uShip Auto Transport Review 2020
Bottom line: uShip is an online marketplace that gives customers flexibility to choose their car shipper, but it costs about 40% more than average.
Online marketplace for comparing car shipping services and prices
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Would you pay more to have your favorite food delivered straight to your door? Companies like DoorDash and Grubhub bank on your willingness to pay a premium for convenience.
uShip follows a similar approach to car shipping. It’s convenient, but its rates are 40% higher than the industry average.
It’s also different from any other car shipping company. In fact, uShip isn’t a car shipping company at all: it’s an online marketplace that connects customers with auto transport companies that bid on jobs.
Think of it as the eBay of car shipping. You say what kind of car you have and where you’re going, and car shipping companies bid on your job. You’re also given the average customer satisfaction rating for each company, so it’s less likely you end up with a lemon.
We’ll walk you through the company’s pros and cons in our uShip review.
How uShip compares to the car shipping industry
| uShip | Industry averages |
| $$$$$ | $$$ |
| 17 | 16 |
| 50,000 | 20,400 |
How uShip is different
uShip is like the eBay of car shipping. Rather than selling car shipping services, uShip serves as a marketplace that connects customers with auto transport companies that bid on their jobs as independent contractors.
The company also provides other shipping services:
- Vehicles and boats
- Household items (furniture, appliances)
- Heavy equipment (farm, construction)
More than 40,000 companies have shipped items for six million uShip customers.
As a result, uShip doesn’t fit neatly into a car shipping box: it’s not a freight broker or a carrier. We don’t feel comfortable giving it a typical rating because of how different it is from other auto transport companies:
- Pricing. uShip itself doesn’t offer car shipping quotes. Instead, it lets car shipping companies on its platform bid on your job—so you’ll get a list of bids from a bunch of transporters instead of a single quote.
- Employees. uShip doesn’t vet the companies on its marketplace. While that would typically be a red mark for a car shipping company, it’s tough to hold uShip to the same standard because its service providers aren’t employees.
- Reviews. uShip shows you the reviews for each company on its website and allows you to choose your shipper. Most auto transport brokers make that choice for you. The downside is you can’t see an overall customer service rating for uShip car shipping services.
AVOID THE USHIP APP
AVOID THE USHIP APP
If you’re a new uShip customer, consider using the company’s website instead of the mobile app. The uShip app gets poor reviews from users and requires you to create an account to do any shopping.
How much does uShip cost?
uShip auto transport is expensive: its average price of $1,300 is about 40% higher than the average car shipping company. The average cost per 100 miles to ship a car with uShip is $182—although prices vary depending on car size, distance, and seasonality.
uShip car shipping pricing
| 2008 Dodge Charger | 2011 Toyota Highlander | 2012 Chevrolet Silverado |
| $1,020 | $1,140 | $1,300 |
| $1,430 | $1,540 | $1,370 |
Data as of 6/9/2020. Average cost calculated by comparing costs across five distances. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.
We collected 406 uShip quotes for open and enclosed shipping to see how much it would cost to ship three different cars to five different locations.
What did we find?
The average auto transport cost for jobs booked through uShip is about $1,300—or about $182 per 100 miles.
USHIP FEES EXPLAINED
USHIP FEES EXPLAINED
uShip doesn’t charge to use its website, but it passes down costs to customers in the form of service charges. Our research shows the average uShip service charge for car shipping is about $75.
How uShip pricing compares
uShip is expensive
uShip lets the marketplace set its own prices—and they’re steep. The average uShip bid is almost $400 more expensive than the average car shipping company quote. Even if you look at only the lowest uShip bids, they’re still almost 30% above average.
uShip average car shipping prices
| uShip average | uShip lowest bid | Industry average |
| $1,150 | $1,050 | $710 |
| $1,450 | $1,340 | $1,120 |
Data as of 6/9/2020. Average cost calculated by comparing costs across five distances. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.
uShip cost factors
Peanut butter, jelly, and bread are basically the same price at every store. Car shipping rates are far less consistent.
uShip says its car shipping prices depend on several factors:
- Auto transport service type
- Distance
- Pickup and delivery locations
- Seasonality
- Vehicle condition
- Vehicle make and model
- Vehicle size
Vehicle transport prices are also affected by extra services (like insurance or expedited shipping), whether you ship more than one vehicle at the same time, and the carrier bidding process.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO SHIP A CAR?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO SHIP A CAR?
The average cost to ship a car is about $920. Costs range from about $280 to $2,060 depending on the type of transport, vehicle size, and distance. Learn more in our guide to car shipping costs.
uShip coverage options
Car shipping companies are legally required to carry insurance. uShip doesn’t verify that service providers on the marketplace provide insurance, but it does allow customers to purchase insurance through a third-party partner.
