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Home / Car Shipping
By Amy DeYoung, Alora Bopray and Roxanne Downer, CNN Underscored
Published 3:33 PM EDT, Wed June 26, 2024
What's in this review
- American Auto Shipping at a glance
- American Auto Shipping pros and cons
- How much does American Auto Shipping cost?
- What services does American Auto Shipping offer?
- American Auto Shipping add-ons and optional features
- What does American Auto Shipping not cover?
- American Auto Shipping customer experience
- The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know
- American Auto Shipping vs. competitors
- Methodology
- FAQs
American Auto Shipping
American Auto Shipping is a car shipping broker that has connected customers to reliable vehicle transportation carriers nationwide for nearly 25 years. It offers transportation services for any vehicle, regardless of size, weight or condition.
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Best for: Customizable pricing
USDOT#: 3180595
American Auto Shipping at a glance
American Auto Shipping is an industry leader with plenty of experience, many service options and unique benefits, like a free car wash and car rental, if your shipment runs late. It made our list of best car shippers.
Fast facts
- Founded in 1999, American Auto Shipping is known for its extensive shipping services, expedited shipping and competitive pricing.
- This provider has an A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, nearly 25 years of industry experience and an impressive 4.5-star rating from Google reviewers.
What we like
American Auto Shipping offers tiered shipping services. Customers can pick Standard, Priority or Expedited shipping, giving greater control than other providers do over when a vehicle arrives. The broker arranges cross-country shipping, military transport, door-to-door transport, freight shipping, heavy equipment transport and many other specialized services.
What we don’t like
American Auto Shipping offers no international shipping options except for Canada and U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.). It also requires a down payment when you book, which is not the case with all companies.
American Auto Shipping pros and cons
American Auto Shipping offers locked-in pricing with a binding price quote and other benefits. For instance, you’ll get a personal auto transport contact who handles the entire process to make things easier, whether this is your first or 10th time shipping.
Here are the top pros and cons from our American Auto Shipping review:
Pros
- Binding price quote
- Free car wash
- Down payment is fully refundable (until your vehicle is dispatched to a carrier)
Cons
- No international shipping services
- GPS tracking isn’t always available
- Down payment is required
How much does American Auto Shipping cost?
American Auto Shipping sets prices based on several factors, including distance, vehicle type, maneuverability, type of shipping, location and season. For example, if your car isn’t operable, it’ll cost an average of $50 to $200 more to ship. The carrier needs a winch to load your vehicle, which takes extra time, and not all shipping companies have winches.
Expect to pay between $700 and $1,300 when shipping your car with American Auto Shipping. As a broker, American Auto Shipping works with a vast network of carriers (companies that transport your vehicle) and will shop around for a good deal for your shipment. However, how fast you need the car, current gas prices, and other factors impact final costs.
American Auto Shipping provides the following information, which averages the cost of three car sizes across five distances to give you a general idea of the cost of its services.
| Average cost | Open transport | Enclosed transport | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 miles | $470 | $350 | $590 |
| 550 miles | $750 | $550 | $950 |
| 1,000 miles | $1,150 | $900 | $1,400 |
| 1,050 miles | $985 | $720 | $1,250 |
| 2,750 miles | $1,300 | $1,050 | $1,550 |
Source: American Auto Shipping
What services does American Auto Shipping offer?
American Auto Shipping takes an “all wheels welcome” approach and ships motorcycles, cars, heavy equipment, RVs and more anywhere in the United States or U.S. territories. With more than 20 years of experience shipping vehicles from Hawaii to the mainland, it’s equipped to handle specialized routes to Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska.
American Auto Shipping services
| Offered? | |
|---|---|
| Standard car | ✓ |
| Antique/classic/luxury car | ✓ |
| Boat | ✓ |
| Motorcycle | ✓ |
| Recreational vehicle (RV) | ✓ |
| Truck | ✓ |
| Van | ✓ |
| Door to door | ✓ |
| Terminal to terminal | ✓ |
American Auto Shipping add-ons and optional features
American Auto Shipping offers multiple upgrades. You can choose extra insurance for your vehicle for between $250 and $550 or more. However, it’s only necessary if you have an extremely valuable car because all carriers must have at least $750,000 of public liability and cargo insurance.
