For Classics, Exotics, Collectibles

Enclosed Auto Transport

Sealed trailer, no weather, no road debris. Hard side or soft side, liftgate available for low-clearance cars. $99 deposit locks the rate.

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What is enclosed auto transport?

Enclosed auto transport is the white-glove option. Your car rides inside a sealed trailer the entire trip, totally protected from weather, road dust, salt, and the occasional rock kicked up by a tractor trailer. Most enclosed trailers haul 2 to 6 vehicles instead of the 7 to 10 you see on open trucks.

If your vehicle is worth over $5,000, has a paint job you cannot replace, or is a classic, exotic, race car, or limited edition build, this is the way. Dealers move Ferraris, vintage Porsches, restomod muscle cars, and freshly painted show cars enclosed for a reason.

Whipshipper has direct relationships with enclosed specialist carriers, including hard side fleets with liftgates for sub-4-inch clearance. We do not just slap your load on the same board everyone uses, we route enclosed loads through the carriers that actually have the right equipment.

Who needs enclosed

Most people ship open. These situations call for enclosed.

1

Classic and antique cars

Anything pre-1980 or with original factory paint deserves the sealed trailer. Restoration costs make the upcharge worth it.

2

Exotics and supercars

Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche GT cars, Bugatti. Insurance value alone justifies enclosed, and most dealers require it.

3

Show cars and freshly painted builds

Just dropped $15k on paint and clear? Do not let a rock chip ruin it 20 miles into the trip.

4

Low-clearance cars

Lowered, slammed, or sub-4-inch ground clearance? Hard side enclosed with a liftgate loads flat. Open trailer ramps will scrape.

5

$50k+ daily drivers

Tesla Plaid, AMG, M-cars, premium SUVs. Worth the extra $500 to $1,000 for peace of mind.

6

Auction wins you don't want messed up

Won a Barrett-Jackson lot? Shipping it open would be sacrilege. Enclosed protects the investment.

Hard side vs soft side enclosed

Two flavors of enclosed. Which one fits your car.

Hard side enclosed

  • Solid aluminum or steel walls
  • Liftgate loading, no ramps
  • Best for sub-4-inch clearance
  • Climate stable interior
  • Highest cost in the enclosed category
  • Typical for exotics and show cars

Soft side enclosed

  • Heavy duty fabric walls
  • Traditional ramp loading
  • Best for normal clearance classics and luxury
  • Still fully covered from weather
  • Lower cost than hard side
  • Typical for collector daily drivers

How enclosed transport works

1

Quote and match

Tell us the year, make, model, modifications, and clearance. We match you to a hard side or soft side carrier that actually fits.

2

Lock the rate

$99 deposit holds the slot. Enclosed trailers run booked, locking early matters more here than open.

3

White glove pickup

Driver photos every panel, uses soft straps or wheel nets, no chains on the body. Loaded slow and careful.

4

Sealed transit

Trailer stays sealed the entire trip. Live GPS the whole way. Driver opens the trailer at delivery for inspection.

Before you book enclosed

Run through this list so the carrier is set up for success.

  • 1Measure ground clearance, anything under 4 inches needs hard side with liftgate
  • 2Note any aftermarket parts, splitters, wings, exhaust that could catch on ramps
  • 3Photograph every panel and inside the engine bay before pickup
  • 4Pull the toll tag and any aftermarket alarms with motion sensors
  • 5Disable car alarm or share the kill switch with the driver
  • 6Confirm fluid leaks are addressed, drivers can refuse a leaking car
  • 7Leave a quarter tank of gas, no more
  • 8Hand the driver one key, hold the spare yourself

Enclosed transport by the numbers

2 to 6
Cars per trailer
$2k+
Avg coast to coast
5 to 10 days
Typical transit
$100k+
Avg cargo coverage

Sample enclosed rates

Enclosed runs 50 to 80 percent more than open. Worth it for the right vehicle.

