Reviews and Cost (July 2022)

Affiliate Disclosure

Montway Auto Transport Rating: 9.0/10.0

We named Montway Auto Transport the Best Provider overall for shipping your car and give it 9.0 stars out of 10.0. The company offers affordable prices, various auto transport services and free cargo insurance with every over-land shipment. Montway Auto Transport reviews show the company creates a hassle-free shipping experience and has excellent customer service.

Like many car shipping companies, Montway Auto Transport offers free car shipping quotes to potential customers.

Overall Rating	9.0 / 10.0
Industry Reputation	10.0
Shipping Cost	9.0
Services	8.5
Customer Experience	8.5

Average Montway Auto Transport Cost

Open Transport	$739
Enclosed Transport	$989

Montway Auto Transport is a leading auto transport broker that connects customers to a network of vetted shipping carriers. In this article, we’ll discuss Montway Auto Transport reviews, prices and shipping services to give you a clear understanding of what the company offers.

Between brokers, marketplaces and individual carriers, you have many options for shipping your car. We’ve reviewed the best car shipping companies to make it easier to compare services and find a good deal from leading auto transport providers.

About Montway Auto Transport

Founded: 2006
Headquarters: Schaumburg, Illinois
Service Area: U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska

Montway Auto Transport typically ships over 140,000 vehicles each year, making it one of the largest car shipping companies in the country. It operates across all 50 states, so it’s easy, for example, to send your truck from California to Florida or your classic car from New York to Alaska. If you’re going overseas, Montway Auto Transport reviews reveal the company’s strong network of international transport partners.

Montway Auto Transport is a registered auto broker that vets each carrier it works with to ensure customers receive great service throughout the shipping process. Montway Auto Transport reviews from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) give it an A+ rating, a 4.6 out of 5.0 star customer review score and full accreditation. All factors considered, Montway offers cheap car shipping rates compared to much of the competition.

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Car Shipping Cost: Montway Auto Transport

So how much does car shipping cost with Montway Auto Transport? To give you an idea, here are a few quotes obtained at www.montway.com. We requested shipping quotes for a 2018 Honda Civic moved using door-to-door shipping:

Route	Distance	Transport Type	Montway Auto Transport Quote
New York City to Washington	231 miles	Open	$529 flat rate
New York City to Washington	231 miles	Enclosed	$679 flat rate
Atlanta to Richmond, Va.	533 miles	Open	$609 flat rate
Atlanta to Richmond, Va.	533 miles	Enclosed	$779 flat rate
San Diego to Portland, Ore.	1,083 miles	Open	$909 flat rate
San Diego to Portland, Ore.	1,083 miles	Enclosed	$1,249 flat rate
Austin, Texas, to San Francisco	1,757 miles	Open	$909 flat rate
Austin, Texas, to San Francisco	1,757 miles	Enclosed	$1,249 flat rate

Some positive Montway Auto Transport reviews speak of customers receiving a 5% discount when they pay truckers in cash upon their shipment’s arrival. The standard option is to instead pay for your shipment in full through the website with a debit or credit card.

Montway Shipping Prices by Mile

Distance is one of the biggest determining factors when it comes to your shipping bill and most auto transport companies charge by the mile. Your per-mile rate goes down as the distance gets longer. So, while you’ll pay more overall to ship a car from, say, Chicago to Los Angeles than you would to ship it to a city a few hours away, you’ll actually pay less per mile.

If you look at Montway.com, you’ll see that the business actually posts shipping rates broken down by distance.

• 0-500 miles: $1.96 per mile
• 501-1,500 miles: $0.93 per mile
• 1,501+ miles: $0.58 per mile

What these prices do not account for is Montway’s various shipping options like enclosed transport, expedited shipping or overseas shipping.

