Broker, carrier, or arranged service: what you're actually hiring

Every company that moves your car by truck falls into one of these roles, and knowing which one you're dealing with tells you who is legally responsible for what.

The federal definitions

• Broker: 49 CFR 371.2 defines a broker as "a person who, for compensation, arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier." A broker does not own or drive the truck. Law.cornell.edu, read 2026-09-21.
• Motor carrier: 49 CFR 390.5 defines a motor carrier as the entity operating the truck, including its agents, officers, and dispatching employees. Law.cornell.edu, read 2026-09-21.
• Arranged service (what we are): we act as a single accountable party that arranges a vetted carrier for your specific shipment, rather than operating a marketplace of carrier bids or driving the truck ourselves.

Side by side

Question	Broker	Carrier	Arranged service (us)
Owns the truck	No	Yes	No
Who you're contracting with day-to-day	The broker, who then assigns a carrier	The carrier directly	Us; we arrange and remain accountable for the carrier we select
Federal financial requirement	$75,000 surety bond or trust fund (49 CFR 387.307)	Cargo and liability insurance on file	We vet the assigned carrier's insurance before dispatch
Who you call if something goes wrong	The broker, who may or may not be responsive after booking	The carrier directly, if you booked with one	Us: one contact from your request to delivery

Why the distinction matters to you

A pure broker's incentive can be to get your shipment posted to its carrier network at a workable price, then step back once a carrier is assigned. A pure carrier only covers routes and schedules that fit its own truck. An arranged service sits between the two: it takes on the responsibility of choosing and standing behind a specific carrier for your shipment, rather than handing you off to whichever carrier bids on an open board.

What we will not say

We will not say a broker or a carrier-direct model is worse than ours in every case: a broker's larger network may serve a route we don't, and a carrier you find directly may already be headed your way. See when a large broker network fits better for specifics.

Common questions

How do I know if a company is a broker or a carrier? Ask for its USDOT and MC number and look it up on FMCSA's SAFER system. See how to check a car shipper.

Can a company be both? Yes: some companies hold both broker and carrier authority. That's worth clarifying directly, since it changes who is actually driving your shipment.

Does a broker's bond protect my vehicle if it's damaged? No. The $75,000 bond under 49 CFR 387.307 covers the broker's financial obligations, not cargo damage. Cargo insurance is held by the carrier. See insurance, inspection, and damage claims.

Get my price

If you want one accountable party who arranges and stands behind a specific vetted carrier for your operable passenger vehicle, request a price. It's confirmed before any payment.

Sources

• www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/371.2, accessed September 21, 2026.
• www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/390.5, accessed September 21, 2026.
• www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/387.307, accessed September 21, 2026.