Each year, our expert review team conducts an in-depth analysis of the top car shipping companies in the country. We perform a secret shopper analysis to gain insights into overall customer experience, collect hundreds of quotes on popular routes across the U.S., survey past clients, and comb through hundreds of online reviews. After 300 hours of research, our team rated uShip 4.5 out of 5.0 stars and named it the Best Car Shipping Marketplace for 2023. In this article, we’ll take a close look at uShip reviews, costs, and transportation options to give you a full picture of the online shipping marketplace.
Our uShip Review And Methodology
Reputation, cost, services, and customer experience are the criteria we use to review auto shipping companies. Here are further details on these categories and how we think uShip measures up in each of them.
Reputation
We evaluate a company’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, years of experience, and state availability when rating industry reputation. uShip has been around since 2003 and boasts an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB. The company also facilitates vehicle shipments in all 50 states. We give uShip 4.5 out of 5.0 stars for reputation.
Cost
For this review, our team gathered quotes from uShip to ship a 2018 Toyota RAV4 various distances through open transport (meaning the car is hauled on an open-air trailer, usually with several other vehicles). The rates we received were generally on the lower end for the industry, so we give uShip a solid 4.5-star rating in this category.
Services
We call uShip the Best Car Shipping Marketplace because it allows customers to post shipping jobs to its platform for bids from independent carriers. This separates uShip from auto shipping companies that act as traditional brokers and leads to competitive bidding. The company offers fast transit times and the option to send your vehicle to and from centralized shipping terminals. All this adds up to a perfect 5.0-star rating for shipping services.
Customer Experience
Our team considers customer reviews on the BBB, Trustpilot, and Google when gauging the customer experience a car shipping company provides. We also use results from our survey of 1,000 consumers who have shipped a vehicle. Our recent shipping survey found that uShip didn’t score as highly in customer satisfaction as some other leading companies.
These survey results are balanced a bit by uShip customer reviews on various sites. The company has a 4.3 out of 5.0-star rating from over 11,000 reviews on Trustpilot, along with a 4.6-star rating from nearly 400 customer reviews on the BBB. Google reviews tell an even more positive story, with a 4.9-star rating from 3,400 customer reviews.
We found the process of collecting quotes from uShip to be simple and quick. It only took about two minutes to obtain a quote online. Getting a quote for enclosed transport is a bit more involved, as you have to create an account and set up a listing to do so. Still, even that is a relatively fast and easy process.
All things considered, we give uShip a 4.2-star rating for customer experience.
uShip Overview
Founded: 2003
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Service Area: All 50 states, plus overseas shipping
uShip is a marketplace for various shipping services. You can use it for short- or long-distance car shipping and other goods you might want to move – including animals, household items, RVs, motorcycles, boats, furniture, and heavy equipment.
The uShip marketplace works a little differently than standard auto transporters: instead of having a dedicated shipping fleet, uShip allows independent carriers to bid against each other for your business. uShip has partnerships with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers – the largest auctioneer of heavy equipment – and eBay Motors, and it has been featured on the A&E show Shipping Wars.
How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Car With uShip?
According to our auto shipping consumer survey, 80 percent of shoppers consider price an important factor in choosing a service. uShip auto transport rates depend on several factors, including:
- Size of car
- Vehicle condition
- Shipping distance
- Type of transport (open or enclosed)
- Area (urban or rural)
- Time of year
uShip Car Shipping Quotes
To give you an idea of uShip costs, our team reached out for quotes in late 2022. These prices are for shipping an operable 2018 Toyota RAV4 (non-running cars are more expensive to ship) and represent instant quotes for open transport. You may find lower quotes by using the marketplace listing option and having carriers bid on your shipment.
| Shipping Route | Shipping Distance | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Kansas City, MO | 503 miles | $689 |
| Los Angeles to Houston | 1,556 miles | $1,249 |
| New York City to San Francisco | 3,036 miles | $2,177 |
For comparison, here are the quotes we received from uShip for the same shipments in 2021:
| Shipping Route | Shipping Distance | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Kansas City, MO | 503 miles | $677 |
| Los Angeles to Houston | 1,556 miles | $1,059 |
| New York City to San Francisco | 3,036 miles | $1,820 |
uShip Marketplace Bid Examples
When you post your job to the marketplace at uShip.com, multiple carriers may bid on it. In one example, a customer wanted to send their Mazda Tribute from Los Angeles to Dubuque, Iowa. They received seven bids. The bids started at $1,885, with the lowest being $1,549.
In another example, someone was looking to ship their Ford F-150 from Austin, Texas, to Seattle. They also received seven bids. The bids started at $2,149, and the lowest bid was $1,591.
