Service
From $550 · $850–$1,350 for 500–1,500 miles · Pickup in 1–5 days
Compare quotes from licensed, bonded carriers.
No obligation · Takes 60 seconds · We never sell your data
Open transport is the standard way vehicles move on American highways. The truck is a two-level steel trailer that carries eight to ten cars at a time, chained at the wheels, with the driver loading and unloading with ramps. It is how manufacturers deliver new cars to dealers, how rental fleets rotate between cities and how nine out of ten private customers ship.
It is the right choice for any daily-driven car, SUV, pickup or van where the aim is to get the vehicle from one address to another at the lowest reasonable cost and with the fastest possible pickup. Because far more open trucks run every lane than enclosed ones, a carrier is usually assigned within one to three days and the price sits 40–60% below enclosed for the same trip.
Open is not the choice for a freshly restored classic, an exotic with four inches of ground clearance or a car whose paint you would rather not expose to a thousand miles of road dust and weather. For those, see enclosed transport. For everything else, this page tells you what it costs, how loading works and how the carrier's insurance protects the car while it rides.
Benefits
More trucks and more cars per truck mean the per-mile rate on an open carrier is the lowest in the industry, typically 40–60% below enclosed on the same lane.
Open carriers outnumber enclosed roughly ten to one on the busiest corridors, so a truck is normally assigned within one to three days of booking and picks up inside your window.
The driver comes as close to your pickup and delivery addresses as a 75-foot rig can safely stop. No terminals, no drop-off trips, no waiting for a yard to open.
New cars leave the factory on open carriers. The chains, straps and inspection process are identical to what a franchised dealership expects on every delivery.
Sedans, SUVs, pickups, vans, motorcycles on the deck, and inoperable vehicles with a winch. If it rolls, steers and brakes, an open carrier can move it.
Every open carrier we work with carries cargo insurance, and you receive the certificate before pickup. The inspection report at loading is your record if a claim is ever needed.
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) | $500 – $750 | $725 – $1,100 | 1–3 days |
| Medium (500–1,500 miles) | $850 – $1,350 | $1,225 – $1,950 | 2–5 days |
| Cross-country (1,500+ miles) | $1,400 – $2,000 | $2,025 – $2,900 | 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.
Enter your pickup and delivery locations and the vehicle. The form measures the road miles on your lane as you type. Submit, and licensed open carriers already running that corridor see the request; a specialist calls back with firm prices and the earliest pickup window.
No deposit and no obligation until you choose a carrier.
Choose the carrier and window. The dispatcher calls the day before to confirm a time, and the driver walks the car with you at the truck, notes existing marks on the bill of lading and loads it with ramps or a winch. You keep a copy of the signed report.
The pickup inspection report protects you if anything is disputed later.
The car rides with several others on a fixed route at 400–500 miles per day. You have the driver's number and receive status updates along the way. At delivery you inspect against the pickup report, sign, and pay the carrier the remaining balance.
Pay the carrier only when the car is in front of you and checked.
Open vs enclosed
Choosing between open and enclosed comes down to what the car is worth to you against the price gap on your lane, and whether the season adds salt or hail to the risk. The comparison below uses the medium-distance range for both; on your route the numbers are on the price table above.
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
Your car is covered by the carrier's cargo insurance from the moment it is loaded until you sign for it at delivery. Before pickup we send you the carrier's certificate of insurance, which shows the policy limit and any deductible. Read it: limits vary between carriers, and a higher limit is one of the things a specialist looks for when assigning a truck for a more valuable vehicle.
The bill of lading is the document a claim is judged against. At pickup the driver marks every existing scratch, chip and dent on a vehicle diagram, and you sign it. Walk the car with the driver, photograph every panel and the wheels, and do not sign if the report misses something. At delivery, inspect before signing again. Damage noted on the delivery report is a straightforward claim; damage reported after the driver has left is a hard one.
Your own auto policy is a second layer. Most comprehensive policies cover the car in transit, and a few carriers ask you to keep it active during the trip. We explain what to check with your insurer, and if a claim is ever needed we stay on it with the carrier until it is paid. Personal items left in the car are not covered by anyone, which is why we ask you to keep them light.
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.
888-706-8784For a running sedan, $500–$750 under 500 miles, $850–$1,350 for 500–1,500 miles and $1,400–$2,000 coast to coast. SUVs add about 12%, pickups 20%. The form at the top prices your exact lane, and the carrier confirms a firm number for your dates.
It is the same equipment that delivers new cars to every dealership in the country. Vehicles are chained or strapped at the wheels to a steel deck, and the driver inspects the car with you at both ends. The exposure is to weather and road dust, not to handling; genuine damage claims on open carriers are rare and are covered by the carrier's cargo policy.
Only on and off the trailer, and only by the carrier's driver. Expect a few tenths of a mile on the odometer. If the car is inoperable it is winched aboard and never started.
Eight to ten on a full-size two-level rig, two to four on the smaller single-level trucks used for short regional runs. The position on the trailer is the driver's call and depends on weight and route order; top-deck spots stay cleaner, lower-deck spots load and unload faster.
Yes, if it rolls, steers and brakes. Winch loading adds about $150 and narrows the pool of trucks slightly, so allow an extra day or two for pickup.
The car gets wet and arrives needing a wash, as it would on any road trip. Winter northern routes add road salt, which is the one case where enclosed transport is worth considering for a car you care about cosmetically. A spring shipment or a rinse at delivery takes care of it otherwise.
Up to about 100 pounds in the trunk or below the window line, at the carrier's discretion and not covered by cargo insurance. Anything more risks a weight charge at pickup, because loaded trucks are weighed at highway scales.
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 guide9 min read
Get quotes, pick a carrier, hand over the keys with an inspection report, and receive the car on delivery. The whole process takes 60 seconds to start and 1–10 days to finish, depending on distance.
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
