Car trailer transporters

How to choose trailer for transporting cars

When you have to move from one state to another, you are most likely to take your car with you to the new location. And the most convenient and painless way to do that is with the help of specialized transport companies. But when you search for shipping services, you may get frustrated and confused by their diversity and available options. It’s not a surprise, as the industry is constantly growing and developing. 

One of the most important questions about vehicle shipping is how to select the right trailer car transporter. To ease your pangs of choice, we have prepared a short article for you about various types of trailer to transport car.

What to pay attention to when choosing a car transporter trailer? 

If you don’t know what to start from when you are choosing a trailer for car transport, just start thinking logically.

The first thing you need to take into consideration is the dimensions of your vehicle and its weight. The size of your vehicle will influence the shipping quote. But don’t get worried, there is a car trailer transport for any type of vehicle.   

The price for a trailer to transport cars is another important factor. However, you shouldn’t necessarily choose the cheapest option, as what is cheap isn’t always good. Try to find the best balance between the quality and the cost.

Your choice will also depend on your protection preferences and vehicle value. It’s common knowledge that an open-air transport car trailer costs less and at the same time provides less protection to the vehicle, while an enclosed trailer will shelter your vehicle from all the sides and provide total protection from any unintended damage. Find more information on these types of car trailer transport below.

Open-air car trailer transporters vs. enclosed ones

Almost any car trailer transporter will offer you to choose between an open and enclosed trailer for vehicle shipping. Let’s see what are the main advantages and disadvantages of both the types.

Open car transporter trailer

Shipping a vehicle on an open-air trailer is the most cost-efficient solution. You have probably seen this kind of carriers, since this is the method used to deliver new cars that have just left the walls of factories. The company saves fuel, effort, and other resources when loading/unloading and delivering your car on an open trailer. Moreover, the shipper will be able to transport more items on an open trailer for transporting cars. In some cases their number can reach even 10 cars! The more vehicles the trailer car transporter moves at a time, the cheaper quote you are likely to get. This type of trailers can ship almost any type of vehicle, be it a sedan, motorcycle, boat, or anything else. Even inoperable cars can be shipped on an open trailer with the help of a winch. 

The main downside of this type of shipping is that it doesn't provide enough protection to your vehicle, since the cargo is disclosed to nature and road elements during the move. This means that your favorite car may get damaged with a stone or in case of strong hail and snowstorm. But even despite this fact, shipping vehicles by open car trailer transporters is the most popular method in the US, more than 90% of customers choose this option. 

Enclosed transport car trailer

If you are too concerned about the safety of your precious vehicle, you’d better choose shipping on an enclosed car transporters trailer. This variant has more security options and you can be sure that no unintended damage will be caused to your car. Enclosed car transporters trailer is lower to the ground, in order to load/unload safely  low-clearance vehicles.  

Almost all models of enclosed trailers have hydraulic gates which minimize the risk of damage during loading/unloading. The vehicle is driven into the container, where it is sealed till the very drop off. If your antique car is out of order, don’t worry, the shipper will load your vehicle with a winch.  

Undoubtedly, this type of shipping will cost you more in comparison with an open trailer for car transport thanks to added protection. Nevertheless, there are cases when you’d better pay more for your peace of mind. For instance, when moving your antique family car or a super luxury vehicle, we advise you to choose enclosed shipping.  

Types of trailer to transport cars

Shipping VehiclesIf you think that the only difference between the types of trailers is whether they are either open or enclosed, you are strongly mistaken. There is a huge variety of other options to choose from.

Multi-level vs. single-level 

Multi-level car trailer transporter is able to accommodate more vehicles (up to 8-10 items), this means that shipping a car on such type of a trailer will be more cost-efficient.

Single-level trailers are designed for shipping less cars (3-4 items) on one level. 

One-vehicle vs. several-vehicle

One-vehicle trailers are small and compact, so they are more maneuverable and can easily navigate narrow streets. This option includes a pickup with a gooseneck trailer which can accommodate only one car. This type of carrier is more popular for short-distance trips as they cost more.  

A car transporter trailer which ships several vehicles at a time is more demanded thanks to lower prices. Although you should understand that you will have more peace of mind when your car is the only ‘passenger’ in the trailer.

If you have no limitations regarding the budget and you want to ship your classic or luxury car, a single-level enclosed trailer for transporting cars will be the best option for you. However, if you need to transport a small family sedan and save money, choose shipping on an open-air multi-level trailer. 

In conclusion, we would like to say that although choosing the car transporters trailer that meets your needs and requirements is a difficult task, you can tackle it much easier, if you are aware of the main pitfalls. Being knowledgeable is always an advantage! 

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