How to read car shipping reviews (and what to look for)
Most car shipping reviews are five stars, so the star rating alone tells you little. Here's how to read reviews for the details that predict your experience.
On Transport Auto Reviews, about nine out of ten published reviews give five stars. That's typical across review sites in this industry: people who had a smooth shipment are happy to say so. It also means the star average alone won't separate good companies from great ones. The details will.
Read the critical reviews first
Sort or filter to the lower ratings. Look for:
- Patterns. One late pickup is bad luck. Ten reviews describing the same price increase is a policy.
- How the company responded. Did it reply, explain and offer a fix, or argue?
- What went wrong. Delays are frustrating but recoverable. Unreported damage or a vanished deposit is not.
Look at the specifics in positive reviews
Useful reviews mention the route, the price, the pickup wait and the condition at delivery. On our site, reviewers can record the route, price paid, carrier type and time in transit, which helps you compare like with like.
Check the dates
A company with great reviews from five years ago and silence since may have changed hands, changed names or stopped operating. Check that its FMCSA authority is still active. Our listings mark companies that are Out of business and link to each company's FMCSA record.
Watch for warning signs in the reviews themselves
- Many short, vague five-star reviews posted close together.
- Reviews that praise a salesperson by name but say nothing about the actual shipment.
- Glowing reviews for a company whose FMCSA authority is inactive.
How we handle reviews
Every review on our site is checked before it appears, companies can't pay to remove or reorder reviews, and sponsorship never changes a rating. Read our review rules.
Shipped a car recently? Write a review. It helps the next person choose.