Guardian Auto Transport Reviews: Cost And Services
Guardian Auto Transport has 30 years of experience and great customer satisfaction. With its good reputation and services, we rate it 4.1 out of 5.0 stars.
From our #1 rated provider, 
Key Points:
- Guardian Auto Transport scores highest in our customer experience category for having great ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Google.
- The company works with a network of 27,000 carriers and offers a variety of services.
- We rate Guardian Auto Transport 4.1 out of 5.0 overall and think it’s a solid option for car transport services.
Known for its excellent customer service, Guardian Auto Transport offers shipping services for cars, motorcycles, RVs, and other vehicles in 49 continental U.S. states.
In this article, we’ll break down Guardian Auto Transport’s shipping costs, services, and customer reviews. Our research team has spent over 300 hours researching car shipping companies and have surveyed 2,000 customers. We use this experience to rank providers, and see how Guardian Auto Transport compares to the best car shipping companies in the industry.
Our Guardian Auto Transport Review And Methodology
Our overall rating for Guardian Auto Transport includes scores across four main categories: reliability, pricing, services, and customer experience. You may find one aspect is more important to you than another, so we strive to give a complete picture of each shipping company.
After reviewing Guardian Auto Transport across these four factors, we’ve given it an overall rating of 4.1 out of 5.0 stars.
Reliability: 4.9 Stars
We get a sense of a company’s reliability through how long it’s been in business, which shows its experience and longevity. We also look at its ratings and complaints on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site. The BBB is an organization that evaluates a company’s business practices, customer satisfaction, and licensing information.
Guardian Auto Transport does well in this category because it’s been around since 1992 and has an A+ rating on the BBB with only two complaints.
Pricing: 2.8 Stars
Our customer surveys show cost is an important factor for many customers. Having compared Guardian Auto Transport quotes for different shipping distances and locations, we found the company is more expensive than average. So, it gets a below-average rating in the pricing category.
Services: 4.6 Stars
Guardian Auto Transport offers a full selection of car shipping services, but it doesn’t ship cars to Hawaii, unlike other popular brokers like Montway Auto Transport. Also, the company doesn’t offer many extra perks you can find elsewhere like free car washes or insurance upgrades. For these reasons, we give it an average rating for this category.
Customer Experience: 4.8 Stars
Even the cheapest rates aren’t worth it if you don’t get good customer service. Our team considers customer ratings and reviews on the BBB, Trustpilot, and Google for this category. We also interact with the company ourselves and make notes on our experiences from customer representatives and the helpful information listed on websites.
Overall, Guardian Auto Transport provides great service and shows much customer satisfaction across review sites. So, the company gets a near-perfect rating from our team.
Guardian Auto Transport Overview
Founded: 1992
Headquarters: Wheeling, Illinois
Service Area: 49 continental states
Headquartered in Wheeling, Illinois, Guardian Auto Transport is a vehicle transportation broker that has been in business for 30 years. The company connects customers with its networks of auto carriers, negotiating to get the best prices for vehicle shipping.
Guardian Auto Transport finds shippers for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles. It also works with auto dealerships and offers high-volume shipments of new cars. Though the company does ship throughout the continental 49 states (including Alaska), it doesn’t ship cars to Hawaii.
Guardian Auto Transport Reviews
Though Guardian Auto Transport has been around for 30 years, it doesn’t have a lot of reviews online. What reviews it does have, however, are positive. It’s accredited by the BBB and holds an A+ rating from the organization. Over 40 customer reviews on Guardian Auto Transport’s BBB page give the shipping broker an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.0 stars.
On Google, reviews from almost 2,000 customers also give the auto shipping company an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.0 stars.
Positive Guardian Auto Transport Reviews
The customers who review Guardian positively praise the auto transport company for its excellent communication and easy shipping process.
“After going through the quote process with several companies, I decided to book with PK at Guardian because it felt like I was talking to an old friend, not an auto shipping company. He was very courteous and checked in frequently throughout the process.”
– Andrey via BBB
“Having my car shipped from rural Wisconsin to southern California couldn’t have been easier. … It arrived on the date promised. [Guardian representatives] gave me almost daily updates by phone and email. It could not have been a smoother transaction.”
– Bill via BBB
Guardian Auto Transport Complaints
Not all customers have a great experience, though. Some of the less-than-stellar reviews focus on miscommunication.
“[Guardian Auto] sold me on a seamless shipment, but once I paid, they completely dropped the ball on everything. Due to them being so unorganized and not reaching back to me, I ended up handling the ENTIRE process with the driver and his boss.”