DistanceOpen TransportEnclosed TransportTransit Days
0 to 500 miles$500 to $750$750 to $1,2002 to 4 days
500 to 1,000 miles$750 to $1,050$1,200 to $1,6503 to 6 days
1,000 to 2,000 miles$950 to $1,500$1,650 to $2,4005 to 8 days
2,000+ miles$1,200 to $1,900$2,100 to $2,9007 to 10 days

Estimates only, your exact rate comes from the live carrier load board. Get an instant quote at the top of the page for real numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to ship a vehicle?

Cost depends on distance, vehicle size, open vs enclosed, and how flexible your dates are. Most door-to-door moves run between $700 and $1,800. The instant quote at the top of this page gives you a real number in under 60 seconds.

How long does it take?

Pickup usually happens 1 to 3 business days after you lock the rate. Transit time depends on distance: under 500 miles is 2 to 4 days, coast to coast is 7 to 10 days. We give you a live ETA from the driver's GPS once the truck rolls.

Is my vehicle insured during transport?

Yes. Every carrier on our network carries cargo insurance, and we verify the policy is active before they pick up. You get the insurance certificate emailed to you with the dispatch confirmation.

How does the $99 deposit work?

The $99 deposit locks your rate and books the carrier. It is the only money you pay upfront. The balance is due to the driver at delivery, cash or certified funds. No deposit, no booking.

What is the pickup window?

Standard pickup is a 1 to 3 day window. Expedited is next day or 2 day. The driver calls 4 to 24 hours before arrival to confirm the exact pickup time so you are not stuck waiting all day.

How do I prep my vehicle for transport?

Quarter tank of gas, remove personal items, disable toll tags, fold in mirrors, and snap a few photos of the exterior. The driver does a full inspection at pickup and you sign off on the condition report.

How do I pay for the rest?

Balance is paid directly to the driver at delivery. Most drivers accept cash, cashier's check, or Zelle. We confirm payment method on the dispatch sheet before pickup so there are no surprises.

What if the carrier cancels or runs late?

If a carrier falls through, we re-dispatch to the next available truck at the same rate you locked, no rebooking fee. Delays from weather or breakdowns get a real ETA update from your coordinator, not a canned email.

Is enclosed transport really worth the extra money?

If your vehicle is worth over about $30k, has irreplaceable original paint, or is a collector car, yes. The upcharge is typically $500 to $1,200 versus open, and the protection is real. For a $15k daily driver, open is plenty.

Do you offer single car enclosed?

Yes. Single car enclosed trailers exist, especially for exotics. They cost more because you are paying for the whole trailer. We can quote both single and multi-car enclosed during your quote.

Can I ship 2 cars in one enclosed trailer to save money?

Yes, if both pick up and drop within the same general route. Multi-car enclosed is significantly cheaper per car than two separate single car bookings.

Will the driver wash my car?

No. Most drivers will photograph and walk around with you, but washing is on you. The good news is enclosed trailers stay sealed, so the car comes off as clean as it went on.

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Related

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Every auto transport service we run

Auto transport is not one product. A dealer moving forty units off an auction lane, a collector shipping a numbers matching car across the country, and a family sending one sedan ahead of a move are three different jobs that happen to use the same highways. They need different trailers, different insurance limits, different loading equipment, and different scheduling. Quoting all three the same way is how customers end up with a truck that cannot legally carry their vehicle. Pick the line below that matches what you are actually moving, and the quote comes back against the right equipment the first time.

By transport type

By vehicle

By who is shipping

Not sure which one fits? Call (888) 780-6207 and describe the vehicle and the route. A dispatcher will tell you which equipment it needs and what the lane is running, or start with an instant quote and adjust from there.

Auto transport coast to coast, state to state

We move vehicles in all fifty states, and the network is deepest where the freight already runs. Each state page below carries its own lane table, transit windows, and the local conditions that actually change a rate.

Northeast

Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

South

Midwest

Mountain

Pacific

Browse every city we coverPopular lanes and live ratesHow state to state shipping worksCross country moves

Read before you book

Most complaints in this industry trace back to something the customer was never told: that the first quote was a placeholder, that the broker on the phone is not the company driving the truck, or that personal items in the trunk are not covered by cargo insurance. None of that is complicated once somebody explains it. These are the explainers we send customers before they book, written to be useful whether or not you ship with us.

Lock your rate today.

$99 deposit holds the carrier, balance on delivery.

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