There are numerous Car Transport Trucks operating daily, ranging from small, single-vehicle haulers to massive, multi-car carriers, and versatile flatbeds for oversized loads. The auto transport industry is vast, with thousands of companies and drivers dedicated to moving vehicles across the country and even shorter distances.
When shipping your vehicle, ensuring its safety and security is paramount. You naturally seek reliable service at a reasonable price, and at World Transport, we understand this. Our commitment is to connect you with dependable carriers that match your specific transport needs. We carefully vet every carrier in our network to ensure they are highly-rated, fully licensed, and comprehensively insured.
However, the sheer variety of car transport trucks available can be confusing. This article will explore the most common types of car transport trucks you’ll encounter. We’ll explain their functionalities, ideal applications, and what to expect when you book your vehicle shipment through a reputable provider like World Transport.
Determining the Best Car Transport Truck for Your Needs
For most standard vehicle shipments, excluding specialized cases like flatbed transport for immobile or oversized vehicles, there isn’t a single “best” type of car transport truck. Flatbeds become necessary when a vehicle’s dimensions or condition prevent it from being loaded onto a standard car carrier.
If you’re shipping a vehicle you use daily, almost any type of car transport truck will suffice. The majority of vehicles are transported via open carriers, which is considered the industry standard and most economical option. Open car transport trucks expose the transported vehicles to the elements, hence the term “open.”
Enclosed transport is also available, offering enhanced protection, but is typically chosen for high-value or classic cars. While you can opt for enclosed shipping for any vehicle, it often represents an unnecessary expense for everyday cars. Both open and enclosed options have distinct advantages and disadvantages, which we will delve into in the following sections.
Generally, the goal is to maximize value for your money. If you are shipping a regularly driven car, an open car transport truck is likely the most practical choice. It provides a cost-effective solution while still ensuring your vehicle’s safe delivery. In fact, transporting your car is often safer than driving it yourself over long distances, minimizing wear and tear on your vehicle and saving on fuel and travel-related expenses.
Continue reading to understand the pros and cons of different car transport truck types. We will also touch upon various configurations, although the specific truck assigned to your shipment is usually determined by carrier availability and logistical efficiency. Carriers prioritize truck assignment based on location and route optimization.
Exploring Different Types of Open Car Transport Trucks
Open car transport trucks come in several configurations. The most prevalent is the ten-car hauler, similar to the one pictured below. These are highly efficient and cost-effective for nationwide vehicle shipping. Their capacity to transport ten vehicles simultaneously allows carriers to offer competitive pricing per vehicle and maintain affordable car shipping rates. These large carriers can accommodate a variety of vehicles, including SUVs, minivans, and many pickup trucks.
Beyond ten-car haulers, three-car haulers are also common, often resembling flatbed trucks. Interestingly, flatbed trucks sometimes transport standard cars when oversized freight is scarce, expanding their freight options.
Three-car haulers typically operate on regional routes rather than nationwide ones. They are frequently seen operating within smaller geographic areas, such as between states like Georgia and Florida. These shorter routes enable them to maintain price competitiveness with larger ten-car haulers without investing in larger equipment.
Five and six-car haulers also exist and tend to serve regional routes, though some may undertake nationwide shipments if profitable freight is available.
As previously mentioned, customers usually don’t select the specific size of the car transport truck. Longer distance shipments often utilize ten-car haulers for efficiency. Shorter, in-state or single-state shipments are more likely to use smaller carriers, but ultimately truck assignment depends on local availability and carrier scheduling.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Open Car Transport Trucks
Open transport is frequently the optimal choice for shipping everyday vehicles. A significant advantage of open car transport trucks is their cost-effectiveness, particularly suited for transporting commonly driven vehicles.
Most vehicle owners are not overly concerned about minor road dust or easily polishable blemishes. Open transport is ideal for those prioritizing budget-friendly shipping. In today’s economy, service costs are continually rising, making price a crucial factor for many. Lower prices translate to a wider customer base, motivating carriers to keep costs as low as possible while remaining profitable.
Therefore, opting for an open car transport truck is wise when budget is a primary concern. By hauling multiple vehicles at once, carriers can offer lower per-vehicle rates while still ensuring route profitability.
