Nexus Auto Transport Company Review

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Nexus Auto Transport is a broker offering vehicle transportation throughout the U.S.

• Open Carrier Vehicle Transport: The most economical option is to have your vehicle transported in an open-air carrier. Vehicle transport services are typically “door-to-door” to a specific residence or business address. Some localities may not allow oversized vehicle carriers to travel through certain districts or neighborhoods; therefore, some changes may be necessary such as delivering the vehicle to an alternate address nearby.
• Enclosed Carrier Vehicle Transport: Those with higher-end, classic, or specialty vehicles may upgrade to an enclosed carrier that offers greater protection. (see images below)
• Expedited Auto Shipping: If you need to have your vehicle transported immediately, they offer accelerated service for an additional cost. For economy (not expedited) service they recommend making the arrangements two to three weeks ahead of time.
• Seasonal Auto Relocation: Those who reside in a different region for a part of the year may want to use seasonal auto relocation services. For example, “snowbirds” from New York that stay in Florida during the winter months. These individuals may choose to take a flight to Florida but have their car transported there, which may be a more economical option compared to using a rental car.
• Specialty Vehicle Transport: This offering includes motorcycles, boats, and other vehicles
• Mobile Home Transport:The company website estimates that roughly 18 million Americans live in a mobile home. They suggest the cost of transporting a mobile home locally ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 and might increase to nearly $15,000 for longer distances. Other pricing considerations include whether the home is a single, double, or triple-wide unit and the weight. Other factors that can increase the price involves if assistance is needed to disconnect utilities or if you require the reassembly of a porch or other exterior structures.

Expected Time in Transport

The estimated transit time for shipping between the east and west coast (U.S) is 7 to 10 days. Shorter distances are more commonly in the 4 or 5-day range.

The Good: Offers Instant Online Pricing and Mobile Home Transport Services

The instant price calculator tool is simple, easy-to-use, and allows potential customers to obtain an estimate without waiting for a call from a salesperson. They offer mobile home transport services, which is a fairly unique or niche market.

The Bad: Questionable Marketing Practices and Inconsistent Customer Service

Parts of the company website contains wording that implies they are a carrier—not a broker:

• “Nexus Auto Transport employs a modern fleet of open carriers driven by experienced drivers”
• “we don’t contract through suspect auto transport brokers”
• “we hand-picked only the best and most qualified professional drivers”
• “take into account that most of these so called “providers” are actually lead generation websites looking to sell your information to car shipping brokers”

Many customers complain that calls regarding pickup or delivery of their vehicle are not returned in a reasonable manner (timely).

Pros:

• Nexus has a tool for tracking your transport 24/7 by entering your order number
• Instant quotes are available online
• Website and blog are informational and thoroughly explain the industry, optional services, and other relevant material

Cons:

• Customers that choose to pay upon pickup must use either cash, cashier check, or money order, as credit card processing is not available.
• Pickup and delivery dates are not guaranteed unless upgraded service is selected
• Someone must be present at the location of pickup and delivery to complete the vehicle condition report inspection

Price Estimates

The following estimates are from the Nexus Auto Transport instant shipping cost calculator. The vehicle would be shipped on a basic (economy) open carrier transport without specifying dates for pickup.

Customers that choose advanced payment must use a credit card. Those who will pay the driver upon pickup must have cash, a cashier’s check, or money order. Customers must provide the vehicle’s make, model, year, the last six digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN), and addresses to finalize a reservation.

What Factors Determine Prices?

• Vehicle make and model
• Vehicle size and weight
• Distance between locations
• Any upgrades such as enclosed transport or expedited service
• The time of year

Seasonal Pricing Changes

The image below from Nexus Auto Transport shows seasonal averages for the vehicle transport industry. The organization explains that lower prices may be available during December and January, as carriers are struggling to remain busy. Edmunds.com also recommends having a vehicle transported during the winter months if seeking reduced prices; however, remember that transport delays may occur during inclement winter weather.

Discounts Offered

Active military members and those shipping multiple vehicles at a time may qualify for a discount and should speak with a representative for details.

Insurance/Protection

The company maintains insurance coverage of $250,000 per incident and a $1,000,000 combined limit. This doesn’t cover personal belongings that are left inside the vehicle. Based on the individual agreement, the customer’s homeowner’s or automobile insurance may either be the primary or secondary coverage.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) encourages consumers that have concerns about a transport company’s licensing and compliance may use their lookup tool.

The company has over 600 reviews on Google with an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5. Most of the recently posted comments praised the staff for being professional and friendly. A few customers were under the impression that the pickup date was specified; yet, were later informed of a 2 to 3-day “window” for pickup. Many negative reviews involved “unexpected” price increases close to the date of pickup and a pattern of poor communication with customers, such as failing to return calls, etc.

On Yelp, they have an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars that are based on more than 120 posts. Some customer feedback was positive, but the negative reviews were plentiful and showed the same pattern of questionable practices.

This is the most common ploy, which is, unfortunately, a standard practice in the auto transport broker industry:

Provide an attractive quote for the transport, secure a deposit, and set pickup dates
The customer is suddenly informed that they have no driver available, suggesting they are unable to complete the transport
Conveniently, they find a different driver that can pick it up–but the price is $200+ higher

Note: The timing is always the same; they typically inform the customer as close to the expected pickup day or shortly thereafter. They delay it intentionally so that you are desperate to just resolve the issue. Keep in mind that the paid deposit gives the broker a little leverage.