Privacy Policy

Hitch-N-Ride is a connection/network platform that links livestock and pet owners with independent transporters. We are not a licensed carrier, broker, or transporter, and we do not transport animals ourselves.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use our platform, and the choices available to you.

When you create or maintain an account or profile, we may collect information you provide, including your name, business or display name, email address, phone number, state or location information, and — for transporters — service information such as routes or coverage areas, species handled, equipment details, and other information you choose to submit to your profile.

Authentication is provided through our sign-in service provider, which processes your login credentials and session information on our behalf.

We collect information you submit with transport requests — such as pickup and delivery areas, dates, animal details, and notes — along with marketplace interactions such as expressions of interest, quotes, and other activity necessary to operate the marketplace and connect owners with transporters.

Certain listing information is displayed to other users to facilitate connections. Publicly displayed locations are generalized (for example, city and state); precise street addresses you provide for coordination are not published on public listings.

Messages sent through Hitch-N-Ride messaging are stored and processed to deliver the messaging service, notify recipients, maintain site safety, enforce our policies, and operate the marketplace. Please use good judgment about the personal information you include in messages.

Transporters may voluntarily provide information and documentation for verification purposes, including business information, regulatory identifiers (such as DOT or MC numbers), insurance information and documents, equipment details, and identity or contact information as applicable.

Verification information is reviewed by our administrators. Not all submitted verification information is publicly displayed: insurance documents and similar sensitive materials remain private, and only your verification status and selected profile information may be shown publicly.

We may send essential account and service communications, transport request communications, messaging notifications, transporter verification and profile communications, document expiration reminders, and — where you have opted in — optional marketing or newsletter communications.

You may unsubscribe from optional marketing communications at any time through your account email preferences. Essential service-related communications may still be sent when necessary to operate your account or a service you have requested.

Hitch-N-Ride and certain service providers use cookies or similar technologies for: (a) essential website functionality, primarily authentication and session management provided by our sign-in service; (b) remembering interface preferences on your device; and (c) analytics, through Google Analytics cookies and identifiers as described in the Analytics section below.

Essential authentication cookies are necessary for the site to work and cannot be disabled without preventing sign-in. Analytics cookies are not essential, and we honor recognized universal opt-out signals for them as described in Your Privacy Rights. If a visitor clicks an affiliate link, the third-party retailer or its affiliate network may also use cookies or similar technologies on its own website to attribute the referral, as described in the Affiliate & Referral Tracking section below.

You can manage or remove cookies at any time using your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies may prevent sign-in and other core features from working.

Hitch-N-Ride may participate in affiliate or referral programs with retailers, manufacturers, service providers, or affiliate networks. Where we do, affiliate links are identified consistent with our Affiliate Disclosure.

When you click an affiliate link, you may be redirected to a third-party website, and that third party or its affiliate network may use cookies, tracking identifiers, or similar technology to attribute a purchase or qualifying action to Hitch-N-Ride. Hitch-N-Ride may receive a commission or referral fee. Your purchase price is generally not increased because Hitch-N-Ride receives a commission.

Purchases are completed with the third-party retailer or manufacturer, not Hitch-N-Ride, and third-party websites are governed by their own privacy policies and terms. We do not transmit your name, email address, phone number, or other personally identifiable Hitch-N-Ride account information to affiliate networks through affiliate links.

We use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used. Google Analytics may collect information such as browser and device information, approximate geographic information, pages visited, referring pages, interactions with the site, and similar usage information, using cookies and similar identifiers. This information is transmitted to and processed by Google on our behalf.

We use this information to understand site usage, improve the platform, troubleshoot issues, measure content performance, and improve the user experience. Our servers also keep standard technical logs (such as request and error logs) to operate, secure, and troubleshoot the platform.

Analytics is not loaded when your browser sends a Global Privacy Control opt-out signal, and you can also limit Google Analytics using browser cookie controls or Google’s browser opt-out tools.

We use a small number of service providers to operate the platform: an authentication provider (Clerk) for sign-in and session management; an email delivery provider (Resend) to send the communications described above; a marketing email platform (Zoho Campaigns) that receives your name and email address only if you explicitly opt in to marketing emails; Google Analytics for the usage analytics described above; Google Cloud storage for files and documents you upload; and hosting and infrastructure providers.

These providers process information on our behalf to deliver their services and are not authorized to use it for their own marketing purposes.

Certain profile and listing information is shared with other users to facilitate connections — for example, a transporter’s public directory profile or details necessary to coordinate a transport request. We also share information with the service providers described above, and when required by law or to protect the platform and its users.

We do not sell personal information for money, and we do not use advertising networks or disclose personal information to third parties for cross-context behavioral or targeted advertising. Depending on your state’s law, the use of analytics cookies that transmit usage information to Google could be treated as a form of “sharing” or processing you are entitled to opt out of; you can exercise that choice through the Global Privacy Control signal or browser cookie controls described in this policy. Affiliate referral tracking described above occurs on third-party websites after you choose to click an affiliate link; we do not send your account information to affiliate networks.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights under applicable state privacy laws regarding your personal information, which can include the right to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of your personal information, and to opt out of certain uses such as targeted advertising or sale/sharing where applicable.

To make a privacy request, contact us through our contact page and describe your request. We will respond consistent with applicable law, and we may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal: when your browser sends a GPC opt-out signal, we do not load analytics on this site. Essential functionality such as sign-in and session management is not affected by the signal, because those cookies are necessary to provide the service you request. You can additionally manage analytics cookies through your browser settings or Google’s opt-out tools described in the Analytics section.

We take reasonable measures designed to protect information from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse, including restricting access to sensitive verification documents. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

You may review and update your account information, manage email preferences from your account, control cookies through your browser, and request deletion of your account by contacting us. Some information may be retained as required for legal or operational purposes.

The platform is intended for adults and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, how your information is handled, or wish to make a privacy request, please reach out through our contact page.