Nationwide Auto Transportation 2024 Review

Move.org gathered hundreds of quotes and posed as customers to evaluate Nationwide Auto Transportation's car shipping services.
Nationwide
Nationwide Auto Transportation
Our Rating
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1
Kurt Manwaring
Feb 15, 2023
Icon Time To Read5 min read

Bottom line: Nationwide Auto Transportation is one of a seeming million car shipping companies with “nation” in its name, but its services won’t cost you even close to a million bucks. Nationwide Auto Transportation’s greatest strength is its low prices.  

Nationwide Auto Transportation has low prices and positive customer reviews. From almost every angle, the company outperforms the average car shipping company. The one exception is insurance coverage: Nationwide Auto Transportation is a bit short on details and doesn’t offer any extra coverage.

pro
Pros
pro Low prices
pro Positive customer reviews
pro Instant online quotes
con
Cons
con Sketchy insurance info
con No background checks on carriers

Table of contents


Nationwide compared to car shipping industry

Compare Nationwide Auto Transportation to its competitors on our list of the best car shipping companies.


How much does Nationwide Auto Transportation cost?

Nationwide Auto Transportation costs about $690 per trip on an open carrier. The average cost per 100 miles with Nationwide Auto Transportation is $130—although prices may vary depending on distance, vehicle type, seasonality, and route.

Nationwide Auto Transportation car shipping pricing

Transport type
2008 Dodge Charger
2011 Toyota Highlander
2012 Chevrolet Silverado

Open

$640

$670

$770

Enclosed

$960

$1,000

$1,040

Data as of 5/29/2020. Average costs calculated across five distances. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.

We asked Nationwide Auto Transportation to give us open and enclosed transport quotes for five routes and three vehicles. The average open transport cost across all cars and distances is $690.

To go 1,000 miles, it would cost approximately $970 to ship a car on an open transport carrier—or about $100 per 100 miles.

How Nationwide Auto Transportation pricing compares

Shipping a car with Nationwide Auto Transportation is like using a permanent 5% off coupon. The company consistently has below-average prices.

It shines between 500 and 1,000 miles

Nationwide Auto Transportation’s best pricing is for distances of 550–1,050 miles. For open transport, the company beats the competition by about 10% at a distance of 500 miles and 15% for trips over 1,025 miles. On those longer trips, you can save up to $100 if you ship with Nationwide.

Nationwide Auto Transportation open transport prices

Distance
Nationwide Auto Transportation
Industry average

550 miles

$520

$570

1,050 miles

$630

$730

Data as of 5/9/2020. Average cost calculated by comparing costs for three car sizes across five distances. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.

It has even lower prices for enclosed shipping

Almost all vehicles ship on open carriers, but Nationwide Auto Transportation is an affordable choice if you need enclosed shipping. For a 1,050-mile trip, Nationwide Auto Transportation offers a great deal.

Do you want to save on car transport?
See how much Nationwide Auto Transportation can save you.

Nationwide Auto Transportation enclosed transport prices

Distance
Nationwide Auto Transportation
Industry average

1,050 miles

$940

$1,190

Data as of 5/9/2020. Average cost calculated by comparing costs for three car sizes across five distances. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.

It has some of the best prices for midsize SUVs

Nationwide Auto Transportation has some of the best prices for midsize SUVs. We asked the company to give us 30 quotes to ship a car, a truck, and an SUV to different places around the country—and the SUV prices were surprisingly affordable.

Nationwide Auto Transportation gets the job done for only $670.

Money
Nationwide Auto Transportation discounts

Nationwide Auto Transportation has a 20% discount for new car shippers and a $50 per-trip discount for snowbirds.

Nationwide Auto Transportation cost factors

Things like candy bars and cell phones cost about the same from one day to the next. Car shipping is not like that.

Car shipping prices can change quite a bit depending on several things:

  • Distance
  • Number of vehicles
  • Region
  • Route
  • Season
  • Transport type
  • Vehicle condition
  • Vehicle type

Nationwide Auto Transportation recommends you reach out at least two weeks before you need to ship your car to get the best possible price.

Price Tag
Get a discount

Move.org compiled the best auto transport deals and discounts of the year. Check out our discount guide to see if you can save more money.

Nationwide Auto Transportation coverage options

Nationwide Auto Transportation uses only carriers that have insurance. However, the company doesn’t offer extra insurance, publish its terms and conditions, or provide specific information about its carriers’ basic coverage.

