Most car-shipping scams follow the same script: a price well below everyone else's, a small deposit by payment app "to lock the rate," and then either no truck or a much bigger bill once your car is on the trailer. Nearly all of it can be caught before you pay, using free government records and a few questions. This guide shows you where to look, what each field means, and what a sound booking looks like, with the rule or agency behind every step.
Broker or carrier: who you are actually hiring
Federal rules define a broker as a business that, for compensation, arranges or offers to arrange transportation by an authorized motor carrier (49 CFR 371.2). In plain words: the broker finds and books the truck; the carrier owns or runs the truck and moves your car. Many companies that appear when you search for car shipping are brokers, and that is normal and legal. A broker must keep a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund on file with FMCSA (49 CFR 387.307), may not represent its operations to be those of a carrier, and must show in its advertising that it is a broker (49 CFR 371.7). A carrier must keep liability insurance on file; for a for-hire truck rated 10,001 pounds or more hauling ordinary property, the federal minimum is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). One more right worth knowing: a broker must keep a record of each shipment, including the carrier's name and registration number and what the broker was paid, and you are entitled to review it (49 CFR 371.3).
| If the company is a broker | If the company is a carrier | |
|---|---|---|
| Authority to look for in Motus | Broker of Property: Active | Motor Carrier of Property: Active |
| Money on file with FMCSA | $75,000 bond (form BMC-84) or trust fund (BMC-85). It pays if the broker fails to carry out its contracts, not for damage to your car. | Liability insurance. Cargo insurance is not a federal filing for car haulers (FMCSA's cargo requirement covers household-goods movers, 49 CFR 387.303(c)), so ask for the certificate and verify it. |
| Who you claim against for damage | The carrier that hauled the car. Ask the broker for its name and number in writing. | The carrier itself, in writing (49 CFR 370.3). |
What FMCSA tells people shipping a car
FMCSA's Consumer Advisory About Automobile Transporters opens by saying the agency has seen a dramatic increase in complaints against auto transporters and auto transport brokers. Its advice comes down to four points:
- Know which one you are dealing with. Auto brokers only arrange the transportation of your car. Be suspicious of any website where it is not clear whether the company is a broker or a transporter.
- Both must be registered. Interstate auto transporters and brokers both receive an MC docket number from FMCSA; transporters also receive a USDOT number.
- The number belongs on the website. Avoid any auto transporter or broker that does not "prominently display their MC Docket number" on its website, and check that registration yourself.
- Watch your card. If you pay by credit or debit card, monitor the transactions with that company and make sure only the amount you authorized is taken.
The advisory also gives the complaint line: 1-888-368-7238 (1-888-DOT-SAFT), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern. Two things have changed since it was last updated in February 2015. First, the lookup moved: since May 14, 2026, FMCSA's registration records live in a new system called Motus (FMCSA Registration Modernization hub), and FMCSA's April 29, 2026 Federal Register notice says Motus replaces the older Licensing and Insurance system. Second, number formats are no longer a clue: the advisory describes six-digit MC numbers, but newer ones are longer, and FMCSA's May 2026 fact sheet says Motus randomizes all newly issued USDOT and docket numbers while existing numbers stay the same and the MC prefix remains.
How to look a company up, step by step
You need two free FMCSA tools: the Motus public search for registration, authority and insurance, and the SAFER Company Snapshot for the safety record. FMCSA's fraud alerts page (updated October 15, 2026) warns that scammers run look-alike Motus and SAFER sites, so type the addresses yourself rather than clicking a link a company sends you.
- Get the number in writing. Ask for the USDOT number and the MC number, or copy them from the website. A company that will not give them has answered your question.
- Search Motus. Go to motus.dot.gov, open Search, then Search Companies, and enter the USDOT number. It must match exactly. You can also search by legal or DBA name, but name searches return every company whose name starts the same way, including unrelated firms with look-alike DBA names, so always finish with the number.
- Compare the identity. The record shows the USDOT number with its status (Active or Inactive), the legal name, any DBA name, the principal place of business, the mailing address and the business phone. All of it should match the company you are talking to. Some records show a letter after the USDOT number for the type of authority, such as B for broker or C for property carrier (FMCSA fact sheet), but not every record carries one, so read the authority table too.
- Read the authority table. Expand Operating Authority Registration(s). Each line shows the type, the docket number and the current status. You want Broker of Property for a broker or Motor Carrier of Property for a carrier, reading Active. Inactive means it cannot operate under that authority. Pending now comes with a reason, such as "Pending - Financial Responsibility Filings" (FMCSA fact sheet). One company can hold both types with different statuses; we found a record whose carrier authority was Inactive while its broker authority was Active, meaning it could arrange shipments but not haul them under that number.
- Open the authority to see the money on file. Click the authority type. The detail page shows the minimum required (for a broker, a $75,000 bond) and an Insurance Details table: the insurer or surety, the policy number, the form, the amount, the status, and the received, effective and cancellation dates. A filing that is not Active, or a cancellation date before your pickup, is a reason to stop.
- Glance at the last update. Under Biennial Update Information, a last update many years old means the phone and address on file may be stale. It is not proof of anything, but confirm contact details another way.
