Open Car Transport
Around nine out of ten vehicles shipped in the United States travel on an open carrier. It is how new cars reach dealership lots, how rental fleets get rebalanced between cities, and how most people move a vehicle when they relocate or buy one online. Open car transport costs less than every other method, and because most trucks on the road are open haulers, you can usually find a carrier on your route within a few days.
This page covers what actually happens once you book: how your car is loaded and secured, what your price is built from, what the insurance does and does not cover, and the handful of situations where you should spend more on an enclosed trailer instead.
What Is Open Car Transport?
Open car transport moves your vehicle on a two-level trailer with no roof and no walls. Your car is driven or winched onto the deck, strapped down at the wheels, and travels alongside other vehicles headed in the same direction.
One truck carries several vehicles at once, so the cost of fuel, driver time and equipment is divided across the whole load. That is the entire reason open transport is cheaper than enclosed — not a lower standard of care. The same carriers who deliver brand-new inventory to dealerships are the ones hauling your car.
What an open car carrier actually looks like?
A full-size open hauler is a tractor pulling a hydraulic two-deck trailer. Loaded, the whole combination runs roughly 75 to 80 feet long and stands about 13 feet 6 inches tall, which is the height limit on most U.S. interstates. Capacity is seven to ten vehicles, though a load of full-size pickups fills the decks faster than a load of sedans.
Shorter regional runs are often handled by smaller three- to five-car units. These are more maneuverable and can reach addresses a full-size hauler cannot, which matters more than most people expect — see the section on pickup access below.
How your vehicle is secured on the deck?
Drivers secure vehicles at the wheels rather than the frame or suspension, using soft nylon straps or wheel chains anchored to the deck. Strapping at the wheel lets the suspension move with the trailer instead of fighting against it, which is gentler on the vehicle over a long haul. Deck spacing and clearance are set before the truck rolls, and the driver re-checks securement at every rest stop.
Who Should Use Open Car Transport?
Open transport is the right call for the large majority of vehicles on the road. It suits you if:
- You are shipping a daily driver — a sedan, SUV, minivan, crossover or pickup.
- You are relocating for work, military orders, school or family and moving one or two household vehicles.
- You bought a car online or at auction and need it moved to your driveway.
- You are a snowbird moving a vehicle between a summer and winter home.
- You are a dealer, reseller or small fleet operator moving standard inventory.
- Cost matters to you and standard road exposure is acceptable.
When open transport is the wrong choice?
We would rather tell you this before you book than after. Consider enclosed transport instead when:
- The vehicle is genuinely hard to replace. Classics, restorations, limited-production models and anything with a discontinued factory paint code. The problem is not that damage is likely — it is that repairing it correctly may be difficult or impossible.
- The paint or finish is custom. Wraps, respray work, matte and satin finishes, and one-off color matches cost far more to correct than the enclosed up-charge.
- Ground clearance is unusually low. Lowered suspensions, aftermarket body kits and splitters can make loading onto an open deck’s ramp angle risky.
- The vehicle is going into long-term storage on arrival. Road film that would normally be washed off in the first week instead sits on the finish for months.
- The route runs through a mountain pass in deep winter. Road salt and traction grit are heavier on those corridors than on any other part of the network.
If any of these describe your shipment, our enclosed auto transport service is the better fit even though it costs more.
Get Your Quote NowStep by Step
How Open Car Transport Works
The process is straightforward when the shipment details are accurate from the beginning. Prime Auto Movers coordinates the transportation as a broker, while the assigned motor carrier and driver perform the physical pickup, transport, and delivery.
Step 1
Quote and Booking
You provide pickup and delivery ZIP codes, the vehicle’s year, make and model, whether it runs under its own power, and the earliest date it can be picked up. That last item matters more than people realize: a wider availability window gives us more carriers to work with and usually a better rate.
Step 2
Dispatch and Carrier Assignment
Your shipment is matched to a carrier already running your route. Every carrier is checked for active FMCSA operating authority, current insurance, and a clean recent safety record before they are cleared to take a load. You get the carrier’s name and the driver’s contact information once the shipment is assigned.
step 3
Pickup Say and the Bill of Lading
At pickup, you or an authorized representative should inspect the vehicle with the driver. Existing exterior condition should be recorded on the Bill of Lading (BOL). Take your own dated photos before the vehicle is loaded, then keep a copy of the pickup paperwork.