– Naomi via Google
“Driver was nice, all the people on the phone were great. … [However, pickup] was three days late, wound up meeting the driver in an abandoned parking lot after 3 a.m. Drop-off was 24 hours late. Auto arrived well, but the anxiety of dealing with the lies was horrible.”
– Elke via Google
Guardian Auto Transport Auto Shipping Services
Guardian Auto Transport offers a variety of vehicle shipping options for every state except Hawaii. A few of its services include:
- Enclosed transport: Protects your vehicle from road debris and the elements
- Open transport: Often the most affordable option, as it allows multiple vehicles to be shipped at once
- Door-to-door shipping: Lets you choose the pickup and delivery locations for your transport
- Terminal-to-terminal shipping: Cheaper than door-to-door shipping, as the carrier transports your vehicle between designated terminals
- Expedited shipping: Speeds up the shipping process for an additional charge
- Classic car shipping: Specializes in shipping luxury and exotic cars
Whether you choose open or enclosed transport, your vehicle is insured during the entire shipment process. Guardian thoroughly vets every carrier it works with to ensure all insurance standards are current.
How Much Does Guardian Auto Transport Cost?
Guardian Auto Transport’s rates are just a bit higher than average according to the quotes we received. That said, shipping costs depend on many factors and you may find cheaper rates for your situation.
Guardian Auto Transport Quotes
Below are quotes we received in January of 2024 for a variety of shipping routes, all for an operable 2019 Mazda CX-5:
| Shipping Route | Approximate
Mileage | Transport
Type | Guardian Auto Transport
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL to
Nashville, TN | 470 | Open | $915 |
| Phoenix, AZ to
Minneapolis, MN | 1,640 | Open | $1,795 |
| Phoenix, AZ to
Minneapolis, MN | 1,640 | Enclosed | $2,905 |
| Boston, MA to
Los Angeles, CA | 2,985 | Open | $2,015 |
For comparison, here are the average costs for the same vehicle and routes across 14 auto shipping companies:
| Shipping Route | Approximate
Mileage | Transport
Type | National Average
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL to
Nashville, TN | 470 | Open | $664 |
| Phoenix, AZ to
Minneapolis, MN | 1,640 | Open | $1,192 |
| Phoenix, AZ to
Minneapolis, MN | 1,640 | Enclosed | $1,836 |
| Boston, MA to
Los Angeles, CA | 2,985 | Open | $1,476 |
What Affects Car Shipping Costs?
Several factors determine the cost of your vehicle transport service:
- Type of vehicle: Larger and heavier vehicles cost more to ship.
- Vehicle condition: Inoperable vehicles are more expensive to ship because loading and unloading them for transport takes more effort.
- Type of transport: Open transport is cheaper than enclosed transport but provides less protection from road debris and weather.
- Shipping distance: Shorter trips cost less overall but more per mile than long-distance trips.
- Location: Having your car delivered to an urban area costs less than having it shipped to a rural area.
- Seasonality: January and the summer months typically have higher shipping costs because demand is higher at those times.
- Fuel costs: If gas and diesel prices are high when you book your service, your auto shipment will likely be more expensive too.
Our Consumer Survey
We surveyed 1,000 car shipping customers in August of 2023 on many topics including the cost they paid for services. Overall, 49 percent of respondents paid between $1,001 and $2,000 to ship their vehicles. You may find rates under $1,000 if you’re shipping a car a short distance of around 500 miles or less.
How To Ship A Car With Guardian Auto Transport
Guardian Auto Transport’s shipping process is simple. Here’s how it works:
- Get a free car shipping quote online at GuardianAutoTransport.com.
- Book your order through the link found in your instant quote.
- An agent from Guardian Auto Transport confirms the details of your shipment.
- Guardian Auto Transport schedules the pickup with a vetted and insured driver.
- On the pickup date, the driver conducts a 22-point inspection and you both sign a bill of lading which notes any existing damage.
- Your driver delivers your vehicle to the drop-off location and you both sign another bill of lading to not any new damages and complete the transaction.
- You then pay the remaining balance.
We recommend booking your auto transport as far in advance as you can to ensure the lowest price. In general, you should plan to book your shipment at least two weeks before moving day.
What To Know For A Successful Auto Shipment
Shipping a car can be stressful, but there are a few things you can do to have a successful shipment.
