In a Nutshell
pros
- Wide selection of carriers to choose from
- Listings receive multiple quotes within minutes
- All carriers have insurance in case of damage to your items
cons
- CitizenShipper doesn’t offer direct insurance
- Customer experience varies from driver to driver
CitizenShipper Services at a Glance
Main Services Covered
Transport for hard-to-ship items
Participating States
All 50 states
Online quote tool
No
Insurance included
Yes
Services Covered
CitizenShipper is an online marketplace that connects people who want to transport hard-to-ship items with carriers that specialize in shipment of such items. Items shipped by CitizenShipper include pets and animals, motorcycles, vehicles, boats and water vehicles, bulky household Items, apartment and home contents, heavy equipment, and industrial freight.
In addition to shipping, some CitizenShipper carriers also offer:
Enclosed Trailer Hauling. This is a form of shipping that ensures that your property is fully enclosed during transit. This means that your item will be transported in a vehicle that has a roof and walls on all sides.
GPS Tracking. For added security, some CitizenShipper carriers offer GPS tracking to help customers keep up to date with the transit of their items.
Solo Rides (VIP). To maximize efficiency, CitizenShipper carriers tend to ship multiple items whenever possible. If you’d prefer your items to be shipped individually, you can select this option as an add-on service.
Open Trailer Hauling. In contrast to closed trailer hauling, this type of shipping uses an open trailer. Open trailers tend to cost less since they don’t have the added weight of a roof or walls or both.
Door-to-Door Delivery. This is a type of delivery that takes your shipment from one place of residence to another. This way, you don’t have to spend extra money and time to get your item from a handling facility after shipping.
Add-on services vary widely from carrier to carrier, so you will have to discuss with your chosen shipping provider what you specifically need.
You may also be able to get special equipment from a carrier if you are shipping something unusual. Such equipment includes a loading ramp, chocks and straps, a loading winch, and a jump starter for broken-down vehicles.
Pricing
CitizenShipper’s pricing will differ from driver to driver. After you post your listing, drivers will place their bids depending on your needs. From my interactions with the drivers on the website, I found many of them will provide an approximate price and adjust accordingly after receiving full details such as specific dates and times.
To transport two 70-pound German Shepherds from Los Angeles to San Diego, I received quotes ranging from $200 to $2500. However, most of the quotes were between $200 and $400. You should know that some drivers will submit proposals without prices.
To ship a 2020 Tesla Model S, I received quotes ranging from $165 to $800. Many of the drivers submitted proposals without prices, asking for more specific details such as if I wanted it towed or driven.
Ultimately, whatever your price range, there is most likely a driver for you on CitizenShipper.
Moving Process
To start the moving process with CitizenShipper, you enter your pickup location, drop-off location, and email address on the company’s website.
You’ll then need to enter what you’re shipping and provide more details about your items.
For example, for pets, you need to provide the type, breed, size, weight, and number of animals you are transporting. For vehicles, you need to select the type, make, model, and year of manufacturing of the vehicle. For every category of item being shipped, CitizenShipper encourages users to upload a photo to get the most accurate quote possible from the carriers.
After you describe your shipment, CitizenShipper requires you to choose when and where you’d like your item shipped.
If you’d like any services in addition to shipping, you can select them at this point. Services available include enclosed trailer hauling, GPS tracking, solo rides (VIP), open trailer hauling, and door-to-door delivery.
At this point, your shipment is ready to go. In my experience with the site, I managed to get quotes within less than a minute of having my listing on the site.
On average, I managed to get a total of eight quotes for each of my listings within ten minutes of posting.
Fleet Details
Since CitizenShipper is only a marketplace, fleet details vary from driver to driver. However, CitizenShipper’s screening process ensures that drivers have all the necessary vehicles and equipment required to transport your items safely.
Customer Service
CitizenShipper has a wonderful customer service team that is available seven days a week at support@citizenshipper.com. The company also has a chat bot on the site to help with general inquiries. Drivers are encouraged to stay in touch with customers during service, and judging from customer reviews, this seems to be the case.
Unfortunately, CitizenShipper doesn’t offer insurance for items during transit. However, all carriers on the platform are required to have insurance that covers your property.
To protect pets, CitizenShipper offers a Pet Transportation Protection Plan worth $1000 for free. The company emphasizes that this isn’t insurance and is only meant to cover some, or all, of your expenses related to pet injuries, illnesses, and other unexpected issues that may occur during shipping.
Testimonials
Her are some of the positive things customers had to say about CitizenShipper:
Juan was always communicative and kept me informed. He was professional
and my scooter got here safely and quickly. His price was fair too. Would recommend 203 Transport.
I had my puppy shipped from Illinois to Georgia. The driver was very courteous; he kept me informed with calls, texts and pictures of my puppy along the way. I highly recommend them.
I dealt with directly with a customer service representative named Mara Alvarez, who was absolutely wonderful, helpful, highly professional, and extremely timely. A+ for customer service!
Was in a tizzy about getting my newly adopted puppy to me from OH to MT. Didn't realize he was a "snub nose" breed and couldn't fly in cargo. Started intense and avid research. So glad I found CitizenShipper. I had control in my decision in reviewing the offers which came in, selecting my transporter based on my personal needs/criteria.
Bottom Line
CitizenShipper offers an easy-to-use marketplace that effectively connects people looking to move hard-to-ship items to professional carriers. To use the service, you’ll start by submitting details about what you want to ship. For example, for a pet, you’ll need to state the breed, size, weight, and type of animal.
After you upload your listing, CitizenShipper’s drivers will send you quotes according to what you are trying to ship. You can expect to get quotes within a minute of uploading your listing. All CitizenShipper carriers are required to have insurance and pets are covered by a $1000 Pet Transportation Protection Plan. In addition to all these great features, CitizenShipper is available in all 50 states.
