Enclosed Auto Transport
Enclosed auto transport provides a high level of protection for your car, but can be around 55 percent more expensive per mile than open auto transport.
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Key Points:
- Expect to pay an average of $1.12 per mile to ship a car using enclosed auto transport.
- Your vehicle’s size, the shipping distance, and your pickup and delivery locations may increase the cost of enclosed car shipping.
- Enclosed auto transport involves shipping your vehicle in an enclosed trailer instead of on an open trailer and is an excellent choice for owners of luxury, classic, or new vehicles.
Shipping a car requires careful research into available auto transport options so that you choose the method that best fits your needs. If you’re worried about your car’s safety as it heads to its destination, enclosed auto transport may be worth looking into. Shipping your vehicle with enclosed shipping can offer the extra protection you need for luxury or classic cars.
Our team researched providers across the auto transport industry to bring you up-to-date, unbiased information on the auto shipping process. In this article, we’ll talk about what enclosed auto shipping is, discuss whether it’s worth it, and offer recommendations on the industry’s best car shipping companies that offer enclosed car transport.
What Is Enclosed Auto Transport?
Enclosed auto transport is a vehicle shipping service in which your car is transported in an enclosed trailer instead of an open trailer. Enclosed auto transport services are popular with owners of exotic cars, luxury vehicles, and classic models, as it’s considered the safest car shipping option and offers its customers extra peace of mind.
Enclosed carrier services typically come with higher insurance limits, making them ideal for transporting expensive cars. Vehicles with larger wheels or low ground clearance can also benefit from enclosed auto transport, as they often don’t fit properly on open transport carriers. Enclosed auto shipping also offers protection through the use of hydraulic liftgates and ramps.
Is Enclosed Auto Transport Worth It?
If you own a luxury or classic vehicle and want to protect it from cosmetic damage, enclosed auto transport could be worth it.
According to the CEO of SGT Auto Transport, Jack Savov, “Enclosed transport provides a higher level of protection, shielding the vehicle from weather, debris, and other potential hazards during transit.”
Enclosed car transport companies usually provide more insurance coverage as well, giving drivers extra peace of mind as they ship their car. Enclosed transport offers less flexibility than open auto shipping does. Enclosed car transport isn’t as popular as open car shipping, since it caters to a smaller customer base. It’s also tougher to find cheap car shipping for enclosed auto transport because it’s a rarer service that offers a greater level of protection.
Enclosed Auto Transport: Pros And Cons
While enclosed auto transport is great for high-value vehicles, it does have some drawbacks. See the table below for some pros and cons of enclosed car shipping:
Enclosed Vs. Open Auto Transport
You’ll have to make a choice of enclosed vs. open car shipping when figuring out how to ship your vehicle. Open carrier transport usually involves either shipping a car out in the open or in a multi-car trailer with no covering. This type of vehicle shipping allows more cars to be transported at once, lowering the costs associated with the move.
On the other hand, enclosed auto transport services limit the number of cars that can be moved at once due to the use of enclosed trailers. Open car shipping can accommodate up to 10 vehicles at a time, while enclosed car shipping can only take two or three. Unless you have a luxury car or are worried about your vehicle’s safety, learning how to ship a car with open transport may be better.
How Much Does Enclosed Auto Transport Cost?
Through extensive research into auto transport costs, our team found that the average rate to move a car with enclosed shipping is $1,836 total or $1.12 per mile. That’s around 35 percent more per mile than the average rate for open carrier transport services, around $1,192 total or 73 cents per mile. These averages were calculated using quotes from 19 auto transport companies and reflect a shipping distance of 1,640 miles.
Below are some enclosed vehicle transport quotes from five of our top auto shipping providers. These quotes reflect the shipment of an operable 2019 Mazda CX-5 from Phoenix, Arizona to Minneapolis, Minnesota, so you can expect your vehicle’s rates to vary.
| Car Shipping Company | Total Cost |
|---|---|
| Montway Auto Transport | $1,549 |
| AmeriFreight | $1,824 |
| Easy Auto Ship | $1,713 |
| Mercury Auto Transport | $1,305 |
| Sherpa Auto Transport | $1,675 |
Car Shipping Cost Survey
In order to learn more about the average cost to ship a car, our research team conducted a customer satisfaction survey of 1,000 auto transport customers in 2023. Of those who responded:
- 27 percent paid between $500 and $1,000.
- 28 percent paid between $1,001 and $1,500.
- 21 percent paid between $1,501 and $2,000.
What Factors Affect Car Shipping Costs?
While enclosed auto transport is almost always pricier than open carrier shipping, there are other cost factors at play as well. Your vehicle’s size, the distance you’re shipping it, and various market factors can greatly impact car shipping rates.
Below are the key factors that affect enclosed car transport’s pricing:
- Shipping distance: The farther you ship your car, the better rate you’ll receive per mile. However, your overall cost will be higher than if you shipped your car a shorter distance.
- Pickup and delivery locations: Shipping to and from rural areas will cost more than between urban locations. Additionally, opting to ship to a terminal instead of using door-to-door services can save you money.
- Extra features: Tacking on extra features such as expedited delivery and single-car shipping will ultimately cost more.
