Case Study: When a Carrier Bypasses Protocol — Why Terms Matter in Auto Transport

At Bigfella Auto Express, we pride ourselves on maintaining professional, transparent relationships with every carrier we work with. The vast majority follow our clear procedures for vehicle condition, payment release, and damage claims. But when a carrier ignores those terms, it puts our clients and our company at risk.

One such case involved Shipping Experts Inc (USDOT 1248482 / MC 489832), who transported a 2016 Subaru WRX for one of our customers.

What Went Wrong

After delivery, the customer reported that the vehicle had visible transport damage. Per Section 11 of our Carrier Terms & Conditions, the process for payment release is as follows:

“Payment to the carrier will be withheld until the vehicle is fully repaired and the following are received:

• Clear photos of the repaired vehicle

• A signed statement from the customer confirming the vehicle’s condition is acceptable.”

Instead of following this standard protocol or waiting for a claim to be filed with their insurer, Shipping Experts bypassed the process and paid the customer directly for the damage—without any coordination with our office.

To escalate matters further, they sent an email to Bigfella Auto Express and CC’d the customer, falsely claiming that we were intentionally withholding payment from them—despite being in clear violation of the agreed-upon terms.

How We Handled It

Even though we were contractually within our rights to withhold payment for up to 90 days, we acted in good faith:

• We verified with the customer that the vehicle was repaired and they were satisfied.

• We released payment through Super Dispatch to resolve the issue.

• We immediately blocked Shipping Experts Inc from being assigned any future loads through our system.

Why This Matters

This situation highlights why strict adherence to broker-carrier terms is critical in the auto transport industry. Our damage claim and payment hold policy exists to:

• Ensure that the customer is made whole

• Prevent improper or undocumented settlements

• Maintain legal protection for all parties involved

When a carrier disregards those protocols—and worse, misrepresents the situation to the customer—it damages trust and opens the door to legal and reputational risks.

As clearly stated in our terms:

“Violations will result in a $100,000 fine, contract termination, and potential legal action.”

While we have chosen not to pursue further penalties in this instance, the carrier has been permanently removed from our rotation.

Final Word

Bigfella Auto Express is committed to doing right by our customers—and that includes holding carriers accountable when they deviate from agreed processes.

If you’re a broker, dealer, or shipping customer who values transparency, compliance, and protection when things go wrong, we’re here to help.

📞 Contact us if you need trusted carrier vetting or auto transport coordination done the right way.