- Check the carrier in SAFER once one is named. Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov, open the Company Snapshot and search the carrier's USDOT number. The snapshot is FMCSA's summary of a company's identity, size, cargo and safety record, including any safety rating, a roadside out-of-service inspection summary and crash counts (DOT open-data description). Read the USDOT status and any out-of-service date first, then whether motor vehicles appear among the cargo carried.
- Stuck? FMCSA's contact center is 1-800-832-5660.
| What to read | Good sign | Stop or ask hard questions if |
|---|---|---|
| Name, address, phone (Motus) | Match the company you spoke to | They differ, and the company has a story about why |
| USDOT status (Motus, SAFER) | Active | Inactive, or SAFER shows an out-of-service date |
| Operating authority (Motus) | The right type reads Active | Inactive, Pending, or only the other type |
| Insurance details (Motus) | Broker: $75,000 bond Active. Carrier: liability filing Active | No filing, not Active, or a cancellation date before pickup |
| Cargo carried (SAFER) | Includes motor vehicles | Car hauling is not listed at all |
| Inspections, crashes, rating (SAFER) | Out-of-service rates near the national average shown; no rating or Satisfactory | Rates far above average, or a Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating |
Red flags FMCSA, the FTC and BBB have documented
- A deposit by Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, wire or gift card. The FTC's How To Avoid a Scam says to never pay someone who insists you can only pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service, a payment app or a gift card. Its payment-app alert puts the first rule simply: be sure you know who is on the receiving end, or you might lose the money you sent. BBB's 2018 warning about fake vehicle shippers calls a wire to someone you have never met a red flag and says to pay by credit card where possible so you can dispute the charge.
- A price far below every other one. A low number wins the booking; what happens next is the problem. Either nobody shows up, or the price is raised once no carrier will take the car at that rate. Compare against published ranges for your distance on our car shipping cost by distance page before you get excited.
- Hostage pricing. The car is loaded, the price goes up, and the vehicle is held until you pay. FMCSA lists the moving-company version, claiming you have more than was estimated, among its red flags for household moves. For household goods, federal rules require a mover to release the shipment once you pay 110% of a non-binding estimate (49 CFR 375.407), but a car shipped on its own generally is not household goods as 49 CFR 375.103 defines them, so that rule will not rescue you. The defense is a signed, all-in price that says whether it can change.
- Cloned companies. A scammer copies a real company's name and USDOT number onto a new website with its own phone number. This is why step 2 compares the phone and address in Motus with the ones you were given, and why you call the number on the federal record. BBB's 2018 warning describes professional-looking shippers with no verifiable location and suggests checking the website's domain registration, since a site created recently with no other presence online is a warning sign. FMCSA's fraud alerts page separately warns about look-alike SAFER and Motus addresses and tells companies not to sell, buy or lease USDOT and MC numbers.
- An insurance certificate you cannot confirm. A PDF certificate is easy to fake. Compare the insurer on it with the filing shown in Motus, and verify cargo coverage by calling the insurance company at a number you look up yourself. The FTC's advice applies directly: do not call a number the other party gave you. FMCSA's household-move red flags include a company claiming everything is covered by its insurance.
- Your details resold from a quote form. The FTC's staff report on online lead generation (September 2016) explains that information typed into a web form often passes from the site's publisher to aggregators and on to several businesses, sometimes without the form naming them. A flood of calls is not proof of fraud, but it means the company calling may not be the one whose site you visited. Verify the caller, not the form.
- Pressure to decide today. "This price expires in an hour" is a sales tactic. The FTC says honest businesses will give you time to make a decision.
- Vague identity. FMCSA's household-move red flags include a website with no local address and no information about registration or insurance, and a phone answered with a generic "Movers" instead of a company name. The car-shipping version: a generic "Auto Transport" greeting and no MC number anywhere.
What a legitimate booking looks like
None of these steps is exotic. A sound company will walk you through them without being asked, and none of them requires paying in advance by an untraceable method.
- Estimate. A price with what it includes, how long it is good for and whether it can change. FreightWaves Checkpoint's car shipping guide (May 29, 2026) notes that most quotes are only valid for 24–48 hours and that many companies do not provide binding estimates, so ask in writing whether the price is fixed if your car matches its description.
- Carrier assigned. The broker books a truck and gives you the carrier's legal name and USDOT or MC number. Look that carrier up in Motus and SAFER before any money moves.
- Written confirmation. One document with the total price, any deposit and when it is due, how and when the balance is paid, the pickup window, the estimated delivery, the cancellation terms and the carrier's name.
- Pickup inspection. The driver and you walk around the car and record its condition on the bill of lading, the shipping contract and receipt. Wash the car first, take dated photos of every side, note every existing mark, and keep your copy.
- Delivery inspection. Inspect before you sign, in daylight if you can. Write any new damage on the bill of lading, photograph it, then pay the balance as agreed.
