Car shipping service
Open vs. Enclosed Car Shipping
Compare Open Car Transport with the alternatives on price, protection, availability and the vehicles each option suits.
- Estimates clearly labeled
- Independent company rankings
- Free to compare
Open Car Transport at a glance
- Cost per mile
- $0.70–$1.89 per mile
- Typical total
- $875 – $2,365
- Transit time
- 3–5 days
- Best for
- Everyday cars, SUVs and pickups
Free · No obligation · About a minute
Get a open car transport quote
Most popular
Open transport
$0.70–$1.89 per mile
- Lower cost
- Widely available
- Suitable for most vehicles
- Faster to schedule pickup
Extra protection
Enclosed transport
$0.91–$3.02 per mile
- Covered from weather and debris
- Ideal for luxury, exotic and classic cars
- Fewer vehicles per trailer
- Liftgate loading on many trucks
Quick comparison
Feature | Open transport | Enclosed transport |
|---|---|---|
| Average cost | Lower | Typically 30–60% more |
| Protection | Exposed to weather and road debris | Fully covered trailer |
| Best for | Everyday cars, SUVs, trucks | Luxury, exotic, classic cars |
| Availability | High, most trucks on the road | Limited, fewer trucks |
| Pickup timing | Usually faster to schedule | Can take longer to schedule |
| Vehicles per trailer | About 7–10 | About 1–7 |
| Loading | Ramps, sometimes a winch | Ramps or hydraulic liftgate |
| Insurance | Carrier cargo coverage | Carrier coverage, often higher limits |
Choose open transport if:
- You want the most affordable option
- You're shipping a standard vehicle
- You can accept exposure to the weather
Choose enclosed transport if:
- Your car is high-value, exotic, classic or custom
- Your car sits very low to the ground
- You want the car fully covered for the whole trip
Our recommendation
Choose open transport for everyday vehicles to save money. Choose enclosed transport for high-value or low-clearance vehicles that need extra protection.
Ready to ship your car with open car transport?
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