If you want the short answer: Montway Auto Transport suits you if scale and pricing certainty matter most. Montway reports a network of more than 30,000 vetted carriers, service to all 50 states, and a TruePrice guarantee that locks a booked price for 30 calendar days. Car Haul Direct (CHD) suits you if you want an instant online quote with no phone call required, $2M in stated cargo insurance coverage, and a broker built around auction and dealer logistics, including 3 to 5 free storage days on auction pickups. Both companies are FMCSA-licensed brokers, so neither owns the trucks that move your car. The sections below break down where each service model wins.
Quick answer: Montway fits shippers who want scale (a reported 30,000+ carrier network, all 50 states) and its 30-day TruePrice lock. Car Haul Direct fits auction and dealer shipments: instant online quotes with no phone call, $2M stated cargo coverage, pickup typically in 1 to 3 days, and 3 to 5 free storage days on auction pickups. Both are FMCSA-licensed brokers.
Car Haul Direct vs Montway at a glance
How do quotes and payment timing compare?
Both companies let you start online, but the experience differs in one meaningful way. CHD’s instant online quote calculator gives you a price without any phone call. You enter your route and vehicle details and see a number, which matters if you are comparing costs for 2 or 3 auction units at 11 pm and do not want a sales conversation. Montway also offers a free instant online quote calculator, and adds phone (888-666-8929) and live chat channels if you prefer to talk to someone.
The bigger difference is when money moves. Under Montway’s Terms and Conditions, you are not charged at booking; you are charged at the time your order is dispatched to a carrier, and a confirmed booking requires validated payment details on file. CHD does not publish its deposit and payment timing online, so ask for the current terms in writing when you request your quote.
One practical note for either company: broker quotes can change with market conditions until a carrier is locked in, which is why we published a full explainer on why car shipping quotes change. Montway’s TruePrice program, covered next, is its direct answer to that problem.
What price protection and insurance coverage do you get?
Montway’s most distinctive recent move is the TruePrice Guarantee, launched October 1, 2025. Per its Terms and Conditions, the price at the time of booking is locked for 30 calendar days, and Montway states it will not raise the price because of carrier costs, fuel, or market conditions. The lock applies to confirmed bookings for operable, factory-standard vehicles with accurate order details; changing the order or listing the vehicle with multiple providers voids it, and a reschedule beyond the 30-day window triggers a re-quote. Car Haul Direct does not publish a comparable price-lock policy.
Cancellation terms differ in ways worth knowing before you book. Montway allows free cancellation any time before a carrier accepts your order; after acceptance, its Terms and Conditions set a minimum cancellation fee of $249, and cancellations must be submitted in writing by email. CHD does not publish its cancellation and refund terms online, so request them in writing before you book.
On insurance, CHD states $2M in cargo insurance coverage. Montway states that your vehicle is covered by the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance, and that it additionally holds its own contingent cargo insurance of up to $250,000 if the trucker’s policy fails to fully cover a valid claim. Whichever broker you use, verify authority and insurance before handing over keys; our car shipping scams playbook walks through the exact checks, including a 2-minute SAFER lookup.
Which company is stronger for auctions, dealers, and specialty vehicles?
This is CHD’s home turf. CHD focuses on auction and dealer logistics: auction pickups include 3 to 5 free storage days, which gives you breathing room when a release takes longer than expected. Pickup typically happens within 1 to 3 days across the 48 contiguous states, with cross-border moves flagged for special handling. Pricing mechanics are stated plainly: enclosed transport typically runs 40 to 60 percent more than open, and inoperable vehicles typically add $100 to $200.
Montway covers the same categories at national scale. It maintains a dedicated auto auction shipping page, fleet and OEM transport programs for dealer and manufacturer moves, and service for salvage and inoperable vehicles, though non-running units that do not roll, brake, and steer require a custom quote by phone. Montway also ships motorcycles and classic or exotic cars, offers expedited pickup, and serves Alaska and Hawaii, which CHD does not. Its carrier onboarding uses what a 2024 company release describes as a 21-point identity and verification process.
Both companies operate as brokers, meaning they assign your vehicle to a vetted carrier rather than hauling it themselves. If that distinction is new to you, our guide on car shipping broker vs carrier explains who actually holds the insurance and why it matters for claims.
How do scale and review profiles compare?
Montway is the volume leader, and its published numbers reflect that. The company, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, reports more than 1,128,000 vehicles delivered, 1,019,000+ satisfied customers, and 100,000+ online reviews across 21+ platforms with an average near 4.7 out of 5. Those are Montway’s own marketing figures, reported here as claims. Independently, Trustpilot showed Montway at 3.9 out of 5 across roughly 1,900 reviews (retrieved July 2026), and BBB shows an A+ rating with accreditation held since 2007. We could not independently verify Montway’s live Google score or review count, so we omit those numbers rather than estimate them.