However, open transport does carry a slightly higher risk of vehicle damage. Exposure to weather elements like hail or road debris like rocks can cause minor dents or scratches. While this risk exists, it’s important to remember that your vehicle is also exposed to similar risks during regular driving. By being elevated and off the road during transport, the likelihood of damage is often less than if you were to drive the vehicle yourself.
Understanding Enclosed Car Transport Trucks
Enclosed car transport trucks, as the name suggests, are fully enclosed, shielding the vehicles inside from the external environment.
Enclosed carriers provide superior protection against damage compared to open carriers. However, this premium service typically caters to a specific customer base.
This customer is often someone shipping a luxury, classic, or high-value vehicle that is driven infrequently, perhaps only on weekends or for special occasions.
While enclosed transport is often associated with expensive cars, anyone can choose this option over open transport. It’s not exclusively reserved for top-tier vehicles. However, it is more commonly used for such vehicles due to the significantly higher cost compared to open transport.
The demand for enclosed shipping is considerably lower than for open transport – a small fraction, in fact. Moreover, enclosed trucks typically have a lower capacity, usually transporting only 2-6 vehicles at a time. This reduced capacity limits their ability to handle the volume that open transporters can manage.
This lower capacity is the primary reason for the increased cost. Enclosed carriers cover similar distances and incur comparable operational expenses as open carriers. However, they cannot distribute their costs across as many vehicles. Consequently, they must charge more per vehicle to maintain profitability.
The higher price often leads customers to choose open transport, even if they initially preferred enclosed. The cost difference is often not financially justifiable for many vehicle shipments.
Flatbed Trucks: Specialized Hauling and Their Uses
Flatbed trucks are designed for transporting large, heavy, and uniquely shaped items and vehicles.
However, their versatility extends beyond just oversized cargo. Flatbeds can transport almost anything that isn’t excessively large or overweight (in which case specialized transport methods are necessary).
Do flatbed carriers transport regular cars? Occasionally, particularly for short distances. Flatbed carriers, similar to enclosed transporters, generally have higher per-unit service costs. Demand for long-distance flatbed services is relatively low, as they are primarily designed for hauling heavy equipment like construction machinery.
Think of the large bulldozers and construction equipment you see on highways – they are typically transported on flatbeds. While cars can be loaded onto flatbeds, most flatbed carriers prioritize hauling higher-value heavy equipment like cranes, as it is more profitable than transporting a few standard cars.
However, flatbed transport remains an option for cars, especially when dealing with immobile vehicles or those requiring specialized loading. And if you need to ship heavy equipment, flatbed transport is definitely the way to go. Pricing for flatbed hauling differs significantly from standard open or enclosed shipments. Therefore, it’s best to contact us for a custom quote if you need to transport heavy equipment or a pickup truck that doesn’t fit on a conventional car transport truck.
Secure and Reliable Car Transport Trucks with World Transport
If you are looking for a reputable company to ship your car, one that partners with only high-quality carriers, choose World Transport! We are a highly-rated auto transport service committed to working with the best car transport trucks on the road. We thoroughly vet each carrier in our network for dependability and reliability, ensuring they are fully licensed and insured.
Get a free, instant quote to ship your vehicle today by using our online quote request form. It only takes a minute to see your price! You can also book your shipment directly online and begin your transport process immediately. Alternatively, contact our dedicated customer service team toll-free at [Phone Number]. They are available to provide quotes, book your shipment, answer your questions, assist with vehicle tracking, and more.
Dave Armstrong
Auto Transport Content Guru at World Transport
Dave has been an active member of the auto transport industry since 2007, gaining experience in nearly every facet except driving a transport truck. With over a decade of experience in car shipping, Dave possesses comprehensive knowledge of the industry’s intricacies. Since 2007, Dave has been creating content and blog posts for leading auto transport companies, while also contributing to customer support and transport logistics.
He currently resides in Washington with his family and enjoys Marvel movies and captivating stories. When he’s not immersed in the world of car transport, Dave dedicates his time to writing his novel, enjoying a good book, or playing competitive HALO.