How Shipping A Car With uShip Works
uShip is a bidding marketplace where you can post an offer or browse instant rates. After completing a form detailing your shipping dates and locations, you’ll receive offers from several shippers.
You can also post your shipping request to the marketplace, and shippers will bid on your job. This option may take longer, but you can find better shipping prices and save money.
When you find a price that looks good, it’s up to you to research the shipper. Each shipper has a profile with reviews and an overall rating. Also, check into whether the shipper provides insurance. uShip sells cargo insurance separately for peace of mind.
Accept a bid, and you’ll communicate with the shipping provider to coordinate pickup and drop-off. uShip itself is only involved in the quote and booking processes, not shipping. You can reach out to uShip if you have problems with the shipper, though.
uShip Fee
On top of your baseline shipping cost, uShip charges a fee from $25 to $150. In some uShip reviews, customers mention being caught off guard by this service charge at checkout, but uShip fees apply to all car shipping quotes. You can also pay extra for insurance through uShip, but some shippers already provide insurance.
uShip Auto Shipping Services
You can use uShip’s services to transport any vehicle in the following ways:
- Open auto transport: Ships your car on an open-air trailer. This is the cheapest car shipping option but leaves your vehicle exposed to the elements and road hazards.
- Enclosed transport: Protects your car from the weather and other hazards but is a more expensive option.
- Expedited shipping: Rushes the pickup and/or delivery of your vehicle for an additional fee.
- Door-to-door delivery: Picks your car up and drops it off at locations you specify.
- International shipping: Ships your car anywhere in the world, across borders and even oceans.
Thousands of service providers are on the uShip marketplace. These providers include carriers, large car shipping companies, brokers, and lone truck drivers. Shipping details will vary depending on which contractor you choose. More than a few uShip reviews mention it isn’t difficult to pursue contractors who offer the services you require.
While many shippers include insurance with their shipping fees, you’re not guaranteed insurance. Check with your shipper to learn whether it provides insurance. As mentioned, uShip offers optional shipping insurance for an additional fee.
Ship With Confidence Guarantee
Not all uShip customers choose extra insurance coverage. For some peace of mind, uShip offers the “Ship With Confidence” Guarantee, which reimburses you up to $500 if you have trouble getting a refund from a carrier or can’t collect on a damage claim. This takes a bit of the hassle out of shipping a car.
uShip Mobile App
uShip offers a mobile app for customers and service providers. If a provider has GPS location services turned on, you can see the car’s location throughout the journey. You’ll also get push notifications on pickup and delivery through the uShip app.
uShip Moving Services
uShip is also popular for moves between states or across the country. uShip can connect you with truckers with extra space on their rigs for shipping boxes, household items, machinery, and more.
When you get a quote, you can specify the size of the apartment or home you need to move. You can select anything from a studio to a five-bedroom house or larger. uShip can also arrange for office relocations, including breaking down and reassembling cubicles.
Next, select the type of moving service you want:
- White glove
- Movers load your belongings
- You load your belongings
uShip’s moving service works best if you have a flexible time frame. Shipping providers are looking to pick up extra cargo along their routes, so you might need to bend your expectations to their schedule a bit.
You can also use uShip to move extra items that don’t fit well in a standard moving truck. Things such as pianos, hot tubs, ATVs, and motorcycles can be tricky to move, so uShip’s wide network of transportation service providers can come in handy.
uShip Customer Reviews
uShip holds an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB. The auto transport company has fielded fewer than 50 complaints in the past three years. On Trustpilot, the provider has a customer review score of 4.3 out of 5.0 based on over 11,000 uShip reviews. Overall, 14.5 percent of reviews we analyzed explicitly mention recommending the company to others.
In our own shipping survey, we found that most customers (59 percent) were satisfied or very satisfied with their uShip experience. However, some other top car shipping companies like Montway and Sherpa scored higher in this metric.
Positive uShip Reviews
In many of the positive uShip reviews, satisfied customers praise the company for its simple process and excellent prices. Many reviewers are pleased with the transporter they’re matched with, and over 75 percent rate uShip 5.0 out of 5.0 stars.
“Easy to use, and Eric, who did the transporting, did an excellent job. We will use it again.”
– Todd Felsen via Trustpilot
“My transporter not only offered a fantastic quote but did an exceptional job delivering my furniture from over 1,000 miles away and on a holiday weekend.”
– Kathleen Hudson via Trustpilot
Negative uShip Reviews
Negative uShip reviews often include complaints about price fluctuations, which are common for auto shipping since it’s hard to determine an exact cost up front. Other less-than-stellar uShip reviews say customer service is poor when resolving issues with drivers. However, only five percent of reviewers on Trustpilot give this provider a 1.0-star rating. And when uShip doesn’t get positive reviews, its customer service agents respond and try to help.
