Service
From $800 · $1,250–$1,950 for 500–1,500 miles · Pickup in 1–5 days
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An enclosed carrier is a hard-sided trailer that carries two to six vehicles behind closed doors. Loading is by liftgate or long ramps, the cars are strapped over the tires rather than chained to the frame, and nothing touches them from the moment the door closes until it opens at delivery. It is the equipment auction houses, collectors and manufacturers use for press cars, prototypes and anything with a paint-to-sample finish.
You should choose it when the car is worth more than the premium protects against. That includes classics and exotics, obviously, but also a new luxury car with a ceramic coating, a convertible with a fabric top, any vehicle with under five inches of ground clearance, and a car you are shipping in January over roads that have been salted from Maine to Virginia. It is also the answer when you simply want to know that no driver but the carrier's will ever be in the car, and that it arrives clean.
Enclosed trucks are fewer than open ones, so the search takes a day or two longer and flexible dates help. This page explains the price by distance, how liftgate loading works, what the higher insurance limits mean in practice, and where the trade-off against open transport actually falls.
Benefits
Rain, hail, salt, tar and stone chips stop at the trailer wall. The car arrives in the condition it left, with no wash needed.
Hydraulic liftgates raise the car level with the floor. No ramp angle, no scraped splitters, no need to build up planks in your driveway.
Enclosed carriers routinely carry policy limits several times those on open trucks, sized for the vehicles they haul. You see the certificate before pickup.
Two to six vehicles per load means fewer pickups and deliveries on the way, a more direct route and a driver who handles high-value cars every day.
Straps around the tires hold the car by its wheels, not its frame or suspension, which matters for older chassis and cars with adjustable ride height.
Nobody sees what is inside the trailer. For a rare car, a race car with sponsor livery or a company prototype, that discretion is often the point.
Pricing
Typical ranges for a running sedan. Enclosed adds 40–60%; SUVs and pickups 12–20%; peak months 5–10%.
| Distance | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short (under 500 miles) | $525 – $750 | $750 – $1,100 | 1–3 days |
| Medium (500–1,500 miles) | $850 – $1,350 | $1,250 – $1,950 | 2–5 days |
| Cross-country (1,500+ miles) | $1,375 – $2,025 | $2,000 – $2,950 | 5–10 days |
Running sedan, flexible pickup window. SUVs add about 12%, pickups 20%, inoperable vehicles about $150.
How it works
Three steps, one signature at each end, and a specialist on the phone throughout.
Tell us the route, the make and model, and whether the car needs a liftgate or has been modified. The estimate shows the enclosed range for your lane. Submit, and enclosed specialists running that corridor see the request; a specialist confirms firm pricing and a realistic pickup window.
No deposit and no obligation until you choose a carrier.
Agree the date and the carrier. The driver arrives with the liftgate or ramps ready, inspects the car with you in detail, records the mileage and every mark on the bill of lading, and loads. Straps go over the tires, wheel chocks front and rear, and the door closes.
The pickup inspection report protects you if anything is disputed later.
The car rides sealed and unseen with at most a handful of others. You have the driver's number and updates as the truck moves. At delivery the car comes off the liftgate in front of you, you inspect against the pickup report and sign, and pay the carrier the balance.
Pay the carrier only when the car is in front of you and checked.
Open vs enclosed
On any lane, the honest comparison is the price gap against what a cosmetic claim would cost you in time and diminished value. For a daily driver the open carrier wins; for the cars described above the enclosed premium is cheap insurance you never have to file.
Most popularTypical 500–1,500 mile sedan · Baseline price
PremiumTypical 500–1,500 mile sedan · 40–60% more than open
Vehicle types
Every class below ships on open and enclosed carriers. The note shows how each affects the price against a standard sedan.
Sedans and coupes
Baseline price
SUVs and crossovers
About 12% more
Pickup trucks
About 20% more
Vans and minivans
About 25% more
Motorcycles
Crated or strapped, from 20% less
Classic and exotic
Enclosed recommended
Electric vehicles
Ship at 30–50% charge
Inoperable
Winch loading, about $150 more
Enclosed carriers insure the cargo they specialize in, so their policy limits are usually far above an open carrier's. Before pickup you receive the certificate of insurance and we point out the limit and the deductible; if the car is worth more than the limit, tell us and we look for a carrier with a higher one or discuss a single-vehicle load with a dedicated policy. Agreed-value collector policies of your own usually cover transit too, and it is worth a call to your insurer to confirm.
The inspection report is more detailed than on an open shipment because the standard is higher. Drivers photograph the car at pickup and delivery, and you should as well: every panel, the wheels, the interior, the odometer. Note the mileage on the bill of lading; enclosed customers rightly expect it to change by less than a mile.
If something is wrong at delivery, mark it on the delivery report before you sign and call us while the driver is still there. Claims on enclosed loads are uncommon and usually resolved quickly, but the paperwork is what makes that possible. Personal belongings should stay out of the car; they are not covered and they can shift during the trip.
Routes
Lanes where this service is booked most, with current ranges.
Questions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784Usually 40–60% more on the same lane. A sedan that ships open for $900–$1,300 from the Northeast to Florida runs $1,300–$1,900 enclosed. The gap narrows on short regional runs and widens on cross-country lanes where enclosed trucks are scarcer.
Classics, exotics, high-end luxury, freshly painted or restored cars, low-clearance sports cars that need a liftgate, convertibles with soft tops, and anything whose value makes a minor cosmetic claim expensive. Many customers also choose it for a winter run over salted roads.
Two to five days on the major corridors, longer for rural pickups. Enclosed rigs carry fewer cars and run fewer lanes, so booking two to three weeks ahead matters more than it does for open transport.
A hydraulic platform that raises the car level with the trailer floor, so it never drives up a ramp. Any car with under five inches of ground clearance, a long front overhang or an aero kit should ship on a liftgate trailer. Tell us the make and model and we assign the right truck.
Typically, yes. Enclosed carriers specialize in valuable vehicles and commonly carry cargo limits several times those of an open carrier. You receive the certificate before pickup so you can check the limit against the car's value.
Hard-sided is the standard we quote: a fully rigid box with a liftgate or ramps. Soft-sided trailers use heavy curtains over a frame, cost slightly less and keep off rain and debris but not everything. If a soft-sided truck is offered we tell you before you accept.
Yes. Two- and three-car enclosed trailers are common, and a single-customer load is possible on most lanes for a premium. It is the usual way collectors move a pair of cars to a show or a second home.
Guides
8 min read
Open transport is the right choice for most daily-driver cars and costs 30–45% less. Choose enclosed for cars worth more than about $70,000, classics, low-clearance exotics, or when you cannot accept any exposure to weather.
Read the guide8 min read
Your car is covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance while it is on the truck, typically $100,000–$250,000 per load on open carriers and more on enclosed. The Bill of Lading inspection at pickup and delivery is what makes a claim provable.
Read the guide7 min read
Wash the car, photograph every panel, leave a quarter tank of fuel, remove personal items and toll tags, fold in mirrors, note existing damage on the Bill of Lading, and hand over one set of keys.
Read the guideEnter your route and vehicle in about a minute. A specialist confirms the carrier, the price and the pickup window within business hours.
Average response time under 5 minutes during business hours (Mon–Sun 7am–9pm ET).
Last updated September 12, 2026 · Written by the AutoShippingUS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Christofer Whiteman, Editor · Industry review by Sarah Williams, Independent auto transport consultant, 20 years in the industry
