every condition that can change it in writing.
How do I verify car transport insurance?
Request a current certificate and ask which policy applies, its period, limits, deductible, exclusions, and claims contact. Ask your own insurer about the planned transport method too.
What is the difference between a broker, trailer carrier, marketplace, and driveaway service?
It depends. Compare a driveaway with trailer transport, then use the same written checklist for each provider.
Ask SelectDrive the same questions
Request preliminary planning details now. If authority becomes active and a trip is approved, verify the driver, price, insurance, inspection, tracking, and signed terms before any commitment.