Ship.Cars

What Ship.Cars does

Ship.Cars, operating as Ship.Cars USA, LLC and founded in 2017, provides a vertical Software-as-a-Service platform purpose-built for the U.S. automotive logistics industry. The company serves two primary customer segments: carriers (fleet owners, owner-operators, towing companies, and dispatchers) on the supply side of vehicle transport, and shippers (auto auctions, brokers, and dealers) on the demand side. Its core product for carriers is SmartHaul TMS, a transportation management system that combines load discovery via the Market Load Board, dispatch operations, a driver mobile app with electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) and AI-powered damage inspection, route optimization through Trip Builder, and accounting and reporting. For shippers, the company offers LoadMate and LoadMate Pro, providing pricing automation, load management, electronic bill of lading (eBOL), and real-time tracking. The company claims a network of approximately 46,000 carriers that have delivered 4.1 million vehicles through the platform, with self-reported 100% year-over-year load growth.

The platform's underlying technology stack centers on workflow automation with a recent layer of applied AI. LoadMate, launched in September 2025, uses large language model capabilities to parse inbound shipping orders from email or text and extract structured shipment details (origin, destination, VIN, dispatch instructions) before posting to the load board; the company states it is among the first in vehicle logistics to integrate AI-driven intake directly into a TMS and load board. AI-powered damage inspection applies computer vision to vehicle photos captured in the driver app, and a strategic partnership with Axe (announced for April 2026) introduces AI voice agents that automate routine phone-based coordination with carriers and shippers. A public developer API at shipcars.readme.io supports third-party integration. The platform is distributed via direct web signup, mobile apps on iOS and Android, and a reseller relationship with Auction Direct Transport (ADT) that provides discounted SmartHaul TMS access to ADT's nationwide carrier network.

The business model is subscription-based with a freemium entry tier. Ship.Cars offers a Free Plan with limited transactions and Authorized Users alongside multiple Paid Plans with tiered pricing and feature/usage limits, plus subscription add-ons. Pricing is denominated in U.S. dollars and billed monthly, with prices subject to promotional discounts. Go-to-market combines product-led growth for SMB and individual carriers (self-serve signup, mobile app downloads) with sales-led enterprise and channel motions for larger fleet operators and shipper accounts. The company is privately held, structured as an Illinois-governed LLC with a registered office in Schaumburg and an additional Wilmington, Delaware address, and operates exclusively in the U.S. domestic market. No funding rounds, institutional investors, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed in the available materials.

Name

Ship.Cars

Legal name

Ship.Cars USA, LLC

Website

https://ship.cars

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ship.Cars is a U.S. vertical SaaS provider offering SmartHaul TMS and LoadMate platforms that serve car-hauling carriers and vehicle shippers (auctions, brokers, dealers) with load boards, dispatch, eBOL/ePOD, route optimization, and applied AI for intake and damage inspection.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Logistics Software

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Spot Load Boards (Open Marketplace) (TLAEAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automotive & Finished Vehicle (Car Hauler) TL Carriers (TLADADAJ), Vehicle Transportation & Logistics for Remarketing (Pickup/Delivery, Marshaling) (TLABAKAG)

Keywords

• Transportation management software
• Automotive logistics platform
• Vehicle shipping software
• Carrier dispatch software
• Freight load board

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaumburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Fees (Free and Paid Plans): Platform offers a Free Plan with basic functionality and limited transactions/Authorized Users. Paid Plans offer different pricing and feature options with varying usage limits including limitations to number of Authorized Users. Separate add-ons may be included in Paid Plans.
2. Subscription Add-ons: Additional paid features and capabilities available as add-ons to the base subscription plans

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ship.Cars provides a SaaS transportation management platform for the automotive logistics industry. The company sells SmartHaul TMS for car-hauling carriers and LoadMate/LoadMate Pro for shippers (auto auctions, brokers, dealers), supported by the SmartHaul mobile driver app, a Market Load Board, electronic Bill of Lading (eBOL), and AI-powered load intake and voice automation features. The platform is sold on subscription plans (including a free tier) and is focused on the U.S. domestic auto-transport market.