Additionally, uShip has a “ship with confidence” guarantee that compensates you up to $500 in the event of negligent loss or damage.
NO MOTOR? NO INSURANCE.
NO MOTOR? NO INSURANCE.
uShip sells car shipping insurance through a third party, but you can’t buy the insurance if your car isn’t drivable. Learn more about how insurance works in our car shipping insurance tutorial.
uShip at a glance
| Company information |
| N/A |
| N/A |
| Neither |
| No |
| 4.2/5 |
| 17 |
| 50,000 |
uShip features and services
PROS
- Convenience
- Provider star ratings
- GPS tracking
- Damage-free guarantee
CONS
- High prices
- No provider vetting
The car shippers on uShip’s marketplace provide several auto transport services:
- Door-to-door auto transport
- Expedited car shipping
- Enclosed auto transport
- Open auto transport
USHIP’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19
USHIP’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19
uShip remains open for business during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company strongly encourages all customers and shippers to follow CDC guidelines on hygiene and social distancing while delivering and receiving shipments.
Things to know about uShip
uShip price estimates are misleading
If you need a car shipping quote, you can get one in less than a minute with uShip—and you don’t even need a uShip account. But there’s a catch: the initial prices are far below what you’ll end up paying.
We’ll show you why.
When you enter your destination and vehicle type, uShip shows you a screen with an “average” amount and a few sample quotes.
But there are a few problems:
- The prices aren’t actual quotes. The amounts represent what quotes are likely to be, but you have to create an official listing to see real bids—and the numbers differ from what you see on the initial screen. Your final cost will likely be about 40% more expensive.
- The prices don’t reflect enclosed transport. You can see open transport estimates with almost no effort. But to get a quote for enclosed shipping, you have to create a uShip account, make a listing for your job, and wait up to 24 hours to get quotes.
- The prices don’t include fees. uShip doesn’t charge customers for accounts, but it makes money on service fees not included in initial estimates. We found an average service charge of about $75 for auto shipments.
uShip average vs. actual cost for open transport
| uShip “average” | uShip actual cost | Price difference |
| $390 | $460 | $70 ↑ |
| $700 | $830 | $130 ↑ |
| $940 | $1,270 | $330 ↑ |
| $880 | $1,460 | $580 ↑ |
| $1,240 | $1,760 | $520 ↑ |
Data as of 6/9/2020. Cost calculated by comparing 406 uShip quotes and uShip “average” listings. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.
uShip is convenient
uShip’s greatest strength is its convenience. You don’t have to call 10 companies to get 10 quotes—or give your personal info 10 times and sort through 10 answers to the same question.
You just go to the uShip website, enter your shipment details, and sort through the results. It’s as simple as that.
Customers like it so much that uShip transports more than twice as many cars as the average car shipping company.
uShip vehicles shipped in 2019
| uShip | Industry average |
| 50,000 | 20,400 |
Data as of 4/30/2020.
uShip has a “ship with confidence” guarantee
uShip doesn’t verify that its marketplace providers have insurance, but it does offer a “ship with confidence” guarantee. This means that if your car is damaged, uShip will compensate you for up to $500.
Want a car shipping company that has extra insurance coverage?
FAQ about uShip
How much is the uShip service charge?
The average uShip service charge for auto transport is approximately $75. uShip fees are not part of your initial car shipping estimates.
Is uShip legitimate?
uShip is a legitimate online marketplace with more than 6 million shipments to its name. The marketplace ships 50,000 cars each year—more than twice as many as the average auto transport company.
Are there other companies like uShip?
There are no other companies like uShip in the auto transport industry, but there are similar online marketplaces for hourly moving labor. Check out our reviews of the best moving labor companies to learn more about marketplaces like TaskRabbit, Dolly, and HireAHelper.
How are uShip car transport reviews?
uShip reviews have an average customer service rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars for auto transport, and the company provides access to star ratings for all providers on the marketplace.
Is uShip safe to use?
uShip says it’s rare for marketplace service providers to damage customer vehicles but acknowledges that it doesn’t verify the insurance status of its car shipping companies. The average customer service rating for car shipping service providers is 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Is the uShip shipping price estimate accurate?
The uShip shipping price estimates for car shipping are not accurate. Our research shows that the final uShip cost for auto transport is approximately 40% higher than its initial estimate.
How fast is uShip auto transport delivery?
The average uShip car shipping delivery time is six days—about one day slower than the average auto transport company.
Our recommendation
uShip is worth considering if convenience matters more than anything. The company makes it easy to get multiple quotes and even helps you weed out providers that get bad customer reviews. Just be aware that uShip car shipping costs are 40% higher than the average car shipping company.
Want a convenient car shipping experience?
Other car shipping picks
Looking for a more affordable car shipping company? Check out our reviews of some other top companies:
About Kurt Manwaring
