Detroit, MI – January 20, 2026 – Nearly one in three vehicle shippers has experienced vehicle transportation fraud in the past three years, according to new research from Auto Hauler Exchange (AHX). The findings highlight persistent transparency gaps in vehicle logistics, an area where little vehicle-specific data has been publicly available, despite the growing operational and financial impact on dealers, auctions, and OEM partners.
As vehicle transportation plays a direct role in inventory flow and time-to-sale, this new report offers a detailed view of how shippers experience costs, delays, and fraud across different transportation models.
The report, The State of Transparency in Vehicle Transportation, puts current data behind long-standing industry challenges, offering insights into how shippers struggle to find reliable carriers, the unfamiliarity of many hidden costs, and the impact delivery delays have on inventory readiness and customer experience.
“Vehicle logistics has historically been opaque, and many shippers have had to accept that as the status quo,” said Royce Neubauer, Founder and CEO of Auto Hauler Exchange. “This report shows that dissatisfaction is growing. Shippers want clearer pricing, better communication, and more accountability, and the data shows where transparency gaps are having the greatest impact.”
The survey collected responses from 59 vehicle shippers, including franchised and independent dealers, auctions, and OEM partners, and was conducted in Q4 2025.
Key survey findings
Reliability & transparency gaps remain the biggest challenge
- 46% of shippers cite finding dependable carriers as their top pain point
- Cost (42%) and speed (34%) follow closely behind as major concerns
- The average satisfaction score for vehicle transportation overall is 6.8 out of 10
Higher fraud risk in brokered and load board models
- 29% of shippers report experiencing vehicle transportation fraud in the past three years
- Most common forms of fraud include ghost carriers (53%), double brokering (47%), stolen vehicles (41%)
- Shippers using brokers or load boards are 72% more likely to experience fraud than those working directly with carriers or direct-to-carrier marketplaces
Delivery expectations vs. reality continue to clash
- 98% of shippers expect vehicles delivered within eight days, and nearly half expect delivery in under four days
- Shippers using brokers are 4.5 times more likely to report deliveries missing expected timeframes compared to those using direct-to-carrier marketplaces
- 69% of respondents say they want more visibility into expected vehicle arrival times
Additional insights:
- Satisfaction with transparency averages 6.6 out of 10
- Respondents using direct-to-carrier marketplaces report the highest transparency satisfaction
- 91% of shippers say real-time updates are important or very important when transporting vehicles
- 15% of shippers don’t know their annual vehicle transportation spend
- Nearly half lack insight into the cost of delivery delays
Shaping the future of vehicle logistics
As expectations for speed, visibility, and accountability rise across the automotive industry, vehicle logistics is under increasing pressure to evolve. The findings show shippers want end-to-end visibility into the shipping process, including expected time of arrival, real-time vehicle location, and delays. Greater transparency directly affects their biggest pain points—finding reliable carriers, improving delivery speed, and controlling overall cost.
Strategies identified in this report include:
- Reducing fraud by eliminating opaque intermediary models
- Using data to better align delivery expectations with reality
- Treating time as a measurable cost to improve planning and inventory movement
The full report is available for download here: The State of Transparency in Vehicle Transportation. Learn how direct-to-carrier marketplaces, including platforms like Auto Hauler Exchange, are reshaping vehicle logistics through greater transparency and direct shipper-carrier connections.
About Auto Hauler Exchange
Auto Hauler Exchange (AHX) is a digital marketplace that directly connects vehicle shippers and carriers, streamlining the vehicle transportation process. By leveraging technology, AHX creates a more efficient and cost-effective solution for vehicle logistics, improving visibility, transparency, and ease of use for both shippers and carriers. With a growing network of over 5,500 carriers, AHX is quickly becoming a leading platform in the vehicle transport space. Learn more at www.autohaulerexchange.com.