Another factor affecting shipping costs is the time of year of service. Summer is the most in-demand time of year for shipping, so prices fluctuate on the higher side (up to $350 more). To save money, consider booking in the fall, spring, or the slow winter season.
| Estimated added cost | |
|---|---|
| Additional insurance | $250 to $550 |
| Enclosed shipping | About $200 |
| Expedited shipping | Up to $500 |
| Seasonality (summer is the most in-demand) | $200 to $350 |
What does American Auto Shipping not cover?
pro tip
- Customers can receive a free car wash after pick-up, including your car’s interior. This is limited to a $20 reimbursem*nt per vehicle. While this is an advantage over other providers, you’ll want to consider this price limit.
American Auto Shipping does not offer international shipping options. You also won’t find GPS tracking options for all shipments. Not all carriers in American Auto Shipping’s network have tracking, so you’re not guaranteed to work with one that has it.
American Auto Shipping customer experience
American Auto Shipping has a 24/7 phone service and a live human chat function on its website. When we called, we reached customer support immediately. We contacted customer support in the morning and late afternoon and experienced no wait time, which is excellent as we’ve experienced long wait times with other providers. The customer service representative was consistently friendly and knowledgeable in responding to questions — a huge plus.
Here are a few American Auto Shipping transport reviews to consider when choosing a provider:
The fine print: Terms and conditions you should know
A key term is American Auto Shipping’s “Damage Free or We Help Pay” claim. This guarantee protects you if your vehicle gets damaged and the carrier’s insurance won’t cover it.
American Auto Shipping will pay your insurance deductible up to $500. However, you must file a claim with the carrier and the carrier’s insurance company, get denied coverage and provide documented proof. After that, you need evidence that you made a claim, your car insurance accepted it and a shop completed the repair work.
American Auto Shipping vs. competitors
American Auto Shipping provides superior customer service, an A+ BBB rating, BBB accreditation, and a tiered shipping schedule that allows you to choose from Standard, Priority and Expedited plans. It also has far more experience (nearly 25 years) than competitors like Easy Auto Ship or SGT Auto Transport, each with around 10 years of experience.
American Auto Shipping falls short in its lack of international shipping services. If you need these services, look at providers like Easy Auto Ship or A-1 Auto Transport.
As a bonus, American Auto Shipping provides a rental car reimbursem*nt of up to $35 per day up to 15 days after your car is 14 or more days late. However, it doesn’t offer this benefit for Hawaii or Alaska shipments.
American Auto Shipping competitor comparison
| Our score (out of 5) | No. of states available | Shipment types available | |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Auto Shipping | 4.5 | 50 | Open, enclosed, freight |
| Easy Auto Ship | 5.0 | 50 | Open, enclosed, freight |
| We Will Transport It | 4.8 | 50 | Open, enclosed, freight |
| A-1 Auto Transport | 4.5 | 50 | Open, enclosed, freight |
| AmeriFreight | 4.5 | 50 | Open, enclosed |
| eShip | 4.5 | 50 | Open, enclosed |
| SGT Auto Transport | 4.5 | 49 | Open, enclosed |
| RoadRunner Auto Transport | 4.2 | 50 | Open, enclosed |
Methodology
Our team reviewed 36 vehicle shipping companies using more than 91 specialized, weighted criteria, including service options, reputation, experience, customer support, editorial judgment and pricing. Each company we review undergoes this process with unbiased parameters to ensure the star ratings are as accurate as possible.
FAQs
American Auto Shipping has been in business for nearly 25 years, and its exceptional reviews, A+ rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau document its excellent customer service. As a broker, American Auto Shipping stands out from single carriers because it arranges many vehicle shipping services, such as boat, RV or door-to-door delivery, which not all companies offer.
American Auto Shipping determines shipping prices by distance, vehicle type, maneuverability, type of shipment, season and current gas prices. Other factors, such as choosing expedited shipping, door-to-door delivery or failed delivery (if you don’t pick up your car during the delivery window), also impact cost.
American Auto Shipping offers three shipping tiers: Standard, Priority or Expedited. These have about a 90% success rate and allow you to determine when your car will be delivered, a unique offering we haven’t seen many companies provide. You can even receive a free car wash, including your car’s interior.
American Auto Shipping is available in all states. While the broker doesn’t schedule international shipments, it ships to Puerto Rico, Canada and all U.S. territories.
As a broker, American Auto Shipping is responsible for arranging your shipment, but the carrier (the individual shipping company) is responsible for transporting your car safely and handling repairs. If your vehicle is damaged, point this out immediately during drop-off and note it on the report. Take pictures, gather a price estimate from a repair shop and then contact the carrier’s insurance to handle the rest.
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