Broker
A broker arranges transportation by an authorized carrier and is paid for that arranging. In car shipping, the broker does not haul the car and does not take possession of it. The carrier does.
Key facts
The sources are listed on this page.
A broker is a company that, for pay, arranges transportation of property by a motor carrier that already has authority to haul it. Federal rules say a carrier is not a broker when it arranges a shipment it has already accepted and is authorized to haul. FMCSA's description of a property broker adds a practical test: the broker does not assume responsibility for the property and does not take possession of it.
What that means on your job
The broker can quote you, take a booking, and post the car for a truck. The carrier accepts the load, sends the driver, and signs the bill of lading. If the car is damaged, you need the carrier's legal name and docket, not only the broker's. A website that will not say whether it is a broker or a carrier is the pattern FMCSA tells consumers to treat as suspicious.
A broker that arranges interstate for-hire shipments needs its own broker authority. Since 16 January 2026, 49 CFR 387.307 has required a 75,000 dollar surety bond or trust, on Form BMC-84 or Form BMC-85. That bond pays shippers or carriers if the broker fails to carry out the transportation contract. It is not cargo insurance on your car.
How a broker differs from RideShipper
RideShipper does not arrange the truck, negotiate the rate, or appear on the bill of lading. FMCSA has said that publishing information about potential shippers is not brokerage by itself, if the publisher is not otherwise in the deal. Companies may pay RideShipper for an introduction. You hire the company, not RideShipper.