Step 4
In Transit
Drivers run on federally regulated hours-of-service limits, so a long route includes mandatory rest. Your vehicle stays strapped on the deck the entire time. You can reach the driver directly for location updates, and our team can pull a status any time you want one.
Step 5
Delivery and Final Inspection
The driver calls ahead again to arrange the delivery point. Before you sign, walk the vehicle and compare it against the pickup condition report and your photos. If everything matches, sign the Bill of Lading and the shipment is complete. If something does not match, note it on the delivery copy before signing — that is the moment that preserves your claim.
Open Car Transport
Open vs. Enclosed Car Transport
The biggest difference is the trailer. Open shipping uses an uncovered carrier, while enclosed shipping places the vehicle inside a covered trailer. The comparison below can help you decide which option fits your vehicle.
| Feature | Open Car Transport | Enclosed Auto Transport |
|---|---|---|
| Trailer | Uncovered Multi-Vehicle Carrier | Covered / Enclosed Trailer |
| Typical Cost | Generally Lower | Generally Higher |
| Availability | Generally Broader | More Specialized Capacity |
| Weather / Road Exposure | Vehicle Remains Exposed | Vehicle Is Shielded by the Trailer |
| Best Suited For | Daily Drivers and Standard Vehicles | Classic, Exotic, Luxury, Collectible, or Protection-Sensitive Vehicles |
| Primary Priority | Value and Availability | Additional Environmental Protection |
Open Car Transport
What actually drives your price
There is no fixed price list in auto transport, and any company that publishes one is either quoting an average or setting you up for a revision later. Rates move with fuel, seasonal demand, and how many trucks happen to be running your specific lane in the week you need it.
What is consistent is the structure. Longer routes cost more in total but less per mile, because the fixed costs of a trip — the driver’s time, the fuel to get positioned, equipment wear — get spread across more miles.
| Factor | Effect on price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Higher total, lower per mile | Fixed trip costs spread across more miles |
| Vehicle size and weight | Higher for SUVs, trucks, vans | Larger vehicles take more deck space, so fewer cars fit per load |
| Route popularity | Lower on major corridors | Busy lanes have more trucks competing for loads |
| Pickup and delivery access | Higher for rural or remote points | The carrier drives unpaid miles to reach you and get back on route |
| Season | Higher in summer and snowbird peaks | Demand outruns available trucks in May–September and again Oct–Nov / Mar–Apr |
| Operable condition | Higher for non-running vehicles | Requires a winch-equipped truck and extra loading labor |
| Lead time | Higher for last-minute | Short-notice loads force carriers off planned routes |
| Top load request | Higher | Reserves a specific, limited position on the trailer |
Why the cheapest quote often takes the longest?
This is worth understanding before you compare quotes, because it explains the most common bad experience in this industry.
Vehicles get matched to trucks on a national dispatch network, and drivers choose loads based on what a lane pays. If a company quotes you well under the market rate for your route, that shipment sits unclaimed — not because anyone is being dishonest about wanting to move it, but because no driver will run it at that number. Days pass. Then comes the call explaining that the price needs to go up to secure a truck.
A quote priced correctly the first time gets dispatched. When you are comparing offers, an outlier on the low end is usually a signal about the wait, not about the savings.
How to lower your open transport cost
- Give a wider pickup window. A three- or four-day range instead of one specific date is the single most effective lever you have.
- Book two to three weeks out. Enough lead time to be matched to a truck already planning your route.
- Be flexible on the meeting point. Agreeing to meet at a nearby shopping center rather than a tight residential street can remove an access surcharge.
- Ship outside peak weeks. Late January through February and the second half of the fall are the quietest stretches of the year.
- Ship multiple vehicles together. Two cars on the same truck between the same two points cost less than two separate shipments.
- Skip the extras you do not need. Top load and guaranteed pickup are real services with real value, but they are not required for a standard vehicle.
How Long Does Open Car Transport Take?
Two separate clocks are involved, and conflating them is the most common source of frustration. The first is the pickup window: the time between booking and a truck arriving at your door. The second is transit: the drive itself.
Typical industry transit times, once your vehicle is loaded:
| Distance | Typical transit time |
|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | 1–2 days |
| 500–1,000 miles | 2–3 days |
| 1,000–1,500 miles | 3–4 days |
| 1,500–2,000 miles | 4–5 days |
| 2,000–2,500 miles | 5–7 days |
| Coast to coast (2,500+ miles) | 7–10 days |
These are estimates based on how the network normally runs, not guarantees. Weather, road closures, mandatory driver rest and the order of stops on a multi-vehicle load all move the number. If you have a hard deadline — a closing date, a report date, a flight out — say so at the quote stage so we can talk about whether expedited auto transport is the better fit.
