Shipping a car can be surprisingly stressful. When we moved from Southern California to Omaha, we decided to ship our car, and wow, what a learning experience that was. It felt like every company I talked to had a different story, and the internet was full of red-flag reviews. I’m glad we found a solid company in the end (we used Mercury Auto Transport), but not before learning a few hard lessons.
Here are 10 things I wish someone had told me before I started the process.
1. Don’t pay a deposit upfront, especially not with Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, or ACH.
If a company is asking for payment that way before they’ve even assigned a carrier, it’s almost definitely a scam. The majority of quotes you’ll receive are from overseas call centers pretending to be legitimate. Use a major credit card instead. It’s your best protection if things go sideways.
2. “We already have a truck in your area” is usually a lie.
Until you place an order and they start calling around, no broker knows if there’s a carrier near you. If someone tells you they magically already have a truck available, they’re just saying what they think you want to hear to get your business.
3. A deposit doesn’t “guarantee” your spot on a truck.
This was a big one for me. Some brokers will try to get a deposit upfront by saying it locks in your transport. The truth? No truck has accepted your job yet. Until you have a confirmed carrier, with a name and phone number, don’t hand over any money.
4. If they ask for a deposit before assigning a truck — walk away.
This is another trick to stall and buy time. They’ll charge your card and then scramble to find a driver. Always ask for the carrier’s name and phone number. If they won’t give it to you, they don’t have a truck.
5. That “$200 gas card” is not what you think.
Some companies promise a gas card as a perk once your order is complete. Sounds great, right? Turns out these aren’t real Visa gift cards. They make you jump through hoops, like mailing in receipts. Total waste of time. Look up “free gas card scam” if you’re curious.
6. Some companies act like they’ll be the ones shipping your car, but they won’t.
Some brokers also own trucks, but that doesn’t mean your car is going on their truck. Odds are, they’ll broker your shipment out to someone else, just like everyone else does. The difference is they lead you to believe otherwise.
Case in point: we needed a car shipped from OC, CA to Omaha, NE in March. The odds that their one truck would be near us, at that time, with space, heading to Omaha on our exact timeline? Basically zero.
7. Watch for hidden broker fees.
Some quotes look great at first — until you realize they’re not telling you the full cost. Read the fine print. In some cases, they’ll tack on a separate broker fee after the fact, and the price you thought you were paying suddenly jumps by hundreds.
With Mercury, the price we approved was the final price. That’s how it should be.
8. Some companies can raise your price without telling you.
Here’s a shady one: certain brokers have terms that allow them to bump up the carrier’s pay in $50 increments until a truck accepts the job. They don’t even need your permission. You’ll only find out once the final bill shows up.
9. Some companies threaten to charge you for disputing the charge.
Every company has some legal language saying you agree not to do a credit card chargeback. But if they go a step further and say they’ll fine you if you do? That’s not allowed. It’s a violation of Visa, Mastercard, and other credit card merchant agreements. If it happens, report them.
10. Read the fine print, especially about delivery dates.
If a broker tells you they guarantee delivery on a specific day, check their terms. There’s almost always fine print that says they don’t. That’s because truck drivers themselves don’t guarantee delivery dates — so how can a broker?
That said, if you have a tight timeline, a good broker will work with you to find a realistic plan. Mercury was upfront about timing and helped us find something that worked.
Bottom line: Shipping your car shouldn’t feel like a game of roulette. But sadly, it often does. There are tons of brokers out there, and many rely on shady tactics to win your business. Hopefully, these tips help you avoid the stress and find a company that’s actually honest about what they can deliver.
