A 1967 Corvette that took eleven years to restore is not going to cross Kansas behind a gravel truck. Neither is a two-week-old Porsche or a Range Rover wearing $9,000 of paint protection film. For those cars the question is not whether to use an enclosed carrier, but what the premium is and whether your own car justifies it.

Enclosed auto transport costs 30 to 60 percent more than open, and for the right car that premium is cheap insurance. ABC’s enclosed transport service quotes it in under a minute with no deposit. This guide explains exactly what you are paying for, and when open is the smarter choice.

Quick answer: In 2026, enclosed auto transport runs $1.00 to $1.75 per mile for trips under 1,500 miles and $0.60 to $1.10 per mile for longer trips, which works out to $500 to $1,200 for a regional move and $1,500 to $2,600 coast to coast. That is 30 to 60 percent more than an open carrier on the same route. The premium exists because an enclosed trailer carries 2 to 6 cars instead of 8 to 10, so each spot costs more to run.

What enclosed transport costs in 2026

Here are typical 2026 ranges for a standard-size car, with the open carrier price alongside so you can see the gap.

Distance Open carrier Enclosed carrier Enclosed premium
Under 500 miles $400 to $700 $550 to $1,000 $150 to $300
500 to 1,000 miles $550 to $900 $800 to $1,300 $250 to $400
1,000 to 1,500 miles $700 to $1,100 $1,000 to $1,600 $300 to $500
1,500 to 2,000 miles $850 to $1,300 $1,200 to $1,900 $350 to $600
Over 2,000 miles $1,000 to $1,700 $1,500 to $2,600 $500 to $900

Two patterns are worth noticing. The percentage premium is fairly steady at 30 to 60 percent, but the dollar premium grows with distance, so enclosed is a smaller decision on a 400-mile move than on a coast-to-coast one. And the range inside each row is wide because enclosed carriers vary more than open ones: a soft-sided two-car trailer prices differently from a hard-sided six-car rig with a hydraulic lift gate.

Why enclosed costs more: the trailer math

The premium is not a luxury markup. It comes from arithmetic.

An open carrier stacks 8 to 10 vehicles on two decks. A driver covering 2,500 miles spreads fuel, time, insurance, and truck payments across ten paying cars. An enclosed carrier holds 2 to 6 cars inside a box, and the box itself is heavier and more expensive to buy and maintain. The same trip now spreads the same fixed costs across a third as many vehicles, so each one carries a bigger share.

On top of that, enclosed carriers tend to run newer equipment, carry higher cargo insurance limits because of what is inside, and move slowly through loading because the cars are often low, long, or irreplaceable. A driver who takes fifteen minutes to winch a lowered Lamborghini onto a lift gate is not loading ten cars an hour. All of that is in the price.

What moves the enclosed price up or down

Hard side versus soft side

ABC’s network runs both. A hard-sided trailer has solid metal walls and a roof and offers the most protection, including from someone leaning against the car at a fuel stop. A soft-sided trailer uses heavy-duty fabric stretched over a steel frame, keeps out rain, dust, and road debris, and usually costs a little less. For a daily-driven luxury sedan, soft side is often enough. For a concours car or a six-figure exotic, hard side is the norm.

Single-car versus multi-car

A dedicated single-car enclosed trailer picks up only your vehicle and drives straight to the destination. It is the most expensive option because you are paying for the whole truck, and it is the right choice for a very high-value car or a tight deadline. A multi-car enclosed trailer carrying 2 to 6 vehicles is the standard and costs considerably less per car.

Lift gate and ground clearance

Cars with less than about 4 inches of ground clearance cannot climb standard ramps without scraping. An enclosed trailer with a hydraulic lift gate raises the car horizontally into the trailer. Carriers with lift gates are fewer, so they cost more, but for a lowered or long-nosed car there is no substitute. If your car has an aftermarket lip or a splitter, say so when you request the quote.

Vehicle size

A midsize sedan is the baseline. A full-size SUV or a long-wheelbase sedan occupies more of a trailer that only holds a handful of cars, so the surcharge is larger in enclosed than in open, typically $150 to $400.

Season and lane

The same seasonal swings that affect open transport affect enclosed, but enclosed is thinner at the edges. There are far fewer enclosed trucks on the road, so a quiet lane in a busy month can price high simply because the nearest available enclosed carrier is two states away. Booking 2 to 4 weeks ahead matters more for enclosed than for open.

