The most common auto transport scams, how they work, and exactly what to check before handing your vehicle to anyone.
Auto transport is an industry where the barrier to setting up a website and collecting deposits is low, the customer has limited ability to verify quality before booking, and the transaction involves handing over a valuable asset to a stranger. That combination attracts bad operators.
The good news is that most scams follow predictable patterns and are easy to identify if you know what to look for. Every licensed broker and carrier in the country is in the FMCSA's public database. A 30-second lookup eliminates most bad actors before they can take your money or your car.
How it works: A broker quotes 30 to 50 percent below market rate to win your booking. After you pay a deposit, the story changes — "we can't find a carrier at that price," "rates have gone up," or "your vehicle needs special handling." The new price is significantly higher. Your deposit may be non-refundable and your move date is approaching.
How ATP is different: Every quote from ATP is price-locked — the rate we give you is the rate you pay, period. We don't bait you with a low number to win the booking and revise it after. If you request a quote and book it, that price is confirmed in writing before any payment is collected. We've built a 4.9/5.0 Google rating on exactly this kind of straightforward dealing — it doesn't work any other way long-term.
How it works: Some companies present themselves as legitimate auto transport brokers but have no active FMCSA operating authority. They collect payment, arrange your shipment through unauthorized carriers, and when something goes wrong — damage, theft, non-delivery — there's no licensed entity to file a claim against and no insurance coverage backing the shipment.
How ATP is different: ATP is a fully licensed FMCSA property broker. MC# 1302183, USDOT# 3710693. Both are verifiable right now at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov — status Active. Any company that won't give you their MC number in five seconds has a reason for that.
How it works: A broker dispatches your vehicle to a carrier without verifying current authority or insurance status. The carrier may have been vetted at onboarding, but carrier status changes — authority gets suspended, insurance lapses. A broker who doesn't re-verify at dispatch is handing your vehicle to an unknown.
How ATP is different: We verify every carrier's FMCSA operating authority, cargo insurance status, and safety rating through SAFER and load board vetting at the time of dispatch — not just at onboarding. Carriers with suspended authority, lapsed insurance, or unsatisfactory safety ratings are not assigned to any load regardless of price or availability. This adds time to our process and we do it anyway because it's the only way to actually protect the customer.
How it works: A broker collects a large non-refundable deposit upfront — before any carrier is assigned — and then performs poorly. Long delays, unresponsive service, no real dispatch effort. You've already paid, so you're their lowest-priority customer. The only leverage you had was the money they hadn't collected yet, and they already have it.
How ATP is different: ATP collects no payment until a carrier has loaded your vehicle. Zero upfront. Zero deposit just to get in our system. We only get paid when we perform — if we don't dispatch your vehicle, we don't get paid.
How it works: A carrier picks up your vehicle and holds it — demanding additional payment before delivery, or arriving at delivery demanding cash above the agreed amount. You have no leverage once they have your car. This almost always involves unlicensed carriers or brokers who don't verify who they dispatch to.
How ATP is different: Because we verify carrier credentials before every dispatch, unlicensed operators don't get into our carrier pool.
How it works: "This price is only good for the next two hours." "I have a carrier available right now but you need to book immediately." These tactics prevent you from doing any research before booking — because the research would reveal the company isn't legitimate or the quote isn't real.
How ATP is different: We don't operate with artificial urgency. When we quote you a price it's based on current corridor rates and is accurate when we give it. We're happy for you to verify our credentials, read our reviews, and compare quotes from other companies before booking. A company confident in what they're offering doesn't need to pressure you into a 90-minute decision window.
MC# 1302183 · USDOT# 3710693
Status: Active
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4.9/5.0 across verified customer reviews.
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BBB A+ accredited, Naples FL.
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The rate we quote is the rate you pay. Confirmed in writing before any payment is collected. No upfront payment until the carrier loads your vehicle.
"What is your MC number?" — Every legitimate broker provides it instantly. ATP: MC# 1302183.
"Is this quote price-locked?" — The answer should be yes, in writing. ATP quotes are price-locked.
"When do you collect payment?" — After carrier assignment and loading, not before. ATP collects zero upfront.
"How do you vet carriers?" — They should describe FMCSA authority and insurance verification at dispatch, not just onboarding. ATP verifies every carrier on every order.
"What is your cancellation policy?" — Should be clearly stated. ATP: no charge before carrier assignment, documented fee schedule after, all in writing.
FMCSA licensed · BBB A+ · 4.9/5.0 Google · Price-locked quotes · $0 upfront until carrier loads your vehicle.
The bait-and-switch quote — an artificially low price to win your booking, followed by a price revision after you've paid a deposit. ATP quotes are price-locked at the rate quoted, confirmed in writing before any payment is collected.
Verify their MC number at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov — status must be Active. Check Google reviews for real customer feedback. Confirm the quote is price-locked and no payment is collected until a carrier is assigned. ATP: MC# 1302183 Active, 4.9/5.0 Google, price-locked, $0 upfront.
Reputable brokers don't collect full payment or large deposits before a carrier is assigned. ATP collects nothing until the carrier has loaded your vehicle — no deposit, no booking fee. A company requiring large upfront payment before any carrier is confirmed has removed their incentive to perform.
Do not pay anything beyond what was agreed. Do not sign any documents. Document the carrier's MC number, truck number, and driver name. Contact ATP immediately — this is a serious breach and we intervene directly.
Because everything we say is independently verifiable. FMCSA license: MC# 1302183, verifiable at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. BBB A+, verifiable at bbb.org. 4.9/5.0 Google rating, publicly visible. Price-locked quotes and no upfront payment are in our written contract. We don't ask you to take our word for any of it.
