What Is The Difference Between An Auto Shipping Broker And An Auto Shipping Carrier?
Nov 26, 2009 More Saving
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And in this corner of the ring is the auto shipping broker, his opponent in the opposite corner is the auto shipping carrier. May the best fighter win. Let’s get it on.
Who are the Competitors?
The auto shipping carriers are as numerous as baby bunnies. These businesses provide a convenient service for vehicles on the move, for car dealers and for customers with specific requirements. Most find that contacting one of these carriers online may be the only way to go as they are all over the place and a face-to-face contact with them is unlikely. Even so, it is not very difficult to obtain quotes and rates either online or by telephone. Excellent customer service is usually their stock in trade. The rates quoted to you will include the cost of insurance which is imperative for the well being of your vehicle. The auto shipping carriers will offer you several options by which to ship your vehicle or equipment of any sort. Your vehicle can be transported in an open or enclosed environment, by truck, rail, freight or boat, and these are just some of the services they offer.
Auto shipping brokers, on the other hand, are specific individuals acting as the carrier’s agent. These people are the ones most often used when dealing with both you and the shipping companies. They not only make you, the customer’s, life easier, they bring more client traffic and therefore revenue to the auto carrier companies. You as the customer are offered greater freedom as you do not have to be tied up with just one company. Your broker chooses from a variety of companies and prices for you and also has the advantage of direct communication with the shipper.
So Which One Gets the Prize?
The carrier companies have their own trucks or transportation systems, the brokers do not. This is the difference between the two competitors, who are not really competitors at all, but more like coworkers. Dealing with a carrier in lieu of a broker can be somewhat less expensive. The brokers, however, do much of the work for you and have knowledge of the shipping companies at their disposal as well as the ability to provide the convenience of door-to-door car delivery. If you contract directly with a car carrier, you are locked into the services they provide, not the widespread list of services that a multitude of carriers can provide the broker, and therefore, you.
Brokers also uncover a plethora of rates and quotes out there in the industry and can offer you the best they found. They will probably have better communication with the drivers but this is not a guarantee as most carriers do not have the communication equipment to talk directly to the drivers. An added advantage with choosing the broker scenario is that the brokers are communicating with more than one shipping service at a time. The far flung domestic and/or international scope of the shippers have an inherent lack of communication with the various components of a shipment. As previously stated, the carrier will normally drop off their vehicles at terminals, whereas the broker will deliver it to your door - definitely a convenience.
It was a fair fight. The winner depends upon your needs. Everyone wins this one.
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Tags: auto, auto shipping, auto transport, automotive, cars, Logistics, More Saving, Moving, Relocating, Shipping, trucks, vehicle shipping, vehicle transport
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