- Claim, if needed. Send a written claim to the carrier. Federal claim rules in 49 CFR Part 370 set the timeline below.
| Claim step | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to file | Set in the bill of lading, but no shorter than 9 months | 49 U.S.C. 14706(e) |
| What counts as a claim | A written claim that identifies the shipment, says the carrier is liable and asks for a specific or determinable amount. A damage note on the delivery receipt alone does not count. | 49 CFR 370.3(b), (c) |
| Acknowledgment | In writing within 30 days of receipt, unless the carrier pays or declines within that time | 49 CFR 370.5 |
| Decision | Pay, decline or make a firm written offer within 120 days; if not, written status updates every 60 days | 49 CFR 370.9 |
| Deadline to sue | At least 2 years from the carrier's written denial | 49 U.S.C. 14706(e) |
A cheap quote, checked
Worked example (illustrative)
The move: a running midsize sedan, about 1,000 miles, open carrier. Three companies send prices: A at $1,040, B at $990 and C at $560. The companies are made up; the checks are real.
Step 1: is C's price plausible? Published 2026 shipper prices (what customers pay, not carrier pay) for about 1,000 miles on an open carrier run from $650–$800 (FreightWaves Checkpoint, May 29, 2026, standard sedan) to a $1,069 average (Cars.com, May 20, 2026). A and B average ($1,040 + $990) ÷ 2 = $1,015.
| Comparison | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| C against the lowest published figure | $650 − $560 | $90 below the bottom of the range |
| C against A and B | ($1,015 − $560) ÷ $1,015 | about 45% lower |
| If C's price later rises to the low end | $650 − $560 | +$90 |
| If C's price later rises to the published average | $1,069 − $560 | +$509 |
| C at the published average against B | $1,069 − $990 | $79 more than B |
Step 2: what C asks for. A $150 "booking deposit" by Zelle today to lock the rate. That alone fails check 5.
Step 3: what the lookups show. C's website lists a USDOT number but no MC number and does not say whether it is a broker or a carrier (check 1). In Motus, the number belongs to a trucking company two states away with a different legal name, address and phone; its property-carrier authority is Inactive and it holds no broker authority (checks 2 and 3). The phone on the federal record reaches the real company, which says it does not take car-shipping bookings online. The insurance certificate C emails names an insurer; calling that insurer at the number on its own website, the policy number is not on file.
Step 4: the same checks on B. B's website shows its MC number and says it is a broker. Motus shows Broker of Property: Active, with a $75,000 BMC-84 bond Active and no cancellation date. B asks for nothing until a carrier is assigned and takes a credit card. Three days later it names the carrier in writing; that carrier shows Motor Carrier of Property: Active with a liability filing Active in Motus, and its SAFER snapshot shows no out-of-service order and motor vehicles among the cargo carried. $990 sits inside the $650–$1,069 published band.
Result: skip C and keep the $150. Even if C had been a real company, a price $90 below the bottom of the published range tends to rise once a carrier has to accept it. At the $1,069 Cars.com average it would cost $79 more than B's $990, so the $430 saving ($990 − $560) would be gone. B passes all five checks in the decision flow above.
Printable 10-point checklist
Print this before you call anyone, and tick each line for the company you choose.
- The website or email shows the company's MC or USDOT number and says plainly whether it is a broker or a carrier.
- You looked the number up yourself in Motus, typing motus.dot.gov rather than clicking a link.
- The legal name, address and phone in Motus match the company you are dealing with.
- The authority you need reads Active: Broker of Property for a broker, Motor Carrier of Property for a carrier.
- Money is on file: a $75,000 bond or trust fund for a broker, liability insurance for a carrier, with no cancellation date before pickup.
- The carrier is named in writing before you pay anything, and its SAFER snapshot shows no out-of-service order.
- Any cargo insurance certificate was confirmed by calling the insurer at a number you looked up yourself.
- The price is in writing: total, what is included, whether it can change, deposit and balance, pickup window and cancellation terms.
- You pay by credit card or check, never by wire, Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift card or crypto, and nothing before a carrier is assigned.
- At pickup and delivery, every mark is written on the bill of lading and photographed, and you keep your copy for any claim.
If something already went wrong
- You paid by card: call your card issuer and dispute the charge. BBB's warning recommends cards for exactly this reason.
- You paid by payment app or wire: contact the app or your bank immediately and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. The FTC warns that money sent to someone you don't know through a payment app may be lost.
- Report it: file with FMCSA at 1-888-368-7238 (FMCSA advisory) and with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. FMCSA's fraud alerts page also points people to their state attorney general's office.
- The car arrived damaged: note it on the bill of lading, photograph it, then send the carrier a written claim with an amount, as in the table above. Keep copies of everything.
Where this comes from, and its limits
Every rule here comes from a page we opened in October 2026: FMCSA's auto transporter advisory, its Motus fact sheet, registration hub and fraud alerts, the Motus public search itself, the regulations linked inline (49 CFR Parts 370, 371, 375 and 387, and 49 U.S.C. 14706), the FTC's consumer pages and lead-generation report, and BBB's warning about fake vehicle shippers. The two price figures in the worked example come from FreightWaves Checkpoint and Cars.com, dated above. Motus is new, and FMCSA may change its screens; if a field described here has moved, the FMCSA contact center at 1-800-832-5660 can help. This guide is general information, not legal advice.