Is Ship a Car Direct a public or private company?

Ship a Car Direct is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Ship a Car Direct founded?

Ship a Car Direct was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Ship a Car Direct based?

Ship a Car Direct is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.

How does Ship a Car Direct make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Transportation Brokerage / Service Fee is the primary driver. The others are carrier Transportation Cost (passed through).

Who are Ship a Car Direct's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are uShip, Montway Auto Transport, SGT Auto Transport, AmeriFreight, RoadRunner Auto Transport, Easy Auto Ship and Sherpa Auto Transport. Broad incumbents are Carvana and Copart. Transport Reviews is listed as a regional player.

Does Ship a Car Direct have an API?

No public API is recorded for Ship a Car Direct.

What industry is Ship a Car Direct in?

Ship a Car Direct's product category is Auto Transport Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLADAMAM, Automotive / Vehicle Transport Brokerage, with a secondary code of HSAKAFAL, Vehicle Pickup/Delivery & Concierge (Key Handling, Inspections, Condition Reports). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.

Ship a Car Direct company profile: firmographics, business model, customers, competitors

Namestring

Ship a Car Direct

Legal namestring

Ship a Car Direct Inc.

Websiteurl

shipacardirect.com

Company typeenum

Private

Founded yearint

2008

Descriptiontext

Ship a Car Direct is a privately held, asset-light auto transport brokerage founded in 2008 (originally as Honesty First Auto Transport, rebranded in 2011) and headquartered in Los Angeles with a legal domicile in Colorado. The company operates as a licensed and bonded transportation broker (MC#632461), connecting consumer customers with a screened network of approximately 2,500 to 7,500 third-party carriers to arrange door-to-door vehicle transport across all 50 U.S. states, including specialized routing for Hawaii via maritime partners. Core products include Open Car Transport (the standard, lower-cost option), Enclosed Car Transport (for vehicles typically valued above $70k), Classic Car Transport, Express Auto Transport, and use-case-specific offerings for military PCS moves, snowbird seasonal relocations, college-bound students, and corporate relocations. Its technology stack consists of an online instant-quote calculator, a proprietary Damage Protection mobile app (iOS/Android) for vehicle-condition documentation, and a proprietary carrier-screening database.

The company monetizes through a brokerage service fee/commission charged only after a carrier is assigned and confirmed, plus ancillary fees ($100 cancellation fee post-assignment, $150 non-operational-vehicle fee, $100 dry-run fee). No upfront deposit is required and no terminal-to-terminal service is offered, differentiating it on convenience. Its principal competitive claims are the "industry's only" Damage Free Guarantee - reimbursing customers up to $500 when a carrier's insurance fails to pay a valid claim - and a stated >80% carrier rejection rate that purports to leave only elite carriers in its network. Ship a Car Direct has aggregated roughly 50,000+ five-star reviews across reviews.io (4.9), TransportReviews.com (4.8), and ConsumerAffairs.com, and holds a Better Business Bureau A+ accreditation.

Ship a Car Direct sells exclusively direct-to-consumer through its website (shipacardirect.com), a phone inside-sales channel (866-221-1664), and a broad set of organic and referral sources including Google Search, Yelp, BBB, Forbes, Reddit, Bing/Yahoo/MSN, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and 8+ niche lead aggregators such as moveBuddha.com, TransportReviews.com, TransportRankings.com, Towing.com, and Reviews.org. The stated customer segments span individual relocating consumers, snowbirds, military families, college families, luxury and classic-car owners, and corporate relocation accounts. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, consistent with a lean brokerage without owned trucks, drivers, or terminal infrastructure; no parent company, institutional investor, funding rounds, or M&A activity is disclosed in the input data.

Short descriptiontext

Ship a Car Direct is a U.S. auto transport brokerage that arranges door-to-door vehicle shipping through a screened network of 2,500-7,500+ third-party carriers for individual consumers, snowbirds, military, students, and luxury-car owners.

Operating statusenum

Operating

Ownership categoryenum

Headcount rangeband

1–10

akta.pro rankint

HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States

HQ citystring

Los Angeles

HQ countrystring

United States

HQ regionstring

North America

Markets served

Serves global market

Offices2 records

Each record includes

City, Country, Type, Description, Source

Keyword5 values

auto transport brokerage, car shipping services, vehicle shipping broker, door-to-door transport, interstate car shipping

Industry3 codes

1Automotive / Vehicle Transport Brokerage

CodeTLADAMAMPrimaryYes

2Vehicle Pickup/Delivery & Concierge (Key Handling, Inspections, Condition Reports)

CodeHSAKAFALPrimaryNo

3Classic, Exotic & High-Value Vehicle Transport

CodeHSAKAFAGPrimaryNo

NAICS code1 code

Freight Transportation Arrangement488510

SIC code1 code

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo4731

Product category

Auto Transport Brokerage

Social media profiles2 records

GTM motion2 records

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model2 records

1Transportation Brokerage / Service Fee

TypeTransaction Fee

Description

Ship a Car Direct acts as a licensed and bonded transportation brokerage (MC#632461). The company charges a service fee/deposit that constitutes its revenue. The fee is charged only after a carrier is assigned and confirmed to pick up, transport, and deliver the vehicle(s). No upfront deposit is required to initiate the service. If a customer cancels after a carrier is assigned, a cancellation fee of $100 is charged. The company does not charge terminal-to-terminal fees and does not add markup on the carrier's transportation cost — it earns revenue through its service fee/brokerage commission.

