Updated September 29, 2026 · By Brian Smith
Two different numbers
An estimate is a range. The bands on the route pages and in the cost calculator come from what carriers are accepting on your lane today. They are honest, but they are not a contract, and both pages say so. A confirmed rate is different. It is the price set when a licensed carrier accepts your vehicle at a specific rate, and it is the number written on your dispatch confirmation.
What is guaranteed
- Once a carrier is assigned and the rate is confirmed, that rate does not change.
- Nothing is charged when you book. A deposit is due only after a licensed carrier is assigned with a confirmed pickup window.
- The balance goes to the driver at delivery, by the method stated on your dispatch confirmation, and it is the amount on that confirmation.
- No fuel surcharge, delivery fee or other add-on is asked for at pickup or at delivery.
The guarantee is on the price, not the calendar. Pickup and delivery dates are estimates, because weather, traffic and hours-of-service limits move a schedule, and I tell you as soon as I learn of a change.
If the market is above the estimate
Sometimes the posted rate on a lane is below what carriers will accept. When that happens I tell you before anything is charged and give you the choice: wait, widen your pickup window, or raise the rate. I do not take a deposit and let your car sit.
What can change the price, and what cannot
The guarantee covers the job as it was described to me. If the job itself changes, I re-quote before anything moves and you decide whether to go ahead. That means a car described as running that does not run, a different vehicle from the one quoted, modifications or dimensions that were not mentioned, or a pickup or delivery address that changes the distance. Nothing extra is collected at the door without your agreement.
What does not change a confirmed price: the carrier's fuel costs, the season turning, or the market moving after you have confirmed. Once the rate is set, those are my risk, not yours.
If you need to cancel
You can cancel free of charge at any time before a carrier is dispatched. Once a carrier has been assigned and is en route, a cancellation fee may apply, because the driver has reserved a position on the trailer and turned down other loads to take yours. The full wording is in the terms.
How to test any company's guarantee
Whoever you book with, ask these before you pay anything:
- Is the price confirmed in writing before I pay?
- Is a deposit due before a carrier is assigned?
- Is there any charge, other than the confirmed balance, payable to the driver?
- What happens if no carrier will accept the quoted rate?
- Can I cancel free before a driver is dispatched?
- Which document shows the price the driver expects to collect?
A "guaranteed" price that appears on no confirmation document is a promise, not a price. The broker warning-signs guide covers the rest, and the verify-us page shows how to check my licence against the federal record.
Written by Brian Smith, Auto Transport Specialist at Leader Auto Ship LLC — FMCSA licensed property broker, MC #1638331, DOT #4232283. Verify the licence yourself.
