Are auto transport trailers designed for particular models of cars to be placed on the trailer?

Auto tranport trailers are what autos, trucks and suvs are loaded and transported on.

Auto transport trailers can carry between one and 12 autos, trucks or suvs. An auto transport trailer has to be a “double decker” for auto transport trailers that carry more then 5 vehicles.

The older auto transport trailers would have only chains to secure the vehicles to the trailer and became a messy and oily job for the drivers of the auto transport trailers. Newer trailers have hydraulics to load and lock down vehicles to the trailer and allow the driver’s to save their muscle for the driving seat.

Can I hook up a trailer to my truck and haul my own car?

Most auto transport trailers are open to the elements but do provide more protection then if the vehicles were driven on the road. If you want more protection, an enclosed auto transport trailer would provide protection from the elements, ie: dust, rain, hail, wind, and road debris.

Before you make your final decision, our website is designed to help you accurately price vehicle shipping costs. By filling out our online form for vehicle shipping quotes, you will receive 10 free quotes from reliable, safe vehicle shipping companies that you can use to make a well-informed decision. If the price for shipping your vehicle is much more affordable than you expected, you can look at the offers and pick the one that you feel most comfortable with. We think you will be surprised by how affordable shipping with American Auto Shipping can be!

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Open Auto Transport Trailer ………………… Enclosed Vehicle Trailer
 

Open Auto Transport Trailers

What You Need To Know About Open Carriers

In the auto transport industry, there are typically two ways to ship your vehicle: on an open carrier, and on an enclosed carrier. Now, there are many differences to each, and it’s important to know what’s what so you’re not paying too much for something you don’t need or regretting not getting it when you do need it.

Open carriers are just that: they’re open to the elements. However, open transport is the industry standard and 95% of all trucks out there transporting vehicles are open trucks. Open trucks are just like the trucks you see taking new cars to the dealership to be sold; typically, they’re 10-car haulers, meaning they have a capacity of ten standard-sized cars. Unless you request otherwise, this is what your vehicle will be shipped with.

Open carriers are cheaper than their enclosed counterparts because there are so many more of them. It’s ten times easier to find an open carrier than an enclosed carrier, because enclosed carriers don’t have a lot of cars to haul. An enclosed carrier can carry only two vehicles at a time, and because their services offer more protection, it comes at a much higher price (typically 75-100% more than an open transporter). However, if you’re shipping a classic car or a high-end luxury vehicle, it’s a better bet to ask for enclosed shipping—if your vehicle is just a regular sedan, it’s much cheaper to go with an open transport.

One of the many misnomers about open transportation is the fact that your vehicle isn’t as safe as it would be in an enclosed container. While this is technically true (your vehicle isn’t exposed to the elements and road hazards), it is much more cost-effective to ship on an open carrier and damage to transported vehicles on an open carrier is rare. You may hear horror stories about rocks and ice damage to vehicles being shipped in the open, but more often than not they’re isolated incidents, and the vast majority of vehicles are transported to their destination without a scratch on them.

Ultimately, the transportation of the vehicle is up to you. However, you should be well-informed about all the aspects of auto transportation, and be prepared when you go to book your shipment. A little information goes a long way.