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Open Car Transport

Door to door pickup on a standard 7 to 10 car open trailer. Same trucks dealers and auctions use. Live GPS, 1 to 3 day pickup window, $99 deposit locks the rate.

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What is open car transport?

Open car transport is the standard way vehicles move across the country. Roughly 9 out of 10 cars ship this way, including pretty much every new car you see on a dealer lot. The car rides on a multi-level open trailer, exposed to weather, hauled by an FMCSA licensed carrier.

It is the cheapest, fastest, and most available option because there are way more open trucks on the road than enclosed ones. If your car is a daily driver, a lease return, a college kid's hand-me-down, or a fresh Carvana purchase, open is almost always the right call.

Whipshipper plugs into the same live carrier load board the big brokers use. We post your load, drivers bid on it, and you get the rate that actually moves the car. No middleman markup that bloats the price.

Why people pick open over enclosed

Open transport wins on price, speed, and availability. Here is why.

1

Cheaper

Open is 30 to 50 percent cheaper than enclosed. A coast to coast move on open runs $1,100 to $1,800. Same trip enclosed is $2,000 to $2,900.

2

Faster pickup

There are roughly 10 open trucks for every 1 enclosed truck on the road. More supply means your load gets picked up in 1 to 3 days instead of waiting a week for an enclosed slot.

3

Same trucks dealers use

If your new car arrived at the dealer on an open trailer, your used car can ship the same way. These are professional auto haulers, not random pickups with a strap.

4

Full insurance still applies

Every carrier carries cargo insurance that covers your vehicle in transit. Open does not mean uninsured. The certificate gets emailed before pickup.

5

Door to door

Driver picks up at your house or as close as the truck legally and safely can get, and drops at the destination address. No terminal runaround.

6

Live GPS

Once the truck rolls, you see real-time location and a live ETA pulled from the driver's phone. No more wondering if your car fell off the earth.

Open vs enclosed at a glance

Most people ship open. A few situations call for enclosed.

Open transport

  • Cheapest option, 30 to 50 percent less than enclosed
  • Fastest pickup, more trucks available
  • Standard 7 to 10 car trailer
  • Exposed to weather, road dust, rain
  • Best for daily drivers, lease returns, dealer purchases
  • Average coast to coast: $1,100 to $1,800

Enclosed transport

  • Sealed trailer, no weather exposure
  • Premium service, fewer trucks available
  • Soft side or hard side enclosed
  • Liftgate loading for low clearance
  • Best for classics, exotics, $5k+ collector vehicles
  • Average coast to coast: $2,000 to $2,900

How it works

From quote to delivery in 4 simple steps.

1

Get a quote

Punch in pickup zip, drop zip, and vehicle. You see a live rate from the load board in under 60 seconds.

2

Lock the rate

$99 deposit holds the carrier and locks your price. Balance is paid to the driver at delivery.

3

Pickup

Driver calls 4 to 24 hours before arrival. Inspection at pickup, you sign the condition report.

4

Delivery

Track the truck in real time. Driver calls before arrival. Inspect on delivery, pay balance, drive off.

Open transport pro tips

Stuff that saves you money and headaches.

Flexible dates beat rigid dates

Telling the driver any day this week is cheaper than I need it Tuesday at 9am. Flexibility lets carriers stack you onto an existing route.

Top load costs more

Top of the trailer is safer from road debris. If you want a guaranteed top spot, add roughly $100 to $150 to the rate.

Quarter tank of gas

Carriers want light vehicles. Full tank adds weight which costs them fuel. Quarter tank is the sweet spot.

Don't pack the trunk full

Up to about 100 lbs in the trunk is usually fine. Above that, the carrier can refuse or upcharge. DOT does not love brokers hauling household goods.

Disconnect toll tags

Otherwise you eat tolls along the entire route. Pull the transponder, bag it, toss it in the glove box.

Take photos at pickup

Snap 8 to 10 photos of every side, plus close-ups of any existing dings. Driver does this too, but your set is your insurance.

Why customers stick with Whipshipper

1 to 3 days
Average pickup window
98%
On-time delivery
$99
Locks your rate
4.8
Avg review score

Sample rates by distance

Real ballpark numbers from recent loads. Your live quote will be sharper because it pulls from the current carrier load board.

DistanceOpen TransportEnclosed TransportTransit Days
0 to 500 miles$450 to $700$700 to $1,1002 to 4 days
500 to 1,000 miles$700 to $1,000$1,100 to $1,5003 to 5 days
1,000 to 2,000 miles$900 to $1,400$1,500 to $2,2005 to 7 days
2,000+ miles$1,100 to $1,800$2,000 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 open transport safe for my car?

Yes. Open trailers haul roughly 90 percent of the cars on US roads. The biggest risk is light road dust or a stray rock chip, which is very rare. If you have a $50k+ vehicle or a paint job you cannot replace, enclosed is the safer bet.

Can I put stuff in the trunk?

Up to 100 lbs in the trunk is usually OK. Anything heavier and the carrier may refuse or upcharge. Whipshipper doesn't carry insurance on personal items, so anything valuable should ride with you.

What if my car has aftermarket parts or low clearance?

Tell us during the quote. Lowered cars, lift kits, and big spoilers can affect loading. We match you with a carrier that has the right ramp setup so nothing scrapes.

How does open transport compare to driving it myself?

Driving 2,000 miles adds about 2,000 miles of wear, 2 to 4 days of your time, fuel, hotels, and meals. For most people, shipping is cheaper once you add the real cost of driving yourself.

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Related

Enclosed Auto TransportDoor to Door Auto TransportExpedited Car ShippingCheap Car ShippingState to State Car ShippingShip a Car Across Country

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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