CHD’s numbers are far smaller, and we will not dress them up: 4.2 stars on Trustpilot across 13 reviews, 4.0 stars on Google across 67 reviews, and a BBB A rating with accreditation dated 7/13/2026 (all retrieved July 2026). A 13-review profile tells you less than a 1,900-review profile; that is simply what sample size means. What CHD’s profile does confirm is that the company is a real, FMCSA-licensed broker with active authority under USDOT 4321158, a BBB Accredited Business, and a stated $2M in cargo coverage.
Who should choose Montway?
Choose Montway if any of these describe you. You are shipping to or from Alaska or Hawaii, since Montway serves all 50 states and CHD covers the 48 contiguous states plus flagged cross-border moves. You want pricing certainty: the 30-day TruePrice lock on a confirmed booking is a genuine, documented protection that CHD does not currently match in published policy. You value the statistical confidence of a large review base, where roughly 1,900 Trustpilot reviews smooth out outliers. You want phone and live chat support alongside the online calculator. Or you are moving a motorcycle, a salvage unit, or a fleet of OEM vehicles and want a provider with dedicated programs for each. For a straightforward retail shipment where scale and a price lock top your list, Montway is a reasonable first call.
Who should choose Car Haul Direct?
Choose CHD if your shipment lives in the auction and dealer world. The 3 to 5 free storage days on auction pickups, typical 1-to-3-day pickup windows, and transparent adders ($100 to $200 for inoperable units, 40 to 60 percent for enclosed) are built for buyers who win a bid and need a truck fast without surprise line items. You also get an instant online quote with no phone call required, $2M in stated cargo insurance coverage, and a broker you can verify in 2 minutes under USDOT 4321158. If that fits your move, you can get a quote in about a minute, or browse more comparisons on the CHD blog.
Comparison data retrieved July 2026; verify current terms with each provider.
Frequently asked questions
Is Car Haul Direct or Montway cheaper?
Neither company publishes rate cards, and broker pricing moves with carrier supply on your specific route, so an honest answer requires a live quote. CHD’s instant calculator returns a price online with no phone call, and Montway’s calculator does the same with phone and chat as backups. Get both numbers for your exact route and dates before deciding.
Does Montway require a deposit?
Under Montway’s Terms and Conditions, you are not charged at booking; you are charged when your order is dispatched to a carrier. After a carrier accepts your order, canceling carries a minimum $249 fee, so the practical window for a free exit closes at carrier acceptance.
What is Montway’s TruePrice guarantee?
Launched October 1, 2025, TruePrice locks your booked price for 30 calendar days. Montway states it will not raise the price for carrier costs, fuel, or market conditions during that window. It applies to confirmed bookings for operable, factory-standard vehicles, and rescheduling beyond 30 days triggers a re-quote.
What is Montway’s cancellation fee?
Cancellation is free any time before a carrier accepts your order. After carrier acceptance, the Terms and Conditions set a minimum cancellation fee of $249, and the cancellation must be submitted in writing by email; phone, text, or chat cancellations are not accepted.
Can I cancel a Car Haul Direct order?
CHD does not publish its cancellation and refund terms online. Ask for the current terms in writing when you request your quote, before any money moves.
Is Car Haul Direct a legitimate broker?
CHD is an FMCSA-licensed broker with active authority under USDOT 4321158, which you can verify yourself in about 2 minutes on the FMCSA SAFER system. The company is also a BBB Accredited Business with an A rating, accredited 7/13/2026.
Which is better for auction car shipping, Montway or Car Haul Direct?
Both serve auctions. CHD’s offer is more specialized: 3 to 5 free storage days on auction pickups, typical 1-to-3-day pickup, and a published $100 to $200 inoperable adder. Montway counters with a dedicated auction shipping page and a network it reports at more than 30,000 carriers.
Does Car Haul Direct ship to Hawaii or Alaska?
No. CHD covers the 48 contiguous states plus flagged cross-border moves. Montway serves all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii, so it is the option between these 2 for non-contiguous shipments.
Who has better reviews, Montway or Car Haul Direct?
Montway has far more volume: 3.9 stars across roughly 1,900 Trustpilot reviews (retrieved July 2026) versus CHD’s 4.2 stars across 13. CHD’s Google rating is 4.0 across 67 reviews, and its BBB rating is A against Montway’s A+. Higher volume means more statistical confidence; CHD’s scores are competitive but based on small counts, and we will not pretend otherwise.