shipacardirect.com

2Carrier Transportation Cost (passed through)

TypeTransaction Fee

Description

The carrier's balance-due amount for transportation is collected upon delivery (Cash or Cashier's Check). Ship a Car Direct facilitates this transaction but the primary transportation revenue flows to the contracted carrier.

shipacardirect.com

Marketing channels8 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels3 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values

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

Pricing details5 tiers

1Open car transport (most common, most affordable)

ModelUnit PricingBilling cadencePay-as-you-go

Notes

For distances under 500 miles: as low as ~$300. For cross-country (2,500+ miles): up to ~$1,800. Coast-to-coast average cited by Forbes: ~$1,650. Ship a Car Direct states its pricing is competitive but not necessarily the lowest. Typical ranges: 500 miles $500–$1,000; 1,000 miles $700–$1,400; Cross-country $1,000–$2,000+. Specific route examples: West Virginia to Florida $825–$975; New York City to Los Angeles $950–$1,250; Seattle to Miami $1,200–$1,500; Phoenix to Los Angeles $300–$500; Denver to Los Angeles $500–$750; Miami to Boston $700–$900; Philadelphia to Los Angeles $950–$1,150.

shipacardirect.com

2Enclosed car transport (premium protection)

ModelUnit PricingBilling cadencePay-as-you-go

Notes

Recommended for vehicles valued at ~$70k or above; strongly recommended for vehicles above $100k. Costs more than open transport but provides protection from elements, road debris, and weather. Typically holds only 6–7 vehicles per trailer vs up to 10–12 for open carriers.

shipacardirect.com

3Long distance car movers pricing by distance

ModelUnit PricingBilling cadencePay-as-you-go

Notes

500 miles: $500–$1,000; 1,000 miles: $700–$1,400; Cross-country: $1,000–$2,000+. Cost per mile decreases with distance: ~$1.10–$1.70 per mile for 500 miles; ~$0.90–$1.30 per mile for 1,500 miles; ~$0.60–$0.70 per mile for 2,500 miles.

shipacardirect.com

4Vehicle size-based pricing (Denver page)

ModelUnit PricingBilling cadencePay-as-you-go

Notes

Sedans: $600–$1,700 avg ~$1,150; Compact SUVs: $750–$1,950 avg ~$1,350; Standard SUVs: $900–$2,200 avg ~$1,550; Trucks: $1,050–$2,450 avg ~$1,750. Each size tier adds $150–$250 to shipping cost. Enclosed transport typically 20–50% more than open.

shipacardirect.com

5Service fee / Deposit (brokerage commission)

ModelOtherBilling cadencePay-as-you-go

Notes

Ship a Car Direct's service fee/deposit is charged only after a carrier is assigned and confirmed. No upfront deposit required. Cancellation fee: $100 after carrier assignment. No cancellation fee if canceled before assignment or if company cannot fulfill within 7 days of first available pickup date. Non-operational vehicle fee: $150. Dry run fee: $100.

shipacardirect.com

GTM typeB2C

B2C

Offering typeServices

Services

Core offering1 text field

Ship a Car Direct is a licensed and bonded U.S. auto transport brokerage (MC#632461) that matches consumers with a network of vetted third-party carriers for door-to-door vehicle shipping. The company earns a service fee charged only after a carrier is assigned and backs shipments with a Damage Free Guarantee of up to $500 if carrier insurance fails to pay a damage claim. It serves individual and use-case-specific customers (relocations, snowbirds, military PCS, college, luxury/classic) with open and enclosed transport options, and provides a free Damage Protection App for documenting vehicle condition.

Differentiator

Functional benefit

Problem solved

Quantifiable outcome1 of 4 values shown

Screened out over 80% of car shipping carriers that did not meet elite standards, ensuring only the best carriers handle shipments.

+3 more records

Product overview1 text field

Ship a Car Direct operates as an auto transport brokerage platform that connects customers with a network of vetted car shipping carriers. The core offering consists of vehicle transport services including Open Car Transport and Enclosed Car Transport as the primary shipping methods, supplemented by premium services like Door-to-Door Auto Transport, Classic Car Transport, and Express Auto Transport. The company differentiates itself through its Damage Free Guarantee Program, which provides reimbursement for damage claims when carrier insurance fails to pay. Additional value-added services include a Damage Protection App (mobile application for iPhone and Android) for documenting vehicle condition, and a Quote Calculator for instant pricing estimates. The company provides state-specific shipping services across all 50 U.S. states, including specialized routes for Florida, Texas, California, Hawaii, New York, and Arizona. The business model emphasizes carrier screening, door-to-door service, no upfront deposit requirements, and white-glove customer care. The company was founded in 2008 (originally as Honesty First Auto Transport) and is licensed and bonded (MC#632461) with an A+ BBB rating.

Product and service11 records

1Open Car Transport