Product overview

Ship.Cars provides an end-to-end transportation management platform for automotive logistics serving both carriers and shippers. The platform operates on a modular architecture centered on SmartHaul TMS for carriers and LoadMate/LoadMate Pro for shippers. These core products integrate with companion tools including the SmartHaul App (mobile driver application with ePOD and damage inspection), Market Load Board (load discovery and booking), and Calcatron. The ecosystem is unified by shared workflow automation capabilities, AI-powered intake via LoadMate, real-time tracking, digital documentation (eBOL), and intelligent routing tools like Trip Builder. The platform supports carriers and shippers with pricing, dispatch, accounting, and reporting capabilities across a network of approximately 46,000 carriers who have facilitated delivery of 4.1 million vehicles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LoadMate: AI-powered intake tool that automates load creation by parsing shipping orders via email or text using large language model capabilities.
• LoadMate Pro
• Market Load Board
• SmartHaul TMS
• SmartHaul App
• Calcatron

Products and services

• SmartHaul TMS Transportation management system for car-hauling carriers that provides tools to find and secure loads, optimize routes, manage dispatch operations, receive real-time load alerts, digitize paperwork, and run accounting and reporting. Used by fleet owners, owner operators, towing companies, and dispatchers.
• LoadMate

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% year-over-year load growth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AxecoreTechnology or Integration · 10 April 2026Strategic partnership to integrate AI-powered voice automation into Ship.Cars transportation management platform. AI voice agents automate routine phone-based workflows including collecting shipment updates, coordinating deliveries, and confirming transportation details to improve operational efficiency for logistics teams.
• Auction Direct Transport (ADT)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 July 2025Partnership to provide ADT's nationwide carrier network access to Ship.Cars SmartHaul TMS platform at discounted rates. Platform enables carriers to streamline dispatch operations, receive real-time load alerts, digitize paperwork, and manage entire workflow from booking loads to invoicing using AI and automation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Super Dispatch: Super Dispatch is a direct competitor offering a carrier-side TMS and load board platform purpose-built for auto transport carriers, overlapping closely with Ship.Cars' SmartHaul TMS and Market Load Board.
• uShip: uShip is an online freight and vehicle shipping marketplace connecting shippers with carriers, with a meaningful share of car transport loads and a comparable digital load-board and carrier matching model.
• Loadsmart: Loadsmart is a digital freight brokerage and TMS provider offering load matching and transportation management software, comparable in product architecture to Ship.Cars' SmartHaul TMS and LoadMate platform.
• Central Dispatch: Central Dispatch (owned by Cox Automotive) operates the largest auto transport load board and shipping platform in the US, directly competing with Ship.Cars' marketplace for shipper-carrier matching.

Emerging players

• ShipperHQ: ShipperHQ provides shipping rate management and TMS-like tooling for shippers and 3PLs; while focused on parcel/LTL rather than auto haulage, its technology stack and shipper-side workflow product overlap conceptually with LoadMate.

Broad incumbents

• Descartes Systems Group: Descartes is a broad logistics technology incumbent providing TMS, routing, and compliance software across multiple transport modes, with overlapping capabilities in shipment management and electronic documentation.
• Trimble Transportation: Trimble provides enterprise TMS and freight management software across multiple transportation segments, with comparable load planning, dispatch, and carrier management functionality to Ship.Cars' platform.
• Samsara: Samsara offers a connected fleet operations platform with telematics, dispatch, and workflow software that overlaps with Ship.Cars' carrier-side TMS, driver app, and electronic proof-of-delivery capabilities.
• Motive (formerly KeepTruckin): Motive provides fleet management, telematics, and dispatch software to commercial trucking fleets, addressing adjacent fleet operations needs similar to SmartHaul's carrier-side tools but with a broader trucking focus.
• DAT Freight & Analytics: DAT operates the dominant US truckload load board and analytics platform, serving as a broad incumbent whose spot load board and freight network overlap with Ship.Cars' Market Load Board, though not focused on finished vehicles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shipdotcars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shipcars
• Xx.com/ship_cars

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ship.Cars