Montway Auto Transport Cost Factors

There are also several factors affect vehicle shipping costs, including:

• Vehicle type: A Toyota 4Runner will likely more to ship than a Camry because SUVs are bigger and heavier. Vehicle size also affects overall shipping costs.
• Shipping service: Enclosed transport is more expensive than open transport. If you opt for door-to-door shipping or expedited shipping, expect to pay more for these services, too.
• Distance: As distance increases, the price per mile decreases. However, you’ll pay more overall for longer distances.
• Time of year: More people move in January and the summer months, increasing auto shipping rates.
• Proximity to shipping hubs: Pickup and dropoff locations near major cities or metro areas have cheaper shipping rates, as more carriers provide routes to these hubs.
• Price of fuel: Shipment costs fluctuate depending on the price of gas.
• Vehicle operability: If your car isn’t operable, you’ll pay more for the carrier to push or winch it onto the vehicle transport truck.

Auto transport trailers usually have two levels. Loading a car onto the top level protects it from any leaking fluids or debris from overhead. You can specify a top-loading preference for an extra charge, which is about $75 with Montway Auto Transport. Auto transporters often have to rearrange the whole trailer to accommodate this preference. If a truck can’t accommodate your request, the fee will be waived or refunded.

How To Lower Montway Auto Transport Shipping Costs

Most Montway Auto Transport reviews praise the company’s affordable shipping rates. Since it’s a broker, Montway can compare prices from multiple verified carriers to help drivers save money. You can also do the following to save money when shipping your car:

If you’re thinking of lowering your car, lifting your truck or adding larger tires before transport, it’s best to hold off. These kinds of modifications can make it hard for a shipper to load your car onto an open truck, leaving you with a pricier enclosed shipment as your only option.

Canceling a Montway Auto Transport Car Shipment

With Montway, you can cancel your shipment before or after the order has been dispatched to a carrier. A dispatched order means it’s already been assigned to a carrier and accepted by a carrier. If you cancel before the shipment dispatches, you’ll receive a full refund. However, after the shipment has been dispatched, you’ll have to pay a $199 cancellation fee or the amount of your partial payment.

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Car Shipping Services: Montway Auto Transport

Montway Auto Transport offers most of the standard car shipping services you’d expect from a leading company, including:

Alternative Shipping Options

Montway Auto Transport ships motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), inoperable vehicles, collector cars, modified and oversized vehicles and cars from auctions and storage facilities. However, some Montway Auto Transport reviews complain that the company doesn’t ship the following:

• Recreational vehicles (RVs)
• Trailers
• Campers
• Boats or other personal watercraft

Another commonly cited concern is that there’s no option for terminal-to-terminal shipping.

Montway Auto Transport Insurance

Montway Auto Transport includes up to $100,000 of cargo insurance per over-land shipment. The coverage applies from the time your vehicle is picked up to the time it’s dropped off. Montway’s insurance coverage also does not require a deductible. Not all auto transporters offer insurance coverage, so you may want to check your existing insurance policy to be sure you’re protected against shipping damages if you choose another provider. Otherwise, you’ll foot the bill for repairs.

Be aware that personal items inside your car aren’t covered by cargo insurance. It’s a good idea to empty your car entirely – even of loose change and small items – prior to shipping. Despite this, many Montway Auto Transport reviews come from customers pleased that the company allows one piece of luggage weighing up to 100 pounds to be shipped in their vehicle’s trunk during over-land shipments.

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Montway Auto Transport Reviews

Montway Auto Transport has a strong customer service reputation. The company holds a 4.6-star Google rating based on over 7,200 reviews, alongside its 4.6-star BBB customer review score. Similarly, over 1,100 customers have weighed in on Trustpilot to give Montway a 4.6-star rating. Overall, 20.5% of reviewers explicitly mentioned recommending this company to to others.

Besides looking at ratings and scores, we also read customer reviews to find issues experienced by consumers. The following Montway Auto Transport reviews stood out to us:

Positive Montway Auto Transport Reviews

Positive Montway Auto Transport reviews mention timely service, strong communication and professional agents. In fact, 17% of reviewers positively mentioned this company’s customer service. Here’s what customers had to say:

“All went very well. They were timely and got the job done as they said they would. The driver was awesome and very respectful of my vehicle.”