Insurance on an Open Carrier: What’s Covered and What Isn’t
Vehicles moved on our open carriers are covered by cargo insurance up to $100,000. Enclosed transport carries a higher limit of $250,000. There is no separate charge for this coverage — it is part of the transport, not an add-on.
Cargo insurance covers damage caused by the carrier during transport: contact during loading or unloading, a securement failure, or an incident involving the truck. That coverage is why the condition report at pickup matters so much. It establishes the baseline that any later claim is measured against.
What cargo insurance does not cover?
No carrier’s policy in this industry covers everything, and you should know the limits before you hand over the keys rather than after:
- Pre-existing damage. Anything already on the vehicle at pickup and noted on the Bill of Lading.
- Acts of nature. Hail, falling branches, flooding and similar events are generally excluded from carrier cargo policies. Your own comprehensive auto policy is typically the relevant coverage there — worth a call to your insurer before a long haul.
- Personal belongings. Items left inside the vehicle are not covered by cargo insurance under any circumstances.
- Mechanical and electrical failure. A component that fails on its own during transport is not transport damage.
- Loose or non-factory parts. Spoilers, aftermarket trim, roof racks and anything not bolted on at the factory.
Ask for the certificate of insurance on your assigned carrier before pickup. Any legitimate operator will provide it without hesitation.
What Vehicles Can Be Shipped on an Open Carrier?
Open carrier car shipping can work for a wide range of passenger and light-duty vehicles. The key is providing complete dimensions and condition details so the vehicle can be matched with suitable equipment.
- Sedans and coupes
- Hatchbacks and wagons
- SUVs and crossovers
- Minivans
- Many pickup trucks
- Electric and hybrid passenger vehicles
- Running used or auction vehicles
Some inoperable vehicles when appropriate loading equipment is available
Tell your shipping advisor about lift kits, lowered suspension, oversized tires, roof accessories, non-factory bumpers, spoilers, unusual ground clearance, missing wheels, fluid leaks, or other conditions that could affect loading. A standard open carrier may not be appropriate for every modified or oversized vehicle.
How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Open Transport
Fifteen minutes of preparation prevents most of the problems that come up on pickup day.
- Wash the exterior. A clean car makes existing chips and scratches visible, which protects you at inspection. This is the one step people skip and later regret.
- Photograph everything in daylight. Every panel, both bumpers, the roof, all four wheels, the windshield, the interior, and the odometer reading. Timestamped photos are your strongest documentation.
- Leave about a quarter tank of fuel. Enough to load and unload, not enough to add unnecessary weight to the load.
- Remove toll transponders and parking passes. Otherwise your account gets billed for every gantry the truck passes under.
- Take out personal items. Carriers are not licensed to haul household goods, and anything inside is uninsured.
- Remove or secure loose exterior accessories. Bike racks, cargo boxes, spoilers, antennas, roof-mounted equipment.
- Disable the alarm, or explain how to. An alarm going off repeatedly on a multi-day haul is a real problem for the driver.
- Check tire pressure and battery charge. The vehicle has to move on and off the deck under its own power unless you have booked inoperable transport.
- Fix active leaks. Fluid dripping onto the vehicle below yours is the one thing that will get a car turned away at loading.
- Fold in the mirrors and retract the antenna. Deck clearances are tight.
Common preparation mistakes
- Sending the car with a full tank — it adds weight the carrier has to account for across the whole load
- Leaving the only set of keys inside, with no spare at the delivery end
- Signing the Bill of Lading before walking the vehicle, at either end
- Assuming the car will arrive clean — road film on an open deck is normal and is not damage
- Not telling us the vehicle has been lowered, lifted or modified, which changes what equipment is needed
- Over packing the trunk. Where a carrier permits a small amount of luggage it is at their discretion, subject to weight, and never insured
Pickup and Delivery Access: What a Car Hauler Needs
Door-to-door means the truck gets as close to your door as the equipment and local law allow. Here is what that means in practice, since no one else seems to spell it out.
A loaded full-size hauler is around 75 to 80 feet long and 13 and a half feet tall. It cannot turn around in a cul-de-sac. It cannot clear low branches, power lines or a parking structure entrance. It cannot legally stop on many narrow residential streets, and plenty of HOAs prohibit commercial vehicles of that size altogether. Low bridges and weight-restricted roads take other options off the table.
