What open transport actually is
Open transport is the industry default: the same twin-deck haulers that deliver brand-new vehicles from factories to dealerships. Your car is chained to a deck, exposed to weather and road environment the same way it would be parked outside or driven — no more, no less. Roughly 90%+ of all vehicle shipments in the US move open, including most vehicles that cost more than the truck hauling them.
When enclosed is genuinely worth it
- Fresh show-quality paint or wraps you don’t want to test against a week of weather.
- Six-figure and irreplaceable vehicles where the 40–60% premium is a rounding error on the value.
- Ultra-low clearance exotics that need liftgate loading rather than ramps.
- Winter routes for owners who won’t accept road salt exposure at any price.
If your car fits those categories, book enclosed — that’s not our equipment, and we’d rather point you right than take the load.
The honest middle ground
Most decisions aren’t a Ferrari-or-Corolla binary. Driver-quality classics, nice daily EVs, low-mile trucks: these ship open every day and arrive fine. The real protection isn’t the roof — it’s documentation and insurance: photo condition reports on the Bill of Lading at pickup and delivery, and real carrier cargo coverage in between. Ask any transporter, open or enclosed, to show you both. We do, on every load.