– Jon via BBB

“I have used Montway twice for cross-country transport from [California] to [Maryland] and back. They have transported my car with strong communication, no complications or damage, within the time parameters provided and at a reasonable price.”

– Ivan A. via BBB

Negative Montway Auto Transport Reviews

Negative Montway Auto Transport reviews report deliveries taking longer than expected and some miscommunication among the agents, carriers and drivers. However, overall 18% of reviewers positively mention the auto transport driver. Here is what customers had to say:

“They gave me a quote that was too low, and no shipper would pick [it] up. So, my pickup window passed without any follow-up from them. They did a poor job of communicating with me in general and had trouble giving details as to why they couldn’t complete my transport order.”

– M.B. via BBB

“Very disappointed – they quote you a price and then at the last minute tell you it will take another $500 to get it done. I’m sure a lot of people don’t have a choice and have to pay [for] it. One star is too much!”

– Larry T. via BBB

Our Research 

In 2021, our research team surveyed 1,000 auto shipping customers to gauge what services customers frequently use and the quality of experience. Montway customers made up about one-quarter of our respondents, and we found that 84% of those consumers were satisfied with their service.

In contrast, the runner-up for customer satisfaction was AmeriFreight at 67%.

Our survey also looked at shipping prices consumers paid motor carriers and found that most paid between $1,000 to $2,000. Around 22% of respondents said their shipping costs fell in the $1,500 to $2,000 range, and 19% paid between $1,000 to $1,500. We also found that most consumers were shipping their vehicles between 500 to 1,500 miles.

How To Ship a Car: Montway Auto Transport

Regardless of your car shipper, scheduling transportation will require the following details:

• Your email address, phone number and any other contact information
• Pickup and delivery locations (Montway offers guaranteed pickup dates)
• Type of transport (enclosed shipping or open transport)
• Vehicle information
• Shipping time frame

To ship your car, start by filling out Montway’s online quote form. You can get instant quotes for open or enclosed door-to-door shipments can call the company for more customized options. Once you choose a carrier, you can book the shipment. Payment is required once the carrier is dispatched except for PayPal payments, which are due at the time of booking.

When the carrier meets you to pick up your vehicle, you’ll inspect your car and sign a bill of lading with the driver. Note the current condition of your car and any damages on this document. After inspection, you’ll sign the bill of lading again once the delivery is complete.

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Best Car Shipping Companies

If you want the best price on auto transport, it’s wise to reach out to other top-rated car shipping companies so you can have multiple transport quotes before booking a shipment. Montway Auto Transport reviews are largely positive, but so are those for AmeriFreight and Sherpa Auto Transport.

AmeriFreight: Best for Discounts

After comparing multiple companies, we found that AmeriFreight offers the best discounts overall. Students, active-duty military members, first responders, medical personnel, senior citizens and returning customers can all receive shipping discounts from AmeriFreight. The licensed broker has been in business since 2004 and has an A+ rating with accreditation from the BBB. AmeriFreight also has a 4.9- out of 5.0-star BBB customer review score.

Sherpa Auto Transport: Locked-In Pricing

Most car shipping companies provide instant estimates online, but the final price can increase later on. If the price you’re quoted goes up at some point, Sherpa Auto Transport will pay up to $300 to cover the difference. Sherpa is a newer company – it began in 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The company has stellar customer reviews, with 4.9 out of 5.0 stars and an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB.

For more information, see our Sherpa Auto Transport review.

Montway Auto Transport: Conclusion

We rated Montway Auto Transport a 9.0/10 and named it the Best Provider overall. Below are some frequently asked questions about Montway Auto Transport:

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Methodology

The Detroit Bureau collects data from every major car shipping provider to formulate rankings of the best auto transport companies. Our in-depth rating system takes into account pricing, services, customer satisfaction and ratings from industry experts. Each provider is given a weighted score in four categories, as well as an overall score out of 10.0.

We recommend car shipping companies based on these rankings, but we also encourage you to perform your own research and compare quotes to find the best service.