Carriers, Insurance & Safety — Car Shipping FAQs

How coverage actually works when someone else is moving your vehicle: who is liable, what is covered, what is not, and how to check that the company you are dealing with is real.

A note on numbers. You will find competitors publishing specific coverage limits. We do not publish an insurance figure, because ours is not yet documented to a standard we are willing to put in writing — and because a figure quoted without the policy behind it tells you nothing useful anyway. What we will do is ask for the certificate and hand it to you.

Who is liable — broker or carrier

Is Genius Auto Trans the company that moves my car? No. We are a licensed transport broker — USDOT 3674601, MC 1274912, Broker Property, ACTIVE with the FMCSA. We arrange your shipment with a licensed motor carrier from a vetted network of over 10,000. The carrier is an independent business operating under its own authority and its own insurance, and it is the party that physically takes your vehicle.

So who is responsible if my car is damaged? The carrier that had custody of the vehicle. Damage in transit falls under that carrier's cargo coverage, not the broker's. This is the single most important thing to understand about the industry, and it is why vetting the carrier matters more than any promise a broker makes. Full terms are on our Terms & Conditions.

What does the broker actually do for me, then? Selection and verification. We check that the carrier holds active operating authority and cargo coverage before your vehicle is assigned to it — not after. On a market with over 10,000 carriers of widely varying quality, that filtering is the service.

What insurance do I need for transporting cars? As a private individual shipping your own vehicle, none of your own is required. The carrier's cargo coverage is the primary protection. If you are moving vehicles commercially — a dealer, a hauler, a fleet — that is a different question and your own broker or insurer should answer it.

What coverage includes and excludes

What is car shipping insurance? It is the cargo coverage held by the motor carrier moving your vehicle, which protects against damage occurring while the vehicle is in that carrier's custody. It is not a policy you buy; it comes with the carrier.

What does transportation insurance cover? Broadly, damage caused by the carrier during loading, transit and unloading — collision, fire, theft of the vehicle, and damage from carrier negligence. Specific terms, limits and exclusions are set by the individual carrier's policy, which is why you should request the certificate rather than rely on a general description including this one.

What is not covered? Consistently across the industry:

• Personal items left in the vehicle. Carriers are not licensed to move household goods and cargo policies do not cover them. Take everything out.
• Pre-existing damage. Anything already on the vehicle at collection, which is exactly what the pickup inspection exists to record.
• Mechanical and electrical failure not caused by the transport itself — a battery that dies in transit, a pre-existing leak.
• Acts of God. Severe weather, flood, hail and similar events outside the carrier's control are commonly excluded.
• Normal exposure on open transport. Road dust, rain spotting and light dirt are expected on an open carrier, not damage. If that matters for your vehicle, enclosed transport is the answer.

Is there a deductible? That depends on the carrier's policy. Ask before booking, and ask us for the certificate if the answer matters to your decision.

Why does the coverage limit not simply apply to my car? Because it usually applies to the whole load. A cargo policy covers the trailer's contents, and a full open carrier may hold eight to ten vehicles. Competitors quoting a large headline figure rarely mention that it is shared. This is worth understanding before you compare two companies on their numbers.

Your own insurance

Does my personal car insurance cover the vehicle during shipping? Often not, and where it does it is usually secondary rather than primary. Many personal policies exclude the vehicle while it is in the custody of a commercial transporter. Call your insurer, describe the situation specifically, and ask whether the policy responds during commercial transport.

Should I buy extra coverage? For a standard vehicle, the carrier's cargo coverage is normally the whole answer. For a high-value, classic or exotic vehicle it is worth reviewing the carrier's certificate against the vehicle's actual value and speaking to your own insurer about the gap. See exotic and luxury car transport.

Can I transport a car without insurance? Your vehicle does not need to be currently insured or registered by you to be shipped — it is being carried, not driven. The carrier's cargo coverage applies during transit regardless. If the vehicle is unregistered or non-running, tell us at quote stage, because it changes the equipment required.

Cost

How much is transportation insurance? For you, as the customer, there is normally no separate insurance line — cargo coverage comes with the carrier and is built into what you are quoted. Where a company offers supplemental protection as an add-on, that is a separate purchase and should be presented as one.

Does better coverage cost more? Indirectly. Carriers with higher limits and cleaner safety records often price higher, and enclosed transport costs more than open partly because it reduces exposure. What moves your quote overall is covered on FAQ — Cost & Pricing.

Vetting and safety

How do you vet carriers? Before a carrier is assigned to your shipment Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and a certificate is available on request. We are a licensed and bonded broker, not the carrier. Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and we will provide that carrier's certificate on request.

How do I check a transport company myself? Ask for the USDOT and MC numbers and look them up in the FMCSA SAFER system. It is free and public. You will see whether the authority is active, what type it is — broker or carrier — and the company's safety record. Ours are USDOT 3674601 and MC 1274912. Any company reluctant to give you those numbers has told you something.

How do I tell a legitimate company from a lead broker? A real operator has verifiable authority, gives you a quote for your specific shipment rather than an instant lowball, and does not need your phone number before it will speak to you. If a quote arrives dramatically below every other quote, that is usually a bidding strategy, not a price.

Is my car safe on an open carrier? Yes, for the great majority of vehicles — it is how manufacturers deliver new stock to dealerships. The vehicle is exposed to weather and road spray, not to meaningful risk of damage. Where exposure is the concern rather than safety, that is the enclosed transport conversation.

What are the benefits of covered car transport? Protection from weather, road debris and visibility. It matters for classics, exotics, custom paint and low-clearance vehicles, and much less for a daily driver. We will tell you which category your vehicle falls into rather than selling you the more expensive trailer by default.

Protecting yourself on the day

What is the bill of lading and why does it matter? It is the condition record for your shipment, signed at collection and again at delivery, and it is the controlling document if you ever need to claim. Damage not noted on it at delivery is significantly harder to establish afterwards.

What should I do at pickup and delivery? Wash the vehicle before collection so the paint is actually visible. Be present at both ends. Photograph the vehicle from every angle with a date stamp — the carrier's record is not your only record. At delivery, inspect properly in good light before signing, and if there is new damage, write it on the paperwork. Do not sign clean and raise it later.

What if I cannot be there for delivery? Nominate someone and brief them properly. They are signing the document that determines whether a claim is possible, so they need to know to inspect carefully and to write down anything they find.

How do I file a claim? Note the damage on the bill of lading at delivery, photograph it, and contact us. Claims are made against the carrier's cargo policy. The claims window and process are set out in our Terms & Conditions.

About the company

The trust questions above are easier to answer if you can see who you are dealing with. About Us sets out what we do and how. How It Works walks the process end to end. Reviews is what customers said afterwards.

Coverage by state

Carrier density varies by market, and that affects both how fast a lane covers and which carriers are available to vet. Our most active states:

California Car Shipping · Texas Auto Transport · Florida Car Shipping · New York Car Shipping · Georgia Auto Transport · North Carolina Auto Transport

Related answers

FAQ — Cost & Pricing · FAQ — Booking & Process · FAQ — Timing & Transit · FAQ — Vehicle Preparation · FAQ — Vehicle Types & Conditions · FAQ — Routes & Locations · FAQ — Specialty Transport

All Car Shipping FAQs

Services: Open Auto Transport · Enclosed Auto Transport · Exotic & Luxury Car Transport · Services Hub

Still unsure? Call (800) 780-1113.