A Step-by-Step Guide from Secure Quote to Final Delivery
The car shipping industry has a reputation for being confusing, opaque, and filled with unexpected surprises. Hidden fees appear at the last minute, communication goes through multiple middlemen, and customers often feel like they’re flying blind throughout the entire process.
Direct Auto Ship was built specifically to fix these problems. Our platform creates a transparent, step-by-step process where you, the shipper, maintain complete control from the initial quote to final delivery. No confusing broker arrangements, no hidden markups, and no surprises along the way.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the exact journey your car shipment takes on our platform, explaining each step and highlighting the security features that protect both you and your vehicle throughout the entire process.
Step 1: Get Your Instant, All-In Price
Your journey begins on our “Post a Job” page, where you’ll enter your pickup and delivery locations along with your vehicle details. Our advanced VIN lookup system ensures accuracy by automatically pulling your car’s exact specifications, including make, model, year, and vehicle type.
How Our Pricing Works: Our system instantly calculates a real, bookable price based on several key factors:
- Route distance and popularity
- Your specific vehicle type and size
- Current market conditions and carrier availability
- Seasonal demand patterns
Your Protection: Unlike other sites that give you a vague “estimate” only to raise the price later, our quote is the all-in price. No hidden fees, no bait-and-switch tactics, and no surprises. The price you see is exactly what you’ll pay, and it’s the same amount our carriers see when they bid on your job.
This transparent pricing eliminates the confusion and frustration that comes with traditional broker arrangements where the real cost is hidden until the last minute.
Step 2: Post Your Job & Create Your Secure Account
After receiving your instant quote, you’ll enter your email address to move forward with the booking process.
Automatic Account Creation: Our system instantly creates a secure account for you and saves all your shipment details with a “Pending Payment” status. You’ll receive a welcome email containing a temporary password and instructions for accessing your personal dashboard.
Your Benefit: This immediately saves your progress and creates your personal command center. Even if you get interrupted or need to step away, you can always log back in and pick up right where you left off. Your dashboard becomes your central hub for tracking every aspect of your shipment.
No more worrying about lost paperwork or forgotten details—everything is securely stored and easily accessible whenever you need it.
Step 3: Secure Your Shipment with Escrow Payment
Next, you’ll be directed to our secure payment page, powered by industry-leading Stripe technology for maximum security and reliability.
How Escrow Protection Works: When you make your payment, the money does not go directly to a carrier. Instead, it’s held in a secure, third-party escrow account managed by Stripe. This creates a protective barrier that benefits both parties in the transaction.
Your Complete Protection: This is one of our most important security features. By placing your funds in escrow, you are fully protected against carrier issues, while the carrier is assured that payment is guaranteed upon successful completion. This arrangement ensures your job becomes a priority for professional carriers who know they’ll be paid promptly.
The escrow system eliminates the payment risks associated with traditional arrangements where you might pay upfront and hope for the best, or where carriers demand cash on delivery.
Step 4: Connect Directly with a Verified Carrier
Once your payment is secured in escrow, your job becomes “Open” and visible to our network of professional carriers. Qualified carriers will review your job details and submit applications to transport your vehicle.
Our Carrier Verification Process: Every carrier on our platform is thoroughly vetted by our team. We verify:
- Current USDOT number and operating authority
- Valid commercial insurance coverage
- Safety ratings and compliance history
- Customer feedback and performance metrics
Your Control: You are always in control of the selection process. You’ll review carrier profiles, ratings, and qualifications before choosing the professional who best fits your needs and timeline.
Direct Communication: Once you accept a carrier, a private messaging channel opens directly between you and them through our platform. This eliminates the frustrating “telephone game” of traditional broker arrangements where messages get lost or distorted through multiple middlemen.
You communicate directly with the person handling your vehicle—no more confusing call centers or outdated information.
Step 5: The Digital Handover: Pickup & Bill of Lading (BOL)
On pickup day, your chosen carrier arrives with our platform loaded on their mobile device, ready to conduct a professional, digitally-documented handover.
Our Digital Bill of Lading Process:
- Detailed Vehicle Inspection: The carrier conducts a thorough examination of your vehicle’s condition
- Comprehensive Photo Documentation: They upload high-resolution photos from all angles—front, back, sides, interior, odometer reading, and any existing damage
- Digital Damage Mapping: Using our interactive diagram tool, they mark any pre-existing scratches, dents, or cosmetic issues
- Electronic Signature: You (or your authorized agent) sign directly on the screen to confirm the documented condition
Your Protection: This creates a secure, time-stamped digital record that completely protects you from disputes. The photos are GPS-tagged and stored permanently in our system, creating an indisputable record of your vehicle’s condition at pickup.
There is never a “he said, she said” situation about your vehicle’s condition because everything is documented with photographic evidence and digital signatures.
Step 6: The Final Check: Delivery & Secure Release Code
When your carrier arrives at the delivery destination, the final verification process begins.
Your Final Inspection: You’ll inspect your vehicle against the initial digital BOL photos and documentation. This side-by-side comparison ensures any changes in condition are immediately apparent and properly addressed.
The 6-Digit Release Code System: After the carrier marks your vehicle as “delivered” in our system, we automatically email you a unique, secret 6-digit Release Code. This code serves as your final key to the entire transaction.
Your Ultimate Control: You ONLY provide this code to the carrier after you have thoroughly inspected your vehicle and are 100% satisfied with the delivery. When the carrier enters this code into our system, it acts as your digital signature confirming successful delivery and authorizes us to release the escrow funds to them.
This system gives you the ultimate final say and complete peace of mind. The carrier cannot access their payment until you explicitly confirm satisfaction with the service through the Release Code.
Your Journey, Your Control
The Direct Auto Ship process transforms car shipping from a stressful, uncertain experience into a transparent, secure transaction where you maintain control at every step:
- Upfront, honest pricing with no hidden fees or surprises
- Secure escrow payment that protects your money until delivery
- Direct communication with verified, professional carriers
- Digital documentation that eliminates disputes and protects your interests
- Final payment control through our unique Release Code system
Every feature is designed to give you confidence, security, and control throughout your vehicle’s journey. No more wondering where your car is, who has it, or whether you’ll get charged extra fees at the last minute.
This is how car shipping should work in the digital age—transparent, secure, and completely focused on your peace of mind.
Ready for a car shipping experience where you are always in control? Start your free, transparent quote now and see the difference a direct platform makes.
