When transporting your vehicle, you have many options, one of those options is open versus enclosed transportation. But what do those mean exactly?

Open transportation is the industry “standard” for most car shipping. It has been deemed the most effective way to transport your vehicle, as they can transport up to 10 vehicles at one time, which in turn is more cost effective for you.

The drawback with open transport trucks is, they cannot pick up individual cars from residential, or many commercial, locations. Typically, a single car hauler will pick up individual cars and bring them to a terminal where they will be loaded onto a trailer for long distance transport.

To reduce your cost of shipping, you may also arrange to deliver your vehicle to the terminal where it will be loaded onto a trailer. You can also pick up your vehicle from the destination terminal instead of having it delivered to your location.

Enclosed transportation trailers look similar to the more common container trailer that is prevalent on the roads and highways in the USA. Enclosed transportation is safer for your vehicle as it is protected from the road elements, not exposed to the sun, or any other elements that may cause damage to the paint or vehicle itself.

While enclosed transportation sounds like the way to go, the main disadvantage of using an enclosed trailer is that it is more expensive. Enclosed trailers are more commonly used for the transport of classic and expensive vehicles, or for transport during winter months where vehicles may be exposed to harsh elements.