Featured Partners
Vehicle types: Cars, motorcycles
Availability: All 50 states, international shipping
?Vehicle types: Cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, RVs, trailers, golf carts, heavy equipment
Availability: All 50 states, international shipping
Vehicle Types: Cars, motorcycles
Availability: 49 states, international (excludes Alaska)
A-1 Auto Transport
A-1 Auto Transport has extensive experience in the auto transportation industry, having completed more than 2 million deliveries in the past 30 years. Real-time GPS tracking and competitive pricing rank this auto transporter among the best in the business.
Our rating: 4.5
Best for: Customer support
USDOT#: 1918913
A-1 Auto Transport at a glance
A-1 Auto Transport is one of our best vehicle shippers and ranks especially well for motorcycle shipping, international shipping and customer support.
Fast facts
- This BBB-accredited broker has a B+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).*
- A-1 Auto Transport has 30 years of industry experience.
- A-1 has completed more than 2 million deliveries.
- This provider has a vast network of 40 terminals and 30 vetted carriers.
What we like
A-1 Auto Transport arranges vehicle shipments to more than 190 countries. It partners with Three Movers to provide access to comprehensive international moving and packing services. With its Scratch–Free Guarantee, A-1 Auto will successfully transport your vehicle from point A to point B.
What we don’t like
A-1 Auto Transport’s cancellation policy is unclear and depends on the individual carrier’s terms and conditions. This lack of clarity may result in you losing your deposit or paying a cancellation fee.
* BBB ratings are accurate as of July 2024.
A-1 Auto Transport pros and cons
With A-1 Auto Transport’s real-time GPS tracking, you can monitor your shipment at any point during transportation. We also appreciate the company’s competitive pricing; the costs are consistent with (if not lower than) what we see with other auto carriers.
Although the company’s online system allows for instant quotes, we found A-1 Auto Transport’s website difficult to navigate. The sheer amount of information is overwhelming and makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for.
Pros
- Real-time GPS tracking available
- Competitive pricing
- Door-to-door and terminal-to-terminal shipping options available for greater convenience
Cons
- No binding quotes
- Doesn’t price match competitors
- Difficult website to navigate
How much does A-1 Auto Transport cost?
pro tip
- Estimated transit times are from when a driver picks up your vehicle until it gets delivered. On average, A-1 Auto Transport shares that it takes two to three weeks to ship a car because your car waits at the terminal before a driver picks it up.
As a shipping broker, A-1 Auto Transports arranges vehicle shipping services with a network of carriers. The carrier determines the per-mile rate based on fuel cost, demand, distance, route and other factors. We gathered five quotes for varying distances and found shipping costs to be between $421 and $1,669 for a standard-size vehicle.
A-1 Auto Transport lists sample pricing on its website, but we wanted to see just how accurate those prices were. We used the online quote system to get real estimates and found that many were nearly double the estimated cost listed online. Some customer reviews mention falsely advertised prices, which we can confirm to be the case. Still, the real quoted prices align with what we see from other auto transporters.
|
Estimated cost listed on website
|
Real quote
|
Distance
|
Estimated transit time
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas to Phoenix | $180 |
$421 |
300 miles |
3 to 5 days |
| Albuquerque to Phoenix | $251 |
$542 |
419 miles |
3 to 5 days |
| Phoenix to Sacramento | $453 |
$745 |
755 miles |
3 to 5 days |
| Austin to Phoenix | $603 |
$1021 |
1,005 miles |
4 to 6 days |
| Phoenix to Omaha | $781 |
$968 |
1,301 miles |
4 to 6 days |
| Minneapolis to Phoenix | $983 |
$1198 |
1,638 miles |
5 to 7 days |
| Washington, D.C. to Phoenix | $1,380 |
$1,852 |
2,300 miles |
6 to 8 days |
| Phoenix to New York | $1,448 |
$1,669 |
2,413 miles |
6 to 8 days |
*Real quotes are based on a standard-sized car in open transport from a quote gathered in June 2024.
Discounts
A-1 Auto Transport offers more discounts than most car transit brokers. At the time of writing, these discounts were available on its deals webpage. If you book vehicle transportation with A-1, the company will also offer you a discount of up to 20% off household moving services.
|
Advertised deal
|
|
|---|---|
| First vehicle shipping (with A-1) | Up to 25% |
| Military | Up to 25% |
| Multiple cars | Up to 25% |
| Online booking | Up to 25% |
| Senior | Up to 25% |
| Student | Up to 25% |
What services does A-1 Auto Transport offer?
A-1 Auto Transport provides comprehensive shipping services through its network of carriers. You can ship everything from luxury cars to heavy equipment, like pile drivers, forklifts and dump trucks.
Another unique service A-1 Auto Transport offers is transporting household goods internationally. If you’re making an international move, A-1 Auto Transport’s partner, Three Movers, will ship your furniture and possessions — a novel service in this industry.
