Interview with Michael Hampton

Yesterday, Auto Transport Consultant had the great opportunity to sit down with Michael Hampton, a well-known and knowledgeable consultant in the industry. With almost ten years’ experience in the industry, Hampton has seen it all, and now he’s been generous enough to sit down with us and explain a bit about the industry.

Auto Transport Consultant: How long have you worked in the auto transport industry, and when exactly did you start working in the industry?

Michael Hampton: I started in January 1999, so almost ten years now.

ATC: How has the industry changed over the past ten years?

MH: Advertising has changed so much due to the internet, and advertising is how most companies make their money. Before the internet was huge, most companies advertised in the Yellow Pages, so most business was local. Now, with more customers buying cars online, a thousand miles away, they need them shipped, and internet marketing has been a great tool because they can see different companies’ ads on eBay when they buy their vehicle.

Also, the industry used to be very seasonal, with most people shipping cars in the summer, or in the winter – these people are known as snowbirds, because they always ship down from the Northeast to Florida. Now, with internet marketing as big as it is, the market has evened out a lot because people can buy cars year-round. While business does increase during the summer still, as well as winter, the swings aren’t as pronounced.

ATC: How many new brokerages have you spoken with in the past ten years?

MH: Oh, hundreds at least.

ATC: And lastly, why are more people entering the business now than ever before?

MH:It mainly has to due with the fact that the industry is, for the most part, untapped. Out of roughly 1,000 brokerages across the country, 200 of them write 99% of the orders. Therefore, it’s easier to break into because there isn’t a whole lot of competition. Besides, most cars that you see on the road either came from Detroit or from overseas, and that means that they need to get to the dealerships, right? Manufacturers use auto transport companies to ship their cars because it’s cheaper for them to do so, and most dealerships use auto transport companies to get cars to their customers – again, thanks to online marketing.

ATC: Well, that concludes our interview, and make sure to keep watching Auto Transport Consultant for more news about auto transport!