Go to some places on social media and you might find posts conveying that the vehicle-transportation industry is in complete shambles because of fraud activity.

Whether merited or overblown online hollering, Cox Automotive is looking to shore up its transportation endeavors by launching a pilot of Secure Vehicle Transfer.

Cox Automotive said it’s a new digital vehicle handoff solution built to help shippers verify the right carrier is picking up the right vehicle at the right location before a vehicle changes hands.

And, according to a news release distributed on Wednesday, Central Dispatch is the first to offer it.

Here’s how it works:

—The assigned driver receives the credential in the Central Dispatch Carrier app, which is the same one carriers already use to manage inspections and pickups.

—Each credential is unique to a single VIN, an authorized carrier and one pickup location. It can’t be copied, forwarded or captured by screenshot. And if the authorization changes, the credential is revoked automatically in real time.

—When the driver is within five miles of the pickup location, the credential can be scanned by the person releasing the vehicle using the Secure Vehicle Transfer app. This creates a documented record of the handoff.

—The entire verification process is designed to take about 90 seconds — from credential confirmation to vehicle release — with the goal of making a more secure handoff feel effortless.

“Today’s transportation landscape requires new layers of verification, accountability and control at the moment a vehicle changes hands,” said Lainey Sibble, head of Central Dispatch. “We’re not waiting for someone else to set the standard for what comes next. As the largest marketplace, we have both the responsibility and the reach to raise the bar for the entire industry, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

Cox Automotive noted Secure Vehicle Transfer has officially been deployed as a pilot, with Central Dispatch partnering with select dealership pickup locations and identified carriers from the Ready Logistics network.

At the conclusion of the pilot, the company said Secure Vehicle Transfer will be available to all shippers, carriers and brokers in the Central Dispatch marketplace, including Ready Logistics’ network of more than 6,000 vetted carriers.

Over time, Cox Automotive plans to extend the capability across additional parts of its operations, including Manheim’s 80 physical locations.

This year, the company highlighted Central Dispatch became the first transportation company to implement biometric identity verification at scale, helping verify users’ identities before they access the platform.

Looking ahead, Central Dispatch wants to extend biometric verification to the point of vehicle release, which Cox Automotive claims would be a first for the industry.

“Security isn’t a single feature; it’s a journey we’re all on together,” Sibble said. “Every shipper, carrier and pickup location that embraces this next step with Secure Vehicle Transfer is a part of creating a stronger, more fortified transportation experience all around. It’s a new habit for our industry, but it’s one worth building because a secure handoff not only protects everyone in the transaction, it also shows bad actors that we’re fighting back in force.”

Sounds like a development for a future social media discussion.