The options available for the transport of your vehicle will depend upon multiple factors. Some of these are which auto transport carrier you select, what type of vehicle you need to transport, the delivery destination of your vehicle in relation to the point of origin, and personal preferences. The cost involved with each of the options may be a factor as well.

Some vehicles will require special handling in how they are shipped or secured. This may affect how you or your auto transport company prefers to ship your particular vehicle. A brief explanation of the difference between enclosed and open shipping is below.

Enclosed Carrier Truck
This method is basically the use of a fully enclosed truck to ship your vehicle. The vehicle is protected from weather conditions and road hazards such as loose gravel, which may cause chips in paint or glass.

Materials such as canvas enclose some, while others are enclosed with hard sides that are permanent in nature. More than one vehicle at a time may be transported this way, though fewer vehicles will generally fit into an enclosed carrier truck than on an open carrier truck.

Open Carrier Truck
This method is the one that is commonly seen used to deliver vehicles to dealerships. More than one vehicle is shipped at a time, and the vehicles are exposed to the elements. The advantage of this method over an enclosed carrier is that the cost will be less for this method than the enclosed carrier will.

Though using an open carrier truck may sound risky, dealerships use them quite regularly, which helps to illustrate just how safe and reliable they really are. Auto transport companies want your business, so they are not likely to use a method of shipping your vehicle that will harm it, or place it at significant risk.