Auto transport companies aren’t usually very open when it comes to insurance information, but Nationwide Auto Transportation is even less informative than most. You can always review the terms and conditions of your contract when it’s time to sign on the dotted line, but you won’t be able to do much homework ahead of time with Nationwide Auto Transportation.

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Things to know about Nationwide Auto Transportation

Nationwide Auto Transportation has low prices

Nationwide Auto Transportation is less expensive than the average car transport company. Its average cost for open transport can be more than $10 less than the competition.

This can add up to a savings of $100 over 1,000 miles.

It has positive customer reviews

In the auto transport industry, it’s impressive if you have low prices and high customer reviews. Nationwide Auto Transportation scores well in both categories.

A few things come up repeatedly in positive customer reviews of Nationwide Auto Transportation:

  • Customer service
  • Driver professionalism
  • Low prices
  • Timeliness
Pin
Nationwide Auto Transportation BBB

Customers give Nationwide Auto Transportation an average score of 3.8/5 on the Better Business Bureau website and often praise its customer service.

It could say more about insurance

Nationwide Auto Transportation does have one drawback: it’s not very forthcoming about insurance.

All auto transport brokers must use insured carriers, and Nationwide Auto Transportation does the minimum here—but not much more. It doesn’t detail carrier insurance info, provide access to its terms and conditions, or offer any extra insurance options.

More importantly, we had a concerning experience when we called the company posing as customers. When we asked about insurance, the rep gave us a blanket statement suggesting that all damage was covered.

That’s just not the case. Coverage varies from carrier to carrier, meaning what’s covered and how much it’s covered for can change.

One reason we rank this company a bit lower than the average customer is because we reward transparency about insurance coverage. Nationwide Auto Transportation falls short here.

Megaphone
Is insurance important to you?

Some auto transport companies go above and beyond by sharing lots of info about damage protection. Learn more in our reviews of Easy Auto Ship, Sherpa Auto Transport, and AmeriFreight.


Nationwide Auto Transportation features and services

Nationwide Auto Transportation ships vehicles of all weights and sizes:

  • Boats
  • Dealer vehicles
  • Heavy-duty trucks
  • Military vehicles
  • Motorsport equipment
  • Same-day shipping
  • Subcompact vehicles

Nationwide Auto Transportation at a glance

Company info
Details

MC #

744178

US DOT #

2248682

Broker or carrier?

Broker

Carries basic insurance

Icon Yes  DarkYes

Average customer service rating?

3.4/5

Years in business

16

Data as of 2/15/2023.


Our recommendation

Nationwide Auto Transportation is worth considering if low prices are important to you. It has lower prices than the average car shipping company—especially if you’re shipping a midsize SUV or transporting a car 500–1,000 miles.

The company’s main drawback is that it doesn’t offer extra insurance coverage, and it isn’t very transparent about its basic coverage. If you want to know details about your insurance up front, you may want to consider another company on our Best Car Shipping Companies list.

Ready to get your quote?
Take advantage of Nationwide Auto Transportation's low prices.

Other car shipping picks

Is Nationwide Auto Transportation not quite what you’re looking for? Check out our reviews of these top auto transport companies:


FAQ about Nationwide Auto Transportation

Does Nationwide Auto Transportation ship to Hawaii?

No. Nationwide Auto Transportation provides service in the continental United States but doesn’t offer car shipping to Hawaii or Alaska.

Does Nationwide Auto Transportation ship cars on the East Coast?

Yes. Nationwide Auto Transportation ships cars on the East Coast. The company offers shipping on an open carrier or enclosed carrier and can sometimes provide same-day delivery.

Does Nationwide Auto Transportation get good auto transport reviews?

Yes. Nationwide Auto Transportation generally gets excellent customer reviews as a transport company. Many reviews reference the company’s customer service, low prices, and driver professionalism.

Is Nationwide Auto Transportation an auto transport broker?

Yes, Nationwide Auto Transportation is an auto transport broker—meaning it connects you with auto transport carriers who do the actual vehicle shipping. Learn more about the difference between brokers and carriers.


Methodology


Kurt Manwaring
Written by
Kurt Manwaring
Kurt Manwaring brings nearly a decade’s worth of research experience as a business consultant to the Move.org team. He specializes in taking complicated issues (like moving) and presenting them in a way that everyone can understand. His writing has been featured in hundreds of publications, including USA Today, Martha Stewart Living, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Heavy, Slate, and Yahoo! Lifestyle. He brings a BS in sociology and an MPA (masters of public administration) to the Move team. He would love to hear about your moving experiences and questions at kurt@move.org.