Open and closed Car Carriers - everything you need to know

If you need to ship a car from one destination to another, you may have noticed much more is involved in the process. You’ll generally have two major options to consider: enclosed car shipping and open car shipping. If you are interested in keeping your vehicle fully protected, then the best option for you is likely to be enclosed car transport. Keep in mind, however, that transporting closed vehicles is more expensive and can be more complicated than other methods.

Some of the most frequently asked questions in our business may be: What are open car carriers? What are closed car carriers?

Open Auto Transport

Vehicles transported by open auto haulers are not protected from weather conditions such as rain, sun, hail, and snow, as well as dust, insects, and even birds. This is one of the biggest drawbacks to this type of carrier. If you choose this type of transportation, you should know that your vehicle will be exposed to all of these elements.

However, trucking companies take great care and deliver vehicles to their final destination in good condition. They use well-trained movers who understand the value of their cargo. In addition, the vehicles are carefully strapped and packed in the trunk to reduce mobility and vibrations caused by the road during transport. The advantage, however, is that in most cases, the open method of transporting cars is faster than the closed option. Open car shipping services are in high demand, which leads to more truckers driving open car trucks.

So while these car carriers often haul more cars than one vehicle, and you might think that this feature makes them slower, the actual planning is simpler, which often makes them faster. Open car carriers are a more affordable yet very safe way to transport a car from anywhere in the United States and back.

Closed Car Transportation

An enclosed car carrier is a great option for transporting a car, especially if you need to transport a classic or custom car. It is the opposite of an open car carrier. An enclosed car carrier places cars in a covered truck. These carriers can often only carry a few cars at a time, up to five cars in most cases.

This way, it can be faster, but the truth is that there are fewer enclosed car carriers on the road, so they are harder to schedule. Also, in most cases, closed car hauling is more expensive than open car hauling. But the biggest advantage is that the cars are protected from weather conditions such as rain, hail, sun, etc. A closed car transporter provides better protection for the vehicle during transport.

Alternative methods of trucking

If you don't want to use any of the above options, you can also hire a professional driver from a trucking company to drive your car to its final destination. However, this option is good for short distances because there are very few people who will drive across the country driving your car, plus it will cost a lot of money.

Another option that you can use is air freight. This option remains the fastest and also the safest way to move your car from one place to another. But it is the most expensive option you can choose. The last option we would like to mention is rail transportation. Cars are placed in an auto-track and can be moved very safely. It is not the fastest way to transport cars, but it is one of the safest. However, it also ranks as one of the most expensive ways to transport a car.

If you need more information about the cost of moving a car across the country, contact us today for a free quote!