When your address will not work, the driver will arrange to meet you nearby — typically a large retail parking lot, a wide side street, or a commercial lot within a few miles. This is standard, it is not a downgrade in service, and it is worth thinking about in advance rather than on the phone with a driver who is fifteen minutes away.
Two things help: tell us at booking if your street is narrow, gated, steep or unpaved, and have a backup meeting point in mind. If you know the shopping center two miles down the road has a big empty corner, say so. It makes the day go smoothly and it can keep an access surcharge off your quote.
Weather, Routes and Seasonality
An open deck exposes your vehicle to the same conditions it would face if you drove the route yourself. Over a multi-day haul, a few patterns are worth knowing.
- Winter mountain corridors. I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, I-80 over Donner, and the I-70 crossing through Colorado carry heavy road salt and traction grit from roughly November through March. A wash soon after delivery matters more on these routes than on any other.
- Snowbird season. Northeast and Midwest lanes to Florida, Arizona and Texas tighten sharply in October and November, then reverse in March and April. Book two to three weeks ahead in those windows.
- Summer peak. May through September is the busiest stretch of the year across the whole network, driven by relocations and the academic calendar.
- Severe weather. Drivers will hold rather than run through a major storm system. A delay of a day or two for that reason is the carrier doing the right thing.
If Your Vehicle Arrives With Damage
It is uncommon, and when it happens it is usually cosmetic. What matters is that you handle the first ten minutes correctly, because almost every denied claim in this industry traces back to something that was or was not done at delivery.
- Do not sign the clean Bill of Lading first. Inspect before you sign anything.
- Write the damage on the delivery copy of the Bill of Lading, specifically — the panel, the type of damage, the size. “Scratch on car” is not enough.
- Photograph the damage before the truck leaves, with the trailer visible in at least one frame.
- Get the driver’s signature or acknowledgment on the noted delivery copy.
- Call us the same day. Do not wait for the weekend to pass.
- Keep your pickup photos. This is where they earn their keep — the claim is settled by comparing the two sets.
If you sign a clean delivery receipt and call two days later, you have no documentary evidence the damage occurred in transit, and there is very little anyone can do for you. Five minutes at delivery protects you completely.
Questions to Ask Before You Book Open Car Transport
Ask these of us and of anyone else you are considering. The answers tell you a great deal:
- Are you a licensed motor carrier, a broker, or both — and what are your MC and DOT numbers?
- What is the cargo insurance limit on open transport, and can I see the certificate for my assigned carrier?
- Is the quoted price the amount I pay at delivery, or an estimate that can change?
- Is a deposit required, and when is it charged?
- What is the realistic pickup window on my specific route this month?
- What happens if no carrier accepts the load at this price?
- Who do I contact once the vehicle is in transit, and how do I reach the driver?
- What is your process if the vehicle arrives damaged?
Any company that gets vague on the second, third or last of these is telling you something.
Why Ship With Prime Auto Movers LLC
Prime Auto Movers LLC is an FMCSA-authorized motor carrier (MC# 1743601, DOT# 4431271), fully compliant with U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) regulations. We provide nationwide car shipping and auto transport services, including door-to-door delivery for cars, motorcycles, boats, and heavy equipment. Every vehicle is handled by qualified, insured carriers and delivered safely and on time. Whether you’re shipping across town or across the country, our nationwide network covers major routes coast to coast — including Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and New York, along with cities throughout Washington, California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and beyond. With transparent pricing and clear communication at every step, we make interstate and cross-country car shipping simple and stress-free. What that means for an open transport booking specifically: your vehicle is covered up to $100,000 in cargo insurance, you get the carrier and driver details once your shipment is assigned, and you get a straight answer about your pickup window rather than an optimistic one.
FAQs
How many cars fit on an open carrier?
Can you ship a non-running car on an open carrier?
Can I leave personal items in the car?
Is open transport a good option for an electric or hybrid vehicle?
Do I need to be present for pickup and delivery?
Do I need to be present for pickup and delivery?
Can two vehicles ship together on the same open carrier?
How much does open car transport cost?
Still have more questions?
Get Your Open Car Transport Quote
Ready to move your vehicle? Tell Prime Auto Movers LLC where the vehicle is, where it needs to go, the year/make/model, whether it runs, and when it will be ready. We’ll use those details to help identify open carrier options for your route.
