Our team spent 300 hours of research gathering more than 500 data points about Montway Auto Transport’s costs, services, customer experience, and more. As a result, we gave the company a rating of 4.7 out of 5.0 stars and named it Best Overall for car shipping in 2023. The company acts as a broker between customers and shipping services, working with over 15,000 vetted carriers across the United States. This article will take an up-close look at Montway Auto Transport to see how it compares to other leading providers.
We believe Montway is an excellent choice for auto transport, but you might also consider any providers that landed on our list of the best car shipping companies.
Our Montway Auto Transport Review And Methodology
We examined Montway Auto Transport in four key areas when crafting our review: reputation, cost, services, and customer experience. The following sections provide further details on these categories and how Montway performed in each.
Reputation
We gauge a company’s industry reputation based on its state availability, years in business, and Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating. Montway is available in all 50 states and has been in business since 2006. The company also holds an A+ rating from the BBB. Taking all these factors into account, we give Montway a healthy 4.8 out of 5.0-star rating for reputation.
Cost
We give Montway 4.5 stars in the cost category. Our team gathered quotes to ship a 2018 Toyota RAV4 several distances using open and enclosed shipping services to analyze the company’s rates. We found that Montway tends to offer lower prices than many of its competitors. Montway also offers a discount for paying in cash, which is somewhat rare for the car shipping industry.
Services
Montway shines in this category. Transit time is typically on the lower end of the normal range due to the wide network of carriers the company uses. Montway also ships to and from Hawaii and Alaska, which isn’t a given in the auto shipping world. The company offers cargo insurance, which protects your vehicle from damage during transit, of up to $100,000 for on-land shipments with no deductible. Overall, we rate Montway 4.8 out of 5.0 stars in this category.
Customer Experience
Customer reviews across multiple platforms paint a positive picture of Montway Auto Transport. The company has a 4.6 out of 5.0-star rating from customers on the BBB, with the same high rating from over 1,200 reviews on Trustpilot. Montway also carries a 4.6-star rating based on more than 10,000 Google reviews. Combined with its easy-to-use online quote tool, these ratings fuel our team’s 4.6 out of 5.0-star customer experience rating for Montway.
Montway Auto Transport Overview
Founded: 2006
Headquarters: Schaumburg, Illinois
Service Area: U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska
Montway Auto Transport is a well-established auto shipping broker with over 15 years of experience. Inc. 5000 included Montway on its list of the fastest-growing companies in 2015 and again in 2021. Montway moved 140,000 vehicles in 2020, according to Inc. 5000. Montway also ranked in Crain’s Chicago Business 50 fastest-growing businesses in 2017.
Montway Auto Transport Customer Reviews
Montway Auto Transport is diligent about replying to positive and negative reviews, responding to 62 percent of reviews. Just over 20 percent of reviewers explicitly say they recommend this auto transport provider to others.
Below, we’ll take a look at examples of positive and negative Montway Auto Transport reviews.
Positive Montway Auto Transport Reviews
Satisfied Montway customers say the company provides timely deliveries and excellent customer communication. Seventeen percent of reviewers positively mention the customer service at Montway Auto Transport.
“[Montway Auto Transport] was very communicative throughout the entire process and [took] the time to listen to my needs. They were able to pick up my car in two days, and she arrived in perfect condition.”
– Jeff via BBB
“Other companies gave cheaper prices but could not fulfill the requested date of transporting my car. In such short notice, Montway gave me [a] detailed and fixed price and was able to immediately schedule a [pickup] for [the] next day.”
– Marge C. via BBB
Montway Auto Transport Complaints
Not all customers have enjoyed timely delivery, and some Montway Auto Transport reviews mention final rates above the original cost. Other reviews cite difficulty canceling a shipment, and many customers don’t like the minimum $199 cancellation fee. However, less than 10 percent of reviews on the BBB website are one-star reviews.
“I placed an order to transport my car on Dec. 14. The car was supposed to transport within five business days. The car was not transported yet, and I received a call on Dec. 4 that I have to pay $200 extra than the agreed-upon amount if I still want the car to be transported.”
– Fadi A. via BBB
“Arranged to have a vehicle transported multiple weeks in advance. Received my quote and waited and waited. Reached out to them multiple times and, finally, four days before my vehicle needed to be picked up, they called and advised the new price would be 60 percent higher than my quote.”
– Alan P. via Trustpilot
Montway Auto Transport Shipping Services
Montway Auto Transport ships to and from anywhere in the country, including Alaska and Hawaii. The company offers both open shipping, meaning your vehicle is loaded onto a trailer that’s exposed to the elements, and enclosed shipping, where your car is hauled in a trailer with walls and a roof. Note that enclosed shipping can cost 30 to 40 percent more per mile.
After your vehicle ships, the company offers a live chat service you can contact between 6:00 AM and midnight CST to ask about the location of your vehicle. In Montway Auto Transport reviews, many customers mention live chat as a standout feature of the company’s shipping process.
Note that Montway doesn’t offer shipping services for RVs or trailers but only passenger cars (including SUVs and pickups).
Montway Auto Transport Extras And Add-Ons
Montway offers a few additional services that may improve your auto shipping experience:
- Expedited shipping (guaranteed pickup dates)
- Door-to-door delivery (your vehicle is delivered as close to your home address as possible; offered standard)
- No fee for shipping up to 100 pounds of personal items in your vehicle’s trunk
The shipper provides insurance, which is part of your shipping cost. Montway also offers contingent cargo insurance up to $250,000. This can be thought of as extra protection for your vehicle while it’s being shipped; it goes beyond basic cargo insurance to pay for damages if your trucker’s policy fails to cover a valid claim fully.