“The online systems of uShip do not work properly, the quotes given are never accurate, and at the point of checkout, the price always goes up by a significant irregular amount.”
– C. W. via BBB
“[uShip] is a viable shipping service. They work out great until there’s a problem. I recently used them to haul my boat. … Driver didn’t pay tolls on the trailer. … Two weeks later, the unpaid toll bills arrived. uShip would not escalate [my] claim or try harder than a simple email to [contact the] hauler.”
– Doug B. via BBB
Positive uShip reviews still outweigh negative uShip reviews, with most customers claiming satisfaction with the company’s process and prices.
How To Ship With uShip
If you’re wondering how to transport your car with uShip, you will need to:
- Create a uShip account: Once your account is set up, uShip will ask you to list your shipment. You’ll provide details about your car such as its year, make, model, and whether it’s a convertible or has modifications.
- Specify your pickup and delivery locations: From there, you’ll receive instant rates from multiple providers. These rates specify the type of transport, cost, and customer ratings for the available shippers.
- Create a listing: Choosing an instant rate is the quickest way to ship, but if you can wait, you can get an even lower rate by posting your request for bidding. When you create a listing, uShip will ask you to specify the earliest and latest pickup and delivery dates, the service type (open or enclosed), and any additional details or special instructions.
- Choose a bid: Once you post your listing, shippers start bidding for your contract, driving the cost down. After choosing your shipper, you’ll work out the pickup and delivery details together.
How uShip Handles Payments
The way uShip handles payments depends on the shipment cost. If you’re only shipping one vehicle, the cost should be less than $5,000, but if you’re shipping more than one vehicle or need overseas transport, it may cost more.
- For shipments less than $5,000: You must pay in full when booking through uShip’s payment processor. uShip holds the payment in escrow until you authorize its release after your car reaches its destination.
- For shipments above $5,000: You must pay a booking deposit on the uShip website, and you don’t pay the total until your shipment arrives.
What To Know For A Successful Auto Shipment
Shipping a car isn’t like shipping a box with UPS. Car shipping involves many parts. Below are some things to keep in mind.
Prices Can Change
uShip allows brokers to bid on shipments. A broker won’t immediately have access to final carrier pricing, so it’s possible your price will increase if you work with a broker through uShip.
Don’t Look For Rock-Bottom Prices
As a marketplace, uShip doesn’t vet any carriers or brokers beyond ensuring they’re licensed. If you hold out for a rock-bottom price, you may end up working with a less experienced or less reputable carrier. Think about who you want to take care of your car on its journey, not just finding the cheapest rate.
Be Flexible
Pickup and drop-off dates may not align with your ideal plan. Some brokers guarantee pickup dates, but almost no one guarantees drop-off dates. Anything can happen on the road to delay a shipment, so be as flexible as possible. You can also authorize someone you know to meet the truck driver if you can’t be there.
uShip Reviews: Conclusion
If you’re looking for affordable car shipping with a variety of transport services available, it’s worth reaching out to uShip for a quote or posting your shipment on its website. However, we recommend doing some additional research into the carrier you select through uShip to verify its reliability and insurance coverage before committing to a shipment.
uShip Car Shipping: Competitors
If you’re seeking the best rates and services for your auto shipping needs, always compare quotes from multiple brokers and shippers. Two besides uShip that we recommend considering are Montway Auto Transport and Sherpa Auto Transport.
Montway Auto Transport: 4.7 Stars
Montway Auto Transport is an auto shipping broker that pairs you with a carrier from a vast network of over 15,000. Like uShip, the company has competitive prices and strong customer reviews. Montway has an A+ rating from the BBB and a customer rating of 4.6 out of 5.0 stars on the BBB website.
We believe Montway Auto Transport is the Best Overall provider of car shipping services because it combines low rates with a high level of customer service. Montway does a superb job of communicating with customers throughout the shipping process, and with live chat until midnight CST, customers can check their shipment status almost any time.
Read our full Montway Auto Transport review to learn more.
Sherpa Auto Transport: 4.6 Stars
uShip and Montway Auto Transport are highly regarded by customers, but Sherpa Auto Transport has even better customer reviews. The shipping company has an A+ rating from the BBB and a near-perfect BBB customer score of 4.9 stars.
Sherpa Auto Transport gets our award for Locked-In Prices, thanks to its Price Lock Promise that guarantees your shipping rate will stay the same as your original quote. With most auto shippers, your quote is subject to change before your shipment is finalized. Sherpa will make up the difference in cost if a shipper charges more than the company’s quoted price.
You can learn more in our in-depth Sherpa Auto Transport review.