The Benefits of Fully Enclosed Auto Shipping

There are plenty of reasons why you might prefer using fully enclosed auto shipping over other options. These are the biggest benefits of the service:

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Protection from Environmental Damage

If you’re looking to maximize the protection level of your vehicle during its shipment, then fully enclosed auto transport should be your default choice.

While open car shipping is still a perfectly safe way to ship cars, it exposes vehicles to the elements of the road, where it’s exposed to dirt, dust, and weather conditions like snow and rain. If you want to guarantee protection from potential environmental damage while in transit, then enclosed shipping is hands-down the superior option. Cars shipped with enclosed auto transport are loaded inside of an enclosed trailer, where it’s completely protected from outside elements. It not only ensures your vehicle’s protection during shipping, but also your own peace of mind.

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Security Against Theft or Vandalism

Auto shipping is a multi-day process, where trailers are parked overnight. An while this is largely very safe, car haulers often must park on public streets, where theft or vandalism is always a possibility. Shipping with an open trailer increases the odds of your vehicle getting vandalized, especially if you choose to ship your car with personal belongings inside of it.

Shipping your car with an enclosed trailer helps to avoid theft or vandalism by completely enclosing the vehicle, avoiding exposure of it to public roads and streets.

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Ideal for Exotic, Classic, or High-Value Vehicles

If you’re the owner of a high-value vehicle, then maximizing your car’s protection level is likely quite high on your priority level. The last thing you want is scratching, denting, or scuffing your vintage or luxury car during its cross-country trek. Any vehicles with custom paint jobs, low ground clearance, or custom modifications benefit from careful handling via enclosed transport, so this is the ideal option for owners of these types of cars.

If you’re concerned about the safety and protection of your high-value vehicle during transit, then this premium service should be a no-brainer.

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How Our Enclosed Car Shipping Works

Shipping a car with enclosed auto transport is easy and simple. Here’s how it works:

Booking your order

The first step of shipping a car is finding a trustworthy and capable auto transport company and requesting a quote. To do this, you’ll have to provide them with some key information including your car’s make, model, and year, the pickup and drop-off locations, and the preferred date for your delivery. 

After requesting a quote, the auto transport company will provide you with a quote, which you can either accept or reject. It’s important to do a bit of research on multiple auto transport companies in your region, and request several quotes in order to get the best rate. Be sure to also read reviews and only request quotes from companies with positive reviews.

Once you’ve finally chosen a company and accepted a quote, the auto transport company will finalize your booking by confirming your details and schedule a date for your vehicle’s pickup.

Vehicle Pickup

Your vehicle will be picked up on the agreed pickup date – the pickup location will be specified ahead of time, prior to your shipping date. Your carrier will contact you on the day of its pickup, usually several hours ahead of time, to give you an estimated time of arrival.

Before the driver loads your vehicle into their enclosed trailer, they will fill out their BOL (Bill of Lading). This is also known as an inspection report, and it’s done to document your vehicle’s current condition. These inspections are done for insurance purposes, so that there is documentation of your car’s condition prior to its shipment in the event of an accident occurring.

After this inspection is completed, the carrier will load your car into their enclosed trailer and begin the transportation process. During this process, will receive regular updates regarding your car’s delivery. 

Vehicle Delivery

Finally, on the day of your car’s arrival, the driver will notify you with their estimated arrival time. You’ll meet them at the drop off point, where the driver will unload your vehicle. Both you and the driver will inspect your vehicle, comparing its current condition with the BOL, to make sure there aren’t any discrepancies regarding its condition. If everything is good, you will sign the remaining paperwork, pay the driver (if applicable), and the driver will return your vehicle to you.

What are Enclosed Car Transport Prices?

You should expect enclosed car transport to cost from $1.00 to $3.00 per mile for shorter distances, and $0.75 to $1.25 per mile for longer distances. Prices are impacted by several different factors, however.

Vehicle Size and Weight

One factor that affects enclosed car transport prices is the weight and size of the vehicle. Oversized vehicles or cars that weight more than average – such as RVs and large trucks – may not fit in standard enclosed trailers, use up more fuel, or require special equipment to be loaded and unloaded. Because of this, it will likely cost you more to ship an oversized or heavy vehicle.

