I want to be direct with you before we get into specifics.
There are brokers in this industry who will take your money, post your vehicle on a load board, and do nothing else until you either cancel — at which point they collect a cancellation fee — or a desperate carrier eventually shows up. There are brokers who present forged insurance documents. There are brokers operating under a process so thin that when something goes wrong with your vehicle, there is nothing on record to protect you, your claim, or your ability to recover anything.
I am not saying this industry is a scam. I am saying these things happen in it, I have watched them happen, and I am going to tell you exactly what they look like and how to protect yourself.
The most important thing I am going to tell you is not about fraud. It is about documentation. Because in auto transport — especially after the Supreme Court's ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II this year — the difference between a broker who can protect you and one who cannot is not what they did. It is what they can prove they did. For the full story on the Montgomery ruling — read: Why Auto Transport Costs More in 2026
The Documentation Problem — Why This Matters More Than Anything Else
Here is the thing nobody in this industry is saying directly.
After the Supreme Court's ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, the only true way to protect yourself as a broker — and to protect your customer — is to have a process that is documented and accessible when something goes wrong.
When I get a call that something happened with a load, here is what I have at my fingertips: the carrier contact I spoke with, the number I used, and when — all on record. A photo of the driver's license. A photo of the truck. The certificate of insurance I verified. The rate confirmation. The carrier agreement. The Bill of Lading signed at pickup.
If there is a damage claim, I can get all of that to an insurer immediately. The Bill of Lading establishes that transport occurred and documents the vehicle's condition at pickup. The certificate of insurance identifies the carrier's policy. The rate confirmation establishes the terms. The carrier agreement establishes liability. Together they are the paper trail that makes a claim processable.
Without those documents — without a Bill of Lading especially — an insurer cannot confirm that transport even happened. The claim goes nowhere. The customer is left dealing with the carrier directly. Best case, the driver is responsible and takes care of it. Most of the time it goes nowhere.
The most important thing I will tell you about choosing a broker: The difference between a broker who can protect you and one who cannot is not what they did. It is what they can prove they did.
A broker who checked everything but has nothing on record is in essentially the same legal position as a broker who checked nothing. If a carrier they dispatched causes an accident and someone asks them to demonstrate they exercised reasonable care in selecting that carrier — they need to show the record. The safety history they reviewed. The license they verified. The insurance they confirmed directly.
I document what I checked, when I checked it, and what I found. That documentation is not just for me. It is for you. It is what protects your claim if something goes wrong.
A broker with no process and no documentation has no defense when something goes wrong. More importantly — neither do you.
What This Means When You Are Choosing a Broker
Ask these questions before you book with anyone.
Do you show the broker fee and the carrier fee as separate line items? If not, ask what their broker fee is specifically. A broker who cannot answer that is hiding their margin.
What do you check before dispatching a carrier? Listen for specifics — authority, insurance verification method, safety history, driver license. Vague answers mean a vague process.
What documentation do you have on file when the carrier picks up my vehicle? The answer should include at minimum: confirmed authority, verified insurance, driver license, equipment information, and a signed Bill of Lading at pickup.
What happens if something goes wrong? A broker with a process will walk you through it. A broker without one will tell you they will figure it out.
What if you cannot find me a carrier? You already know what the right answer sounds like.
That is The Shipping Remedy.
