Enclosed car transport
Enclosed car transport moves a car inside a hard-sided trailer, out of rain and road grit. Fewer of those trailers run, so the offer is usually higher than open transport on the same route. The price still depends on the date and on whether a covered truck is going your way. The figures below are estimates. The carrier that takes the load sets the real price.
Key facts
- What changes versus open
- The car rides inside a covered trailer. The exposure to weather and road debris is the difference people are paying for.
- Why the offer is higher
- Covered trailers are fewer than open trailers, so you are buying a scarcer truck, not a different map.
- Soft tops and low cars
- Tell the carrier the height, the ground clearance, and whether the car can be driven onto a ramp. A car that drags is a different load.
- Cargo filing is separate
- For a for-hire interstate carrier in a truck rated 10,001 pounds or more hauling nonhazardous property, 49 CFR 387.9 sets public liability at $750,000. That figure is not a stated value for your car.
- Source: ecfr.gov
The sources are listed on this page.
Enclosed car transport puts the car inside a hard-sided trailer instead of on an open rack. People use it for a new car, a respray, a wrap, a convertible, or any car they do not want in rain and road grit. The fact that moves the price most is scarcity. Fewer covered trailers are working, so the carrier can ask more than for a slot on an open truck on the same days.
Covered does not mean untouched. The car is still loaded, strapped, and driven down the highway. What you are buying is shelter from weather and from stones kicked up beside an open deck. If that shelter is not worth the gap on your route, open transport is the ordinary choice.
What enclosed costs next to open on the same route
Read the two estimates as a pair. They are not quotes and not bookings. For a sedan from New York to Miami, open is $804–$1,225 as of , model v1 RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. Reported prices on seasonal routes to and from Florida and Arizona support different prices in each direction this month. and enclosed is $1,206–$1,837 as of , model v1 RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. Reported prices on seasonal routes to and from Florida and Arizona support different prices in each direction this month.. For a sedan from Los Angeles to Dallas, open is $765–$1,166 as of , model v1 RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. There is no seasonal direction adjustment for this route and month. and enclosed is $1,148–$1,749 as of , model v1 RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. There is no seasonal direction adjustment for this route and month.. A third pair, Chicago to Phoenix, is in the table with Seattle to Denver:
| Route | Open | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL to Phoenix, AZ | $915–$1,395 | $1,373–$2,092 |
| Seattle, WA to Denver, CO | $698–$1,064 | $1,047–$1,596 |
The gap is not a fixed percent. Do not accept a sentence that says enclosed is always a set share more. Price your own week. A shared enclosed trailer is not the same product as a truck that carries only your car. The single-car versus shared trailer guide is the comparison, and the open versus enclosed chooser puts the question in one place.
An inoperable car, a car too low for the ramp, or a hard delivery date can raise the enclosed offer further. Say those facts in the request. Hiding them produces a second price later, which is the complaint people file after they have already paid a deposit.
How enclosed shipping works
- Describe the car honestly. Height, ground clearance, modifications, and whether it runs all change which trailer can take it.
- Compare written offers that say "enclosed" and say whether the trailer is shared. A photo of a white box truck is not the contract.
- Check the USDOT or MC number on the SAFER company snapshot before you pay anyone. A broker must keep a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund under 49 CFR 387.307. That bond is not paint insurance.
- Agree on the pickup window and a meeting point the enclosed truck can actually reach. Ask the length. Some covered rigs cannot enter a residential court.
- On pickup, walk the car with the driver and write existing marks on the bill of lading. What you sign at pickup is worth reading the night before.
- At delivery, inspect before you sign a clean delivery. Covered transport does not waive that step.
Have a key that works, a car that steers and brakes if it is supposed to roll on, and the alarm off. Ask the carrier for the fuel level they want. There is no single highway fuel percentage in the rules opened for this page. The one-fourth-tank limit in 49 CFR 176.905 is a vessel rule, not the rule for a trailer on the interstate.
What to ask, and the mistakes to skip
Ask what "enclosed" means on this booking: a multi-car enclosed trailer, or a dedicated truck. Ask whether the price includes door pickup or a terminal meeting. Ask who pays whom, and what the cargo policy excludes. The public-liability minimum in 49 CFR 387.9 is not a stated value for a collector car. It applies to a for-hire interstate carrier in a truck rated 10,001 pounds or more hauling nonhazardous property. If the car is worth more than the cargo limit in the contract, ask what happens to the difference before you hand over the keys. The insurance guide is the longer explanation.
Do not pay the first enclosed offer that arrives by text if it sits far under the other numbers. The Better Business Bureau's 21 July 2023 alert describes cheap quotes, digital-wallet deposits, and cars that never move, or that move and are then held for more money. A covered trailer is a normal service. A price that only works if you pay in a way you cannot reverse is not.
Do not assume the driver can put the car in a particular position inside the box. Ask, and accept a no. Do not ship a car with loose belongings you care about. Ask what may stay in the cabin, using the personal items guide.
Limits
Enclosed carriers can refuse a car that will not clear the door, a car that leaks fuel, or a car that cannot be winched safely. They do not register the car, store it for weeks, or promise a sunny delivery day. RideShipper does not own an enclosed trailer, lock this price, take a deposit, or insure the vehicle. Companies that answer a quote request may pay RideShipper. World Media Group LLC operates the site.
If the car is ordinary and the weather risk is acceptable, price open transport on the same days before you pay the covered premium. If the date cannot move, read guaranteed pickup as a separate promise from "enclosed."
Questions
Is enclosed transport always twice the open price?
No single multiplier is reliable. Compare the open and enclosed estimates on your own route, on the same day, and then compare the written offers. A scarce week or a single-car enclosed truck can widen the gap. A covered truck that is already on your lane can narrow it.
Does enclosed mean the car cannot be damaged?
No. Cars are still driven or winched, strapped, and ridden over highways. Covered transport reduces weather and debris. It does not erase loading damage, a low ramp, or a claim dispute. Photograph the car and read the condition report before you sign.
Can I request a single-car enclosed truck?
You can ask. A trailer that carries only your car is a different product from a slot on a shared enclosed trailer. Ask which one the price is for, and get that answer in the contract. The guide on a single-car truck versus a shared trailer explains the split.
Will an enclosed truck fit my street?
Sometimes it is larger and harder to place than an open car carrier. Ask the length and the height, and agree on a meeting point if the street is tight. Door-to-door still means as close as that truck can legally get.
Does RideShipper provide the enclosed trailer?
No. RideShipper requests quotes. It does not own trailers, set the enclosed price, take a deposit, or insure the car. World Media Group LLC operates the service. Companies that receive a request may pay RideShipper.