Who Regulates Auto Shipping Companies?

When you’re looking for an auto shipping company, one of the things you’ll notice right away is how many car shippers there will be in your area. As a result of that abundance of auto transport service providers, you may get confused about which company to choose to hire to ship your car simply because when you visit their websites, they all say they are the best car transportation companies out there.

Having many auto shippers to choose from can be a good thing as it’ll give you more leverage when you negotiate the terms and prices with the auto shipping companies in your town or city. Basically, if you don’t like the conditions and the prices of one car shipper, you can always look for another one – one that will give you a better deal.

Remember that in no way will you be obliged to say yes to a car moving company if their offer does not satisfy your needs as a customer who’s looking for dependable and affordable car shipping services.

On the other hand, too many car movers could mean that there may also be some companies that will not have their customers’ best interests in mind. In other words, there are likely to be auto transporters that will be using deceptive business practices to scam their unaware clients.

That is why, the best defense against becoming a victim of a fraudulent moving company is to understand who regulates car shipping companies so that you can check their licenses and certifications – the only way to know for sure that a car moving company is legal and therefore, perfectly safe to hire.

Read on to learn who regulates auto shippers and get a better understanding of the licensing requirements for auto transport companies.

The state

Auto shipping companies are regulated by state and federal regulatory organizations whose primary task is to monitor all car shippers with the purpose of making sure those businesses comply with all local and national vehicle transportation regulations. Those requirements and regulations are being enforced so that all vehicle shipping companies in the country operate and continue to operate within the boundaries of the law.

Also, another goal of the enforced vehicle shipping regulations is to hold car shippers accountable for their customers’ vehicles in the unlikely event that something bad did happen on the road.

For starters, an auto shipping company must be licensed by the state in which the business operates. For example, when a car shipping company is based in New Hampshire, it must have an NHPC number that serves as a proof that the auto transporter is registered in the state of New Hampshire and can operate legally within that state. Similarly, New Jersey-located vehicle shipping companies must have NJPC numbers.

However, things are not that straightforward as it seems. Why? Each state has its different licensing requirements for auto shippers, and considering the fact that some states prove to be much stricter with their licensing requirements, things can get too complicated too quickly.

For instance, the state of Kentucky requires vehicle shippers to have a KYU number, a KIT number, and an IFTA number to operate within the state. On the other hand, the state of Delaware only requires auto transporters to have a permit that proves proper vehicle registration.

State requirements for licensing vehicle shipping companies vary but most of them require state-based auto transporters to undergo a background check, to prove sufficient insurance, and to pass a test about their legal and regulatory knowledge.

Once they get those state-specific licenses, certifications, and permits, most auto transport companies will also need additional federal licenses and certifications in order to operate outside the state they are based in. That’s the case with long-distance auto shippers and cross-country car transportation companies that will need to pass through multiple states during a car haul until they reach their destination.

So, before anything else, check with your state’s department of transportation to ensure that the auto shipper you intend to hire has all the necessary licenses to operate within the state.

Here’s the full list of all State Transportation Departments in the country:

• Alabama: Department of Transportation
• Alaska: Department of Transportation
• Arizona: Department of Transportation
• Arkansas: Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD)
• California: Department of Transportation
• Colorado: Department of Transportation
• Connecticut: Department of Transportation
• Delaware: Department of Transportation
• District of Columbia: Department of Transportation
• Florida: Department of Transportation
• Georgia: Department of Transportation
• Hawaii: Department of Transportation
• Idaho: Transportation Department
• Illinois: Department of Transportation
• Indiana: Department of Transportation
• Iowa: Department of Transportation
• Kansas: Department of Transportation
• Kentucky: Transportation Cabinet
• Louisiana: Department of Transportation & Development
• Maine: Department of Transportation
• Maryland: Department of Transportation
• Massachusetts: Department of Transportation
• Michigan: Department of Transportation
• Minnesota: Department of Transportation
• Mississippi: Department of Transportation
• Missouri: Department of Transportation
• Montana: Department of Transportation
• Nebraska: Department of Roads
• Nevada: Department of Transportation
• New Hampshire: Department of Transportation
• New Jersey: Department of Transportation
• New Mexico: Highway and Transportation Department
• New York: New York State Department of Transportation
• North Carolina: Department of Transportation
• North Dakota: Department of Transportation
• Ohio: Department of Transportation
• Oklahoma: Department of Transportation
• Oregon: Department of Transportation
• Pennsylvania: Department of Transportation
• Puerto Rico: Department of Transportation and Public Works
• Rhode Island: Department of Transportation
• South Carolina: Department of Transportation
• South Dakota: Department of Transportation
• Tennessee: Department of Transportation
• Texas: Department of Transportation
• Utah: Department of Transportation
• Vermont: Agency of Transportation
• Virginia: Department of Transportation
• Washington: Department of Transportation
• West Virginia: Department of Transportation
• Wisconsin: Department of Transportation
• Wyoming: Department of Transportation

Solve the dilemma: Should you drive your car or ship it?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

All auto shipping companies that operate interstate – that is, cross state lines when transporting vehicles across the country – are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) – a regulatory agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The governmental agency regulates the carrier and trucking industry in the country, with its purpose being the improvement of vehicle safety and the prevention of vehicle-related injuries and fatalities.

