When shipping a car you have a choice between two basic types of transport:
open
or
enclosed
With an open carrier your car will be exposed to the elements like it would be if you were driving.
With an enclosed carrier your car will be completely covered like below. ↓
The transport process is similar regardless of which method you choose. If you are new to auto transport you will want to check out our general auto transport guide.
Enclosed transport is safer it is more expensive and availability is more limited compared to open transport.
These are the routes that we regularly have enclosed transporters on:
If you are shipping on a route not along the red lines we may not have someone available right away and it could be difficult to accommodate a very specific timeframe. If you are in this situation call as far in advance as possible and try to be flexible.
Enclosed transport is also more expensive.
Here are some example charges for open vs enclosed transport:
| Route | Open | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|
| Miami to Los Angeles | $1400 | $2200 |
| Boston to Miami | $1000 | $1600 |
| Chicago to Los Angeles | $1100 | $1500 |
| Seattle to Los Angeles | $700 | $1100 |
| Miami to Chicago | $1100 | $1500 |
If you are shipping on a route not on the map above the difference in open and enclosed prices could be even more significant.
Any car worth more than about $70,000 we recommend shipping enclosed. Certain cars like classics or cars with a lot of sentimental value could be worth less but still worth the extra cost of enclosed transport to really ensure a safe shipment.
There is not as big of a cost difference between open and enclosed when shipping a motorcycle however. This is because most enclosed carriers can easily handle bikes while a lot of open transporters cannot.
Enclosed transporters are also much more specialized for low cars like sports cars. They have either extra long ramps or liftgates like in the video below. ↓
(904) 553-7367