- Time of year: Due to higher demand for auto shipping during January and the summer months, the rate you pay to ship your vehicle will likely be higher at these times.
- Vehicle condition: If your vehicle is fully operable, it will cost less to ship. Vehicles that are inoperable will need to be forklifted or winched, increasing your car shipping cost.
- Vehicle size: Your vehicle’s dimensions will vary how much you pay for car transport. Ground clearance can also affect your costs, with vehicles lower to the ground being more expensive to ship.
Best Enclosed Auto Transport Companies
Drivers on the lookout for leading enclosed car carriers should consider Montway Auto Transport, AmeriFreight, and Easy Auto Ship. All three providers offer superb customer service and typically come with competitive rates for enclosed auto transport.
Montway Auto Transport: Best Overall
With a 4.6-star rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) site and over 18 years of experience, Montway Auto Transport has made a name for itself among car shipping companies. It works with over 30,000 auto carriers across the United States and only partners with insured truckers. In addition, Montway Auto Transport adds $250,000 of contingent cargo insurance on top of your car hauler’s policy in case it fails to fully cover a claim.
You can request either open or enclosed auto transport through Montway, along with options like door-to-door delivery and expedited shipping. Getting auto transport quotes from the company is simple due to its free instant quote tool on Montway Auto Transport’s website.
Look below for a breakdown of our provider scoring for Montway Auto Transport:
| Overall | 4.7 |
|---|---|
| Reliability | 4.9 |
| Pricing | 4.4 |
| Services | 4.9 |
| Customer Experience | 4.7 |
Read more: Montway Auto Transport review
AmeriFreight: Great Industry Reputation
Founded in 2004, Amerifreight has over 20 years of experience in the auto shipping business. It holds an A+ rating from the BBB and a customer review score of 4.8 out of 5.0 stars on the site. The company’s pricing quotes aren’t guaranteed, but it offers several discount opportunities for military members, medical personnel, first responders, students, seniors, and others.
AmeriFreight offers enclosed and open shipping services across the U.S., including Hawaii. Below are some of AmeriFreight’s category scores as well as its overall rating:
| Overall | 4.6 |
|---|---|
| Reliability | 5.0 |
| Pricing | 4.2 |
| Services | 4.9 |
| Customer Experience | 4.6 |
Read more: AmeriFreight review
Easy Auto Ship: Excellent Service Selection
Easy Auto Ship has an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB, making it a strong pick for enclosed car shipping. It offers both open and enclosed auto transport and provides services everywhere in the U.S. The company allows customers to choose from terminal-to-terminal or door-to-door shipping and even offers international car shipping services.
Some perks of working with Easy Auto Ship include discounts for cash-on-delivery, fast online quotes, and guaranteed vehicle pickup dates. The company also states it will pay for a rental car if your vehicle delivery takes more than 14 days to ship once picked up.
Below are the overall and category ratings that we give to Easy Auto Ship:
| Overall | 4.6 |
|---|---|
| Reliability | 4.8 |
| Pricing | 4.5 |
| Services | 4.9 |
| Customer Experience | 4.2 |
Read more: Easy Auto Ship review
Enclosed Auto Transport: Conclusion
Enclosed car transport services provide extra protection for your vehicle by placing it inside of an enclosed container rather than on an open trailer. If you have a luxury vehicle, a sports car, or another pricey model that needs long-distance transport services, enclosed auto shipping could be worth the extra money.
We encourage you to shop around and ask for car shipping quotes online from various companies in order to find the best price for your enclosed auto transport service.
Enclosed Auto Transport: FAQ
Below are a few frequently asked questions relating to enclosed auto transport:
What does it mean to ship a car enclosed?
Enclosed auto shipping means that your car will be transported in an enclosed container rather than on an open auto transport trailer. Models with larger wheels, exotic vehicles, race cars, and models with low ground clearance can benefit from being shipped in an enclosed car trailer.
Are there any benefits to using enclosed auto transport?
Enclosed auto transport can protect your vehicle from exposure to various road hazards such as debris and bad weather. This shipping service also generally comes with higher insurance policy limits, providing peace of mind and greater protection for your vehicle.
What is the best way to ship a car?
There’s no single best way to ship a car, as each vehicle varies and may benefit from different services than another. However, enclosed auto transport could be best if you own a luxury vehicle that you’re hoping to keep safe.
How We Rate Auto Shipping Companies
Our review team extensively researches car shipping providers to deliver informed and unbiased assessments of leading companies. We evaluate several key rating factors that are important to consumers to determine which providers are the best in the industry:
- Reliability: Providers that earn strong ratings from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and have a long history in the auto transport industry score well in this category.
- Services: We take a look at what types of transport services are available through each company, including open and enclosed transport, door-to-door shipping, and more. Those with wider service selections are more likely to meet consumers’ needs.
- Pricing: Our team performs a secret shopper analysis to get quotes for a variety of shipping routes and services. We compare each company’s costs to industry average prices to see how it stands up to the competition.
- Customer Experience: We consider customer reviews on sites like the BBB and Trustpilot to better understand the consumer experience. Car shipping companies with convenient quote processes also perform well in this category.