After cost, survey respondents said company reputation, guaranteed pickup dates, and insurance coverage were the most important considerations for choosing an auto shipping company. Montway satisfies these requirements with its expedited shipping service and extra insurance coverage.
Montway Auto Transport Cost
In late 2022, Montway quoted our team $1,369 to ship a Toyota RAV4 1,500 miles from Los Angeles to Houston, and this is cheaper than the average rate of $1,442 across 18 major car shipping companies for that same route.
Our auto shipping consumer survey polled 1,000 people who had experience shipping a car or shopping for services. Over 80 percent of the respondents said cost was the most critical factor in choosing a company. The survey also showed that just over 41 percent of respondents paid between $1,000 and $1,999 for their vehicle shipment.
Montway Auto Transport Quotes
To give you an idea of what it might cost to ship your car with Montway Auto Transport, we reached out for quotes to ship a 2018 Toyota RAV4 through open transport. Your rates may vary based on time of year, vehicle, route, and other factors. Here are the car shipping rates Montway quoted us in 2022:
| Shipping Route | Shipping Distance | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Kansas City, MO | 503 miles | $719 |
| Los Angeles to Houston | 1,556 miles | $1,369 |
| New York City to San Francisco | 3,036 miles | $1,809 |
For some added context, here are the quotes we received from Montway for the same shipments in 2021:
| Shipping Route | Shipping Distance | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Kansas City, MO | 503 miles | $689 |
| Los Angeles to Houston | 1,556 miles | $979 |
| New York City to San Francisco | 3,036 miles | $1,789 |
Our car shipping cost research revealed that Montway Auto Transport is one of the cheapest options in the U.S. The auto broker also offers discounts for returning customers as well as active and former military members.
What Affects Car Shipping Costs
According to Montway’s website, auto shipping prices are usually around $1.96 per mile for distances under 500 miles, 93 cents per mile for distances between 500 and 1,500 miles, and 58 cents per mile for distances over 1,500 miles. However, as noted earlier, multiple factors can impact your shipping price. Here’s a more comprehensive list:
- Vehicle size and weight: Larger vehicles cost more to transport than smaller vehicles.
- Vehicle operability: Non-operable vehicles will cost more to haul than operable vehicles because they add more labor.
- Shipping distance: Shipping a car over a long distance will cost more overall, but less per mile than shorter trips.
- Type of transport (open versus enclosed trailer): Open transport is cheaper than close transport.
- Destination and pickup locations (urban versus rural): Typically, shipping to a rural location will cost more than shipping to an urban area.
- Season: Summer months and January tend to be more expensive.
Montway offers instant quotes online, taking the hassle out of budgeting for your move.
How To Ship A Car With Montway Auto Transport
If you’re wondering how to ship a car with Montway, use the online quote tool and enter the following information:
- Departure and delivery locations (door-to-door shipments available only)
- Transport preference (open or enclosed)
- Vehicle info (year, make, model, and operability)
- Dates of shipping
- Urgency (as soon as possible, within two weeks, within 30 days, or more than 30 days)
Shippers will bid once you post your job, and Montway will match you with the best offer. After being paired with a car shipper, you schedule a pickup date and location with your driver. At pickup, you and the driver inspect your vehicle and sign a bill of lading. After the car arrives, you will examine it again and sign the bill of lading if you don’t see any damages.
Any order is fully refundable if you cancel before you are assigned a carrier. After being assigned a carrier, you’ll pay a minimum $199 cancellation fee.
What To Know For A Successful Auto Shipment
Shipping a car isn’t as easy as mailing a package, and you should be aware of the following to make your experience a smooth one.
- Rates can change: Supply and demand significantly influence shipping prices. If enough carriers aren’t available for your shipping time and route, you may pay more to secure the shipment.
- Flexibility is key: If you can be flexible with your pickup date, you can avoid paying for expedited shipping and find the best price. You can also authorize a friend or family member to meet the motor carrier with your vehicle if you have a tight time frame.
- Plan for delays: A lone trucker usually drives an auto carrier and doesn’t have other trailers readily available if something happens on the road. It’s common to get your car a few days after the original estimated drop-off date.
Montway Auto Transport: Conclusion
Montway doesn’t offer guaranteed pricing, and, as mentioned, some users have complained about the cancellation fee, but these are the only real drawbacks we’ve found in our research. Most customers are pleased with Montway’s service and praise the high level of communication the company provides.
Montway Car Shipping: Competitors
Montway Auto Transport is an excellent place to look for cheap car shipping, but it’s not the only place. uShip and Sherpa Auto Transport are two other auto shippers we recommend checking out.
uShip: 4.5 Stars
uShip is a shipping marketplace where you can find a contractor to transport any vehicle anywhere in the U.S. You can also ship overseas with uShip. Posting a job is simple, and uShip allows you to compare a broad range of shipping offers.
uShip holds an A+ rating with accreditation from the BBB. It also has a customer review score of 4.3 out of 5.0 from over 11,000 reviews on Trustpilot. We named uShip the Best Car Shipping Marketplace because of its size and wide range of shipping options and destinations.
You can read more in our uShip review.
Sherpa Auto Transport: 4.6 Stars
Unlike Montway Auto Transport and uShip, Sherpa Auto Transport offers locked-in pricing, meaning Sherpa guarantees quoted prices and will pay the difference if a shipper charges more. The company’s car shipping services are available in the continental U.S. but not in Alaska and Hawaii.
Sherpa receives high marks for customer satisfaction, with an A+ rating with accreditation from the BBB and a near-perfect 4.9-star rating from customers on the BBB website.
Read more in our complete Sherpa Auto Transport review.
