When it comes to the auto transport industry, one question reigns supreme: What does it cost to move this car?

Pricing has long been a complex and often misunderstood component of auto transport, influencing decisions at every level of the supply chain. From carriers determining profitability to brokers optimizing margins and shippers managing budgets, pricing is at the heart of the industry’s operations.

Vin Yuldashev, a veteran in the industry and a key member of the product team at Super Dispatch, sheds light on how accurate pricing can transform auto transport in a recent episode of the Auto Transport Co-Pilot podcast.

1. The Role of Pricing in Auto Transport

Pricing in auto transport is more than just a number; it’s a balancing act.

• For carriers, it determines whether a load is profitable
• For brokers, it’s a critical factor in optimizing margins
• For shippers, pricing influences budgeting, forecasting, and decision-making

Vin highlights a common scenario: when loads don’t move on a load board, brokers’ go-to strategy is to “bump the price.” This reactive approach highlights the importance of setting the right price from the start. Accurate pricing ensures that loads are accepted quickly and profitably, reducing delays and inefficiencies.

However, achieving accurate pricing is no small feat. The factors influencing transport costs are numerous and dynamic, from vehicle type and condition to route specifics, market demand, and even seasonal trends. For decades, the industry lacked a centralized source of reliable pricing data, leaving stakeholders to rely on guesswork and fragmented insights.

2. Super Dispatch’s Solution: Pricing Insights

Super Dispatch’s Pricing Insights represents a suite of data-driven tools designed to bring transparency and accuracy to auto transport pricing. Vin and his team have developed an algorithm that leverages machine learning to analyze millions of data points and predict transport costs with remarkable precision.

The Pricing Insights suite includes several key features:

• Recommended Pricing: Based on real-time market conditions and historical data, Super Dispatch provides a recommended price that reflects the cost required to move a car efficiently, which considers variables like route distance, vehicle type, and trailer type.

• Confidence Scores: To add transparency, each pricing recommendation is accompanied by a confidence score on a scale of 1 to 100. High scores indicate robust data backing the recommendation, while lower scores signal less certainty, often due to limited historical data for a specific route or vehicle type.

• Free Pricing Tool: Available on the Super Dispatch website, this tool allows anyone to input details like origin, destination, and vehicle type to receive instant pricing recommendations and supporting data.

• Pricing Insights API: For larger customers, the API offers seamless integration, enabling high-volume pricing requests and detailed data analysis to power platforms, marketplaces, and quoting tools.

• CSV-Based Testing: To simplify the adoption process, Super Dispatch offers CSV tools for bulk testing. Users can upload vehicle and route details to receive pricing recommendations and confidence scores without full API integration.

3. How Pricing Insights Transforms the Industry

Vin highlights that accurate pricing benefits every stakeholder in the auto transport ecosystem:

• Carriers gain visibility into market rates, enabling them to make informed decisions about which loads to accept.
• Brokers can optimize their margins and improve efficiency by relying on precise pricing recommendations instead of trial and error.
• Shippers can better plan budgets and forecast expenses, incorporating transport costs seamlessly into their operations.

4. The Future of Pricing in Auto Transport

What does the future hold for pricing? According to Vin, the industry is on the cusp of even greater transformations. He envisions tools that incorporate real-time factors like fuel prices, weather events, and supply-demand dynamics into pricing algorithms. Seasonality could also be more accurately accounted for, helping brokers and shippers anticipate fluctuations and plan accordingly.

Additionally, the rise of AI presents exciting opportunities. From automating trip-building for carriers to refining pricing forecasts, AI promises to reduce manual workloads and enhance decision-making at every level.

Pricing is the cornerstone of the auto transport industry, influencing profitability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. With tools like Super Dispatch’s Pricing Insights, the industry is moving toward a future where pricing is no longer a guessing game but a science.

As Vin’s journey illustrates, the auto transport industry is evolving rapidly, and accurate pricing is at the heart of this transformation. Whether you’re a carrier looking to maximize profitability, a broker optimizing margins, or a shipper planning budgets, the ability to access and trust pricing data is more critical than ever.

Vin’s Background 

Vin has over 15 years of experience in the auto transport industry. Having joined Super Dispatch as one of its earliest employees, he has worn many hats, including roles in sales, marketing, and support, before focusing on product development. His journey into auto transport began in college when he started hauling cars.

Vin Yuldashev on LinkedIn

Super Dispatch Website

Listen to this episode of Auto Transport Co-Pilot podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: 

Spotify: