Check me out before you book.
You should not take a stranger's word for it when a vehicle is involved. Here is who you are dealing with, and how to confirm it against a federal database in about a minute.
Yes. Brian Smith is an auto transport specialist at Leader Auto Ship LLC, an FMCSA-licensed property broker operating under MC #1638331 and DOT #4232283 from Morrow, OH. You can confirm that licence yourself on the federal SAFER database in about thirty seconds. Here is how, and what else is worth checking before you send anyone money.
Look up DOT #4232283 on SAFERWho you are actually dealing with.
This is a personal site. Brian Smith is one specialist at Leader Auto Ship LLC, and the company — not the individual — holds the federal broker authority that makes any of this legal. When you book through this site, the order is placed and dispatched under Leader Auto Ship LLC’s licence, MC #1638331.
It is worth saying plainly, because a personal domain showing someone else’s licence number is also what a certain kind of scam looks like. The difference is verifiability: every number on this page resolves to a government record you can read without asking anyone’s permission, and the company name on that record is the one printed above.
What you get by coming through here rather than the main line is narrower and more useful: the same person from the first quote to delivery, published rate bands for the lanes shown on this site, and a direct number instead of a queue.
How to check the licence in under a minute.
- 01
Open the FMCSA SAFER database
SAFER is the federal government's own record of every licensed carrier and broker in the United States. It is free, public, and not something any company can edit.
- 02
Search USDOT number 4232283
Choose "USDOT Number" as the search type and enter 4232283. You can also search the company name, Leader Auto Ship LLC, if you prefer.
- 03
Check three things on the record
That the legal name reads Leader Auto Ship LLC; that the operating status is active rather than revoked or out of service; and that the entity type lists Broker. All three should match what this site claims.
- 04
Confirm the MC number
The broker authority is MC #1638331. If a company gives you a DOT number but goes quiet when you ask for the MC number, that is worth a pause — brokers are required to hold one.
Four things worth doing with any transport company.
None of this is specific to me. It is what I would tell a friend shipping a car through someone else.
No deposit before a carrier is assigned
A deposit taken before a truck is booked is a deposit on a maybe. It should be collected only once a specific licensed carrier is assigned to your vehicle with a confirmed pickup date — that is how it works here, and it is a fair thing to demand of anyone.
Get the price in writing before pickup
Ask for the total, in an email, including what is due to the driver on delivery. A quote that only exists in a phone call is a quote that can change.
Check the carrier's own MC number too
Your broker arranges the move; a separate trucking company performs it. The carrier's name and MC number appear on the Bill of Lading. You are entitled to look that company up on SAFER as well, before the truck arrives.
Photograph the vehicle at pickup
Walk around it with the driver, photograph every panel and the odometer, and make sure any existing damage is marked on the Bill of Lading before it leaves. That document is what any later claim rests on.
The questions behind the question.
Is Brian — Leader Auto Ship a real company?
Yes. Brian Smith is an auto transport specialist at Leader Auto Ship LLC, a property broker licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under MC #1638331 and DOT #4232283, based in Morrow, OH. That licence is publicly verifiable on the FMCSA SAFER database, and the link to do it is on this page.
Why is the website brianleaderautoship.com and not the company name?
Because it is Brian's own site rather than the company's. Leader Auto Ship LLC holds the broker authority and dispatches every shipment; this site is where Brian's own customers find him, see his published rates, and reach him directly instead of going through a general queue. Bookings made here are placed under the LLC's authority.
Are you a broker or a carrier?
A broker. Leader Auto Ship LLC arranges your shipment with a licensed carrier that owns the truck and carries the cargo insurance. Almost every national auto transport name is a broker too — the difference worth asking about is not broker versus carrier, it is whether the broker tells you which carrier they assigned and what that carrier's insurance covers.
Whose reviews are the ones shown on this site?
They belong to Leader Auto Ship LLC's Google listing — 4.9 out of 5 across 1,396 reviews at the time of writing — not to a rating collected on this website. The listing is public and you can read it in full, including anything critical, without going through this site.
What should I do if a company raises the price after pickup?
Ask for the increase in writing along with the reason, and check it against the written quote you were given before pickup. A legitimate change is rare and explainable — an oversized or inoperable vehicle that was not disclosed, for instance. If no written quote exists and the amount simply moved, you can decline and file a complaint with the FMCSA at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov, which is the federal complaint database for brokers and carriers.
How do I know my vehicle is insured?
The carrier assigned to your vehicle carries cargo insurance, and you can ask for that certificate before pickup. Ask for the carrier's name, MC number and coverage amount — those are reasonable questions and a company that will not answer them is telling you something.
Still unsure? Call me on (567) 666-4241 and ask whatever you like, or read how the process works end to end.
Ready to get your vehicle moving?
Sixty seconds for an honest estimate. No deposit, no obligation, and no handing your number to five other brokers.