Auto Shipping FAQ: What is Enclosed Car Transport?
In all our posts in our “Auto Shipping FAQ” section of our blog, we’ve never simply sat down and discussed enclosed car transport services. Oh, we’ve talked about why they’re more expensive than the open variety, and what to expect when shipping enclosed, but we haven’t talked much about what it is and why enclosed car shipping services are important.
So today we’re going to rectify that a bit, hopefully.
To start, enclosed car transport services are where your vehicle is shipped via an enclosed carrier instead of standard open auto transport. Enclosed transport trucks make sure to completely cover any and every vehicle they ship in a secure, enclosed trailer – not unlike a big semi-truck that’s hauling a 53′ trailer down the interstate.
Of course, enclosed car transport carriers are designed to haul vehicles, so they’re built a bit differently than your standard long-haul trailer. To start, they’re usually lower to the ground than a regular semi-truck so the vehicles they ship can get onto and off of the truck more easily.
Lower ground clearance means shorter ramps that have less severe angles for their loading and unloading ramps, while also cutting down the length of the ramps they use and thus making them easier to haul around. Enclosed auto transport carriers are, of course, designed to haul more expensive freight than open carriers as well, which usually means higher insurance requirements for the carrier – make sure to discuss insurance with an enclosed car transport company, even if they’re safer than open services.
You can never be too careful, and even enclosed transport trucks are required to be fully insured.
Most vehicles that are shipped today won’t need enclosed car transport services, though, so most of the time this entire post is going to be a moot issue. The vast majority of vehicles on the road today will be just fine on an open car transport truck, and damage during transport on an open carrier is rare enough that even more expensive daily drivers should be able to handle the rigors of open transportation services.
If you are interested in enclosed car transport services, you can take a moment and fill out our free online auto transport quote request form. Your shipping quote is free, instant, and we price our shipments to move when they need moved. This means your car shipping quotes are accurate. You can also contact us any time at 800-930-7417 to speak directly to one of our live agents.
Since 2007 Dave has written all the content and blogs for American Auto Shipping and during this time added the duties of customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his three kids and their mom and cat. A fan of Marvel movies and good stories, when not shipping cars Dave can be found working on his novel, enjoying a good book or playing some tournament HALO.
- When to go with an Enclosed Transport - October 2, 2023
- Understanding California’s EV Mandate - August 1, 2023
- Top Reasons Auto Shippers Are Delayed - January 9, 2023