Distance and Route

The distance of your delivery – and the route itself – is going to have a major impact on the price. As we previously mentioned, deliveries are priced on a cost-per-mile basis, so the further your delivery is, the more it will cost you.

On another note, the route itself also factors into the cost. This is because more rural areas tend to have fewer carriers, so drivers will often have higher rates for less frequented regions. Busier areas, like larger cities, have a larger concentration of drivers, so there is more competition for deliveries which drives prices down.

Seasonality

Your enclosed auto transport delivery may cost more or less, depending on the time of year. Shipping a car during the most popular times of year, like during summer break or the holiday season, will likely cost you more than shipping in less busy times of the year. The auto transport industry is highly affected by supply and demand, so booking your delivery during slower periods can end up saving you some cash! 

Preparing your car for enclosed auto transport

Prior to your car’s shipment date, there are a few things you’ll want to get done to prepare your vehicle:
 

1

Thoroughly clean your car

First and foremost, remember to thoroughly wash your vehicle! This is important, since you and the car hauler will later have to document your car’s condition, and you’ll want to be able to notice as signs of damage like scratches, dents, or chipped paint.

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Remove any personal belongings

Even though your car is insured while in transit, remember that your personal belongings are not. This means that, if any of your items are lost, broken, or damaged in any way, they are not insured whatsoever. This is why we advise you to remove any of your personal belongings from your car before its transportation date. If you absolutely must keep your things inside your car, we advise you to place them somewhere safe and secure, like your car’s trunk, at the very least.

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Documenting your car’s condition

Another important step to take before shipping your car is to thoroughly document your car’s condition. This means taking plenty of photos and videos of it from all angles. This is so you can have proof of your car’s condition, just in case it is damaged during its shipment.

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Check fluids and tire pressure

Your car needs to be in fully operational condition (unless otherwise noted). This means checking everything from your car’s tires to the battery all being in working order. This is necessary because the driver will have to load your car onto their trailer by personally driving it up the trailer ramp themselves. If it is in-operational, you’ll need to report this to the auto transport company prior to booking, as non-functional cars require special equipment.

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Secure loose parts

If your car has any detachable or loose parts or attachments like spoilers, side mirrors, or antennas, you’ll want to secure them prior to your shipping date.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is enclosed car transport a good option for cross-country shipping, or is it primarily for shorter distances?

Enclosed car transport is a perfect option for either shorter deliveries or cross-country shipments. This transportation type is ideal for any car owners looking to maximize their vehicle’s level of protection during deliveries, so the length of shipment shouldn’t matter. If you possess a high-value car and are stressing over keeping it safe during its delivery, we recommend choosing enclosed auto transport regardless of the distance of its shipment.

Can I choose a specific delivery date for my enclosed auto transport service?

Yes, you may choose a specific delivery date for your car’s shipment. We offer Guarantee Delivery, where you can request your vehicle to arrive by a specific date, though this may need to be booked further in advance and result in an additional fee.

Are there restrictions on the type of vehicles that can be transported with enclosed car shipping?

Though most types of vehicles can be transported with enclosed trailers, there may be some types of vehicles that either cannot be transported or require special arrangements. Namely, extremely oversized, modified, or heavy vehicles might need special equipment. For more information, please contact our support team by phone, email, or Live Chat.

What steps should I take to prepare my vehicle for enclosed auto transport?

Before shipping your car, you will need to thoroughly wash your car, document its condition by taking photos and videos of it, remove any of your personal belongings, secure any loose attachments or parts, and make sure it’s in fully operational condition.

Can I transport multiple vehicles in a single enclosed carrier?

For the most part, yes, you can ship multiple vehicles using a single enclosed auto transport carrier. But unlike open car transport, however, space is much more limited, so this isn’t a guarantee. 

If shipping multiple cars is something you’re interested in, we advise you to reach out to our team before booking your order and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request. We also offer discounts for shipping multiple cars at once.