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The configured source value 7 is provenance only and must never be described as the number of platforms studied.","The finalrankingtable is the sole authority for rank, platform mentions, platform share, average rank, and best rank. Ignore any conflicting value embedded in a entity evidence bundle.","The Consensus Ranking table must contain exactly one row per finalrankingtable entity, in that order, using that exact entityname. Never split one ranked entity into two product, model, SKU, or product-line rows, and never add another ranking row for a brand already listed. Put recommended products or plans inside that entity's ranked section.","Platform mentions count only ranking-discovery mentions. Do not substitute the number of platforms that later completed a fit assessment.","Citation IDs inside each entity bundle are local to that entity. Consolidate sources by URL using the supplied source catalog.","The URLs were collected from platform responses and were not independently validated by either writer stage.","Each fitreviewurlorplaceholder is the final site-relative CMS path for that entity's review. Link the entity name to that exact path exactly once in its ranked prose section, outside tables and headings. Never replace it with a run ID, report ID, UUID, or local output path.","Use the exact entity-namespaced citation IDs from the source catalog (e.g. e1:); never transfer a citation between entities."],"methodology":{"fit_rating_contract":["strong","good","mixed","weak","uncertain"],"included_valid_platform_count":7,"maximum_finalists":10,"minimum_mentions":2,"name":"Moving Consensus Index cross-platform AI consensus analysis","platforms_included":["anthropic","deepseek","google","grok","kimi","openai","perplexity"],"platforms_queried":["openai","anthropic","deepseek","grok","perplexity","kimi","google"],"stages":["ranking_discovery","fit_assessment","normalization","editorial_synthesis"],"version":"alias-table-1"},"provenance":{"generated_at":"2026-09-30 22:09:07.448011+00","research_date":"2026-09-30","source_snapshot_sha256":"d19b529c4097c030695c5c45d7794a86163bc82e5157fd2b8f6dca41c7e4ff50","verification_scope":"public_verification"},"ranking":{"candidates_evaluated":24,"qualified_finalists":9,"ranking_unit":"Auto transport company or broker"},"schema_version":4,"summary":"AmeriFreight is the consensus leader for short-distance regional vehicle shipping in this 7-platform AI study, named by 5 of 7 platforms (71.4%) at an average listed position of 4.0 and a best position of 1. Sherpa Auto Transport and Montway Auto Transport tie on mentions (5 each, 71.4%) and are the strongest alternatives for buyers who prioritize a locked-in price or door-to-door coordination, respectively. uShip is the best fit for buyers who want to solicit competing carrier bids. Nine entities qualified out of 24 named. The principal limitation: this index reflects one standardized…","target_buyer":"A consumer shipping a vehicle a shorter regional distance who wants fair pricing despite the shorter route.","topic":{"base_category":"Auto Transport and Vehicle Shipping Companies","category_criteria":["minimum shipment pricing for short hauls","route density in the region","willingness to accept short-haul jobs","delivery speed for short routes"],"geography":"United States","slug":"best-auto-transport-companies-for-short-distance-regional-vehicle-shipping","title":"Best Auto Transport Companies for Short-Distance Regional Vehicle Shipping","use_case":"short distance regional shipping"}}