A-1 Auto Transport services
|
Offered?
|
|
|---|---|
| Standard car | Yes |
| Antique/classic/luxury car | Yes |
| Boat | Yes |
| Motorcycle | Yes |
| Recreational vehicle (RV) | Yes |
| Truck | Yes |
| Van | Yes |
| Door to door | Yes |
| Terminal to terminal | Yes |
A-1 Auto Transport add-ons and optional features
In addition to factors like distance, gas prices and transit routes, your shipping prices are affected by add-ons and other features, such as whether your car is operable or needs expedited service.
If you have a luxury, classic or high-value car, enclosed shipping is ideal because it protects your vehicle from external elements during transit (up to 99% protection). However, this added protection raises your shipping cost.
|
Estimated cost
|
|
|---|---|
| Inoperable vehicle | Up to $100 more |
| Additional insurance coverage | Call your assigned carrier for options |
| Expedited shipping | Call for estimate |
| Enclosed shipping | $560 to $2,700 or more, depending on distance |
International shipping add-ons
A-1 Auto Transport partners with Three Movers to provide extra international moving services. For example, shipping your belongings from San Francisco to Montreal costs approximately $2,500 to $3,000.
|
Estimated cost
|
|
|---|---|
| International car shipping | $700 to $4,000+ |
| International moving (household goods/furniture) | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Overseas moving insurance | $100 to $1,000 |
| Storage services for a three-bedroom home (international move) | $300 per month |
What does A-1 Auto Transport not cover?
A-1 can handle any vehicle transportation needs. When it comes to auto shipping, A-1 Auto Transport can do everything from international shipping of luxury vehicles to transporting your basic sedan to the next state over.
If you have a luxury, classic or high-value car that could require repairs that would cost more than what standard insurance would pay, A-1 recommends additional insurance.
While added insurance increases your cost, it ensures your high-value vehicle is adequately protected if the worst happens. Always verify with the assigned carrier how much default insurance comes with your service and ask about buying more insurance if needed.
A-1 Auto Transport customer experience
A-1 Auto Transport offers standard customer service options, such as 24/7 phone service, an FAQ page and a blog. However, it doesn’t have a live chat option—something that competitor Easy Auto Ship offers potential customers.
When speaking with an agent over the phone, we found them knowledgeable and personable. However, they became short with us when we mentioned wanting to shop around and told us we wouldn’t find a better deal. While the experience wasn’t bad, we didn’t appreciate the pushy sales tactics.
A-1 Auto Transport has mostly positive reviews. We’ve selected a positive and negative review to give you a nuanced overview.
Customers should know that A-1 Auto Transport is a broker that connects them with multiple carriers bidding for their business. Many negative reviews discussed the volume of partner companies that contacted them about their shipping.
The fine print: What you need to know
A-1 Auto Transport has a nuanced cancellation policy that may result in losing your deposit if you don’t read the fine print. If you cancel the service after making a deposit, you have two options.
The first situation is when the carrier has not acknowledged your deposit in its books, so you are entitled to a complete refund. However, you may have to pay a cancellation fee dictated by the individual carrier’s terms and conditions.
The second situation is when you’ve made a deposit, and the company acknowledges it in its books. In this case, you may lose your deposit or pay a fee to recover it.
A-1 Auto Transport vs. competitors
Few competitors match A-1 Auto Transport’s extensive international shipping services because it books services to more than 190 countries. Some providers, like AmeriFreight, don’t even offer international shipping, while others only ship to a small handful of companies, so this is a standout feature for A-1.
A-1 Auto Transport falls short on some customer policies. For example, it doesn’t include rental car services like American Auto Shipping. This policy ensures you are reimbursed for a rental car if your vehicle is late by a certain amount of time.
Another drawback: A-1 doesn’t price-match, which competitors like AmeriFreight and Easy Auto Ship do. However, A-1 Auto Transport is a wise choice if you’re shipping several cars. Its multi-car discount saves you up to 35%.
A-1 Auto Transport competitor comparison
|
Our score (out of 5)
|
No. of states available
|
Shipment types available
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| A-1 Auto Transport | 4.5 |
50 |
Open, enclosed, freight |
| Easy Auto Ship | 5.0 |
50 |
Open, enclosed, freight |
| We Will Transport It | 4.8 |
50 |
Open, enclosed, freight |
| Amerifreight | 4.5 |
50 |
Open, enclosed |
| American Auto Shipping | 4.5 |
50 |
Open, enclosed |
| eShip | 4.5 |
50 |
Open, enclosed |
| SGT Auto Transport | 4.5 |
50 |
Open, enclosed |
Methodology
Our editorial staff at CNN Underscored evaluates vehicle shipping companies on weighted criteria, including pricing and discounts, customer support, reputation and experience, service options, insurance and coverage, availability and editorial judgment. Our unbiased rankings give you a clear look at where companies shine and fall short so you can judge which company is best for your needs and budget.