And to be able to do just that, the FMCSA requires that all interstate household moving companies and vehicle shipping companies register with them. After a successful registration process, the regulatory agency gives а USDOT number to vehicle transportation companies as a way for the government to identify each specific carrier, to enforce and monitor all safety regulations, and to help consumers recognize properly and legally registered auto shippers that are safe to hire.

When the FMCSA issues a USDOT number to an auto shipper, that transportation company will have to comply with all FMCSA safety regulations in order to maintain their USDOT number in the future.

As mentioned above, all interstate car moving companies must have a USDOT number in order to operate legally within the country. For local car hauls that never leave the state boundaries, car shippers are not required to have USDOT.

However, currently, there are 38 U.S. states that demand all car shippers to have a valid USDOT number to operate legally within that state.

Here are the 12 remaining U.S. states that do not require a USDOT number for in-state (intrastate) auto shippers:

•          Arkansas

•          Delaware

•          Hawaii

•          Louisiana

•          New Hampshire

•          New Mexico

•          North Dakota

•          Rhode Island

•          South Dakota

•          Tennessee

•          Vermont

•          Virginia

The good news is that it’s really to check whether an auto shipping company is properly licensed by the U.S. Government and has a valid USDOT number as a result:

• ACCESS the FMCSA Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) system and check their Company Snapshot – that’s the only way to be sure that an auto shipper is a properly registered business. The Company Snapshot is an electronic record of a company’s identification, size, and safety record.
  Click here to check the USDOT number and the MC number of an interstate auto shipper.
• LOOK for the USDOT and MC numbers on the official website of the car shipping company you’re researching. They should have them displayed there as proof of their legal status.
• SEE if the car shipper will have the USDOT number and the MC number printed on the doors of the truck cab.
• CALL the car shipping company in question and ask for their USDOT number and their MC number.

When you’re not sure, always check the FMCSA website for confirmation. If you happen to have any doubts about an auto transporter or wish to receive more information the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, contact the major FMCSA office in Washington, DC:

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
Phone: 800-832-5660

or one of its service centers:

Location	Contact Information	Territory Included
Eastern Service Center	Fallon Federal Building 31 Hopkins Plaza, Suite 800 Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: (443) 703-2240 Fax: (443) 703-2253	CT DC DE MA MD ME NH NJ NY PA PR RI VA VT WV
Midwestern Service Center	4749 Lincoln Mall Drive Suite 300A Matteson, IL 60443 Phone: (708) 283-3577 Fax: (708) 283-3579	IA IL IN KS MI MN MO NE OH WI
Southern Service Center	1800 Century Boulevard Suite 1700 Atlanta , GA 30345 Phone: (404) 327-7400 Fax: (404) 327-7349	AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC OK SC TN
Western Service Center	Golden Hills Office Centre 12600 W. Colfax Ave. Suite B-300 Lakewood, CO 80215 Phone: (303) 407-2350 Fax: (303) 407-2339	AK American Samoa AZ CA CO Guam Hawaii ID Northern Mariana Islands MT ND NM NV OR SD TX UT WA WY

See also: How to prepare a car for shipping

The Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Another regulatory organization of auto shipping proves to be the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB has created and maintains a set of strict standards for business accreditation, including moving companies and auto shipping companies, in the United States and Canada.

To be accredited by the BBB, car transportation companies must follow 8 principles – also known as BBB Standards for Trust – set by the Bureau:

1. Build trust
2. Advertise honestly
3. Tell the truth
4. Be transparent
5. Honor promises
6. Be responsive
7. Safeguard privacy, and
8. Embody integrity.

When researching car movers, you should definitely check the different companies on the Better Business Bureau website. There, you will be able to check the companies’ overall BBB rating (from A+ (highest) to F (lowest)) and read customer reviews that will let you see if an auto shipper has any customer complaints – a sure sign whether a car shipping company can be trusted or not.

Also, the BBB website will let you access the company’s business details: address, years in business, type of entity, hours of operation, and of course – contact information. More importantly, you will be able to file a complaint against a car shipper in case of any unresolved issues.

In fact, filing a complaint is an action that should give you some type of leverage and negotiation power with your auto mover in case you feel you were wronged in any way by the company.

Click here to learn everything you need to know about the car shipping process, including detailed info on how to choose a trustworthy and reliable auto transport service.

Must-read: How to ship a car to another state