Honestly I used to be the guy who said just book the cheapest and roll the dice, figured a car is a car and the savings were worth it. Then I got burned the same way, carrier showed up two days late and tried to hit me for extra cash at the door, and I had zero power to fight it because I paid some random dude on a random site. That flipped my whole view on the $900 rule thing, because now I get why people say a lowball quote just means the broker is fishing for a driver who will tack on fees later. These days I do the three broker calls too, and I always ask point blank if they own the truck or if it's a load board post, because that answer tells you everything. Paying the deposit by card is smart, that dispute option is the only backup you get when someone goes sideways on you.

Man, that 90 minute drive is sounding pretty good right about now, because no filter is gonna fix a light dome that big. Save the 200 bucks next time and put it toward gas, you'll get way better shots.