Timing of delivery

If you need the car on a specific day, say for an auction, a show, or a buyer waiting at the other end, ABC can collect it early and hold it at a secure terminal, then deliver on the date. That adds $150 to $300 per vehicle on either carrier type. For a car heading to a concours or a multi-day car show, it is usually worth it.

When enclosed is worth the premium

The honest test is not “is my car nice” but “what would a $1,500 repair mean for this car.” Enclosed is the right call when:

  • The car is worth $50,000 or more, because a single paint or glass claim can exceed the premium
  • It is a classic, a restoration, or a collector car where original paint and trim cannot be replaced
  • It is an exotic or a supercar with low clearance, carbon bodywork, or a wide stance
  • It is brand new, with the first scratch still ahead of it
  • It has a fresh custom paint job, a wrap, or paint protection film that road debris could lift
  • It is a convertible with a soft top, or an older car with weak seals that rain will find
  • It is a daily driver on a long route in winter, when salt spray and gravel are at their worst
  • You simply want it out of sight, which matters to some owners of recognizable cars

ABC’s guides to shipping exotic and supercars and shipping a collector or vintage car go deeper on each of those cases.

When open transport is the better choice

Most cars should go open, including plenty of expensive ones. An open carrier is how new cars leave the factory and how the large majority of vehicles cross the country every day, and the damage rate is low. Open is the better choice when:

  • The car is a daily driver worth under $50,000
  • It will be driven hard after delivery anyway
  • The route is short and the weather is mild
  • The budget matters more than the small risk of a chip or a dusty roof

If you are unsure, ABC’s comparison of open and enclosed carriers walks through the trade-offs, and the dispatcher will tell you plainly if open will do the job for your car.

Insurance on enclosed shipments

Every carrier is required to hold cargo insurance, but limits vary. Open carriers commonly insure $100,000 to $250,000 of cargo per load, which spread across ten cars may not cover one expensive one. Enclosed carriers in ABC’s network carry cargo and liability coverage scaled to high-value vehicles, and ABC provides the carrier’s certificate on request before pickup. If your car’s value is unusual, ask for the limit in writing and check it against your own policy; ABC’s post on whether your insurance pays for auto transport explains how the two coverages fit together.

Two things no carrier insurance covers: personal items in the car (keep them under 100 pounds and expect them to be uninsured) and damage that was already there. That is why the inspection and photographs at pickup matter so much on an expensive car. ABC’s checklist for inspecting your car at pickup and delivery covers what to photograph.

Four real scenarios

A $38,000 Audi A4, Denver to Austin, daily driver. Open at about $800, enclosed at about $1,150. The premium buys protection the car does not really need. Open.

A $140,000 Porsche 911 GT3, Los Angeles to Miami, two months old. Open at about $1,500, enclosed at about $2,300. A single front bumper respray on this car costs more than the premium. Enclosed, hard side, lift gate.

A 1969 Camaro, numbers-matching, restored, Chicago to Scottsdale for an auction. The value is in originality. Enclosed, hard side, with a guaranteed delivery date so it arrives before the preview. About $2,000 to $2,400 including the date guarantee.

A $60,000 Tesla Model S, Seattle to Phoenix, in January. Borderline. Open is fine most of the year, but a winter route over the passes means salt and gravel. Many owners choose soft-side enclosed for about $300 more. Either is defensible.

How ABC quotes enclosed transport

ABC has been shipping cars from Irvine, California for more than twenty years and runs both hard-side and soft-side enclosed carriers, in single-car and multi-car configurations, with lift-gate loading available. The quote is all-inclusive, there is no deposit at booking, and you pay only once a carrier is assigned. The standard pickup window is 4 to 5 days, narrowing to 1 to 2 days once your carrier is secured. ABC is USDOT-registered, MC-authorized, and fully bonded and insured. If a competitor has quoted the same enclosed service lower in writing, ABC will match it.

Frequently asked questions

How much more is enclosed car shipping than open?

Typically 30 to 60 percent more. On a 1,000-mile move that is roughly $300 to $500 extra; coast to coast it is $500 to $900 extra.

Is enclosed transport worth it for a normal car?

Usually not. Open carriers move the vast majority of vehicles, including new cars from the factory, with a low damage rate. Enclosed is worth it for cars where a single cosmetic claim would cost more than the premium.

What is the difference between hard-side and soft-side enclosed?

Hard side has solid walls and a roof and protects against everything including contact. Soft side uses heavy fabric over a frame