ST. LOUIS -

Auto dealerships face plenty of uncertainty regarding their business every day.

How competitive is your pricing? How effective is your marketing? Do you have sufficiently trained staff? Do you have enough inventory?

It would be great if you had one less worry: wondering if you’ve selected the right vehicle carrier.

There are plenty of ways to get transport quotes these days, from contacting individual haulers directly to getting quotes from various transport brokers. You may think you’re saving money by choosing to go with a local or regional transport company.

That’s not always the case, however.  Many times, national companies with vast networks can generate very competitive shipment quotes. Local doesn’t necessarily mean cheaper.

Other than pricing, here are four more reasons why it’s important to consider a national carrier when selecting a vehicle transport provider.

•    National companies have the ability to handle moves within the lower 48 states. Local carriers don’t necessarily have the means to service the entire contiguous 48 states. Two years ago, my company’s average move was 400 miles. Today we’re seeing averages of up to 600 miles per move. That shows that dealers are expanding their reach and can purchase vehicles from greater distances to add to their inventory. The improved economy is helping a little bit there, as well.

•    Most national carriers can find the right size hauler to handle any order. National companies can tap into a wider network with far greater variety in size and type of haulers. You’d be surprised by the types of things I’ve seen shipped: large boom trucks, ambulances, shuttle buses and more.

•    National carriers can handle a wider variety of loads, regardless if you’re transporting one or 100 vehicles.

•    Although most reputable local haulers carry sufficient insurance, some national carriers carry contingency cargo insurance that goes above and beyond those limits. This can provide additional peace of mind to dealers transporting expensive inventory.

If you have a great relationship with a trusted local hauler, by all means feel free to continue using them. If your geographic and load needs are expanding, it might be worth it for you to consider contacting a national carrier. Most will provide no-obligation quotes and explain to you exactly what additional services they provide.

William Billiter is managing partner of MetroGistics (www.metrogistics.com) a full-service vehicle transportation company based in St. Louis.