Carriers And Brokers
It’s important to understand that Guardian Auto Transport is a broker and the carriers it works with are independent businesses that own and drive the trucks. Carriers can decline a job if the customer starts being difficult or too controlling before pickup, so try to have some flexibility.
You can expect a carrier to give you a window of a few hours on the day of pickup, but they can’t control the schedule down to the minute. The same goes for drop-off day. Remember that many things can happen on the road that could delay a shipment by a few hours or even a day or two, from traffic jams to severe weather. The important thing is that these delays get communicated to you.
Protecting Yourself And Your Car
All carriers are federally required to carry minimum levels of cargo insurance. However, there are situations where the company’s insurance may not cover the damage. This could happen if the cost doesn’t meet the company’s deductible or the type of damage was excluded. You can use your comprehensive coverage for these situations (if you have it).
To know if a broker or carrier is safe to use, check that they have USDOT and MC numbers posted on their website. These numbers show that they’re qualified motor carriers that are registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation, and follow all shipping and insurance laws.
Remember also to keep a copy of the bill of lading when you first sign it with your carrier on pick-up day. You can use this as a receipt of the shipment and to file a claim with Guardian Auto Transport if you notice new damages on your car when it’s delivered.
Door-To-Door Service
Door-to-door service is approximate. You may have to meet the carrier at a nearby parking lot if they can’t navigate a semi-truck safely into your neighborhood. The carrier won’t risk damaging your car or someone else’s, or violating any parking or street laws in any situation.
Our Take On Guardian Auto Transport: 4.1 Stars
Guardian Auto Transport has a great reputation for customer service thanks to its prompt communication. Consumer reviews rate the transport broker highly when it comes to customer service.
Though some reviews mention Guardian Auto Transport’s affordable prices, our team was unable to get quotes from the company, so we don’t know how its pricing compares to the national average.
Other Recommendations for Car Shipping
Guardian Auto Transport may be an excellent choice for your car shipping needs, but it’s always helpful to compare quotes from other car shipping companies. Some companies can offer discounts that lower your car shipping costs, while others may provide different service options.
Montway Auto Transport: 4.7 Stars
Montway Auto Transport works with over 30,000 thoroughly-vetted carriers, offering open and enclosed vehicle transport to all 50 states. The company features international shipping options and ships military privately owned vehicles (POV) as well.
Montway holds an A+ rating from the BBB with a 4.6 out of 5.0-star rating from more than 2,200 customer reviews on the site. The company also has a strong 4.2 out of 5.0-star rating on Trustpilot.
AmeriFreight: 4.6 Stars
AmeriFreight works with over 10,000 shipping carriers, making it one of the biggest car transport companies in the country. Though the company doesn’t provide international shipping, it does ship to Alaska and Hawaii.
AmeriFreight holds an A+ rating on the BBB as well as an average of 4.8 stars from over 500 customer reviews. Our team ranks AmeriFreight highly in part because it offers discounts for military members, students, first responders, and more.
Guardian Auto Transport Review: FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about Guardian Auto Transport and car shipping in general:
How do I know if an auto transport company is legit?
The first step is to check if the company has a valid motor carrier (MC) number and United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number. BBB and Trustpilot ratings are also good indicators of a transport company’s legitimacy and reputation.
How do I pay for my auto transport?
How you pay for your auto transport will depend on the car shipping company you choose. Many providers accept major credit cards for partial or full payments up front and then have you pay any remaining balance to the driver with cash, a cashier’s check, or a money order when your vehicle is delivered.
Can I ship personal items in my car?
Some auto transport companies let you ship up to 100 pounds of personal items in your car. But keep in mind that the heavier your car, the more expensive it will be to ship. We don’t recommend doing this anyway because items can get damaged or stolen during transit and most shipping companies don’t offer insurance for those situations.
How We Rate Auto Shipping Companies
Our review team extensively researches car shipping providers to deliver informed and unbiased assessments of leading companies. We evaluate several key rating factors that are important to consumers to determine which providers are the best in the industry:
- Reliability: Providers that earn strong ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and have a long history in the auto transport industry score well in this category.
- Services: We take a look at what types of transport services are available through each company, including open and enclosed transport, door-to-door shipping, and more. Those with wider service selections are more likely to meet consumers’ needs.
- Pricing: Our team performs a secret shopper analysis to get quotes for a variety of shipping routes and services. We compare each company’s costs to industry average prices to see how it stands up to the competition.
- Customer Experience: We consider customer reviews on sites like the BBB and Trustpilot to better understand the consumer experience. Car shipping companies with convenient quote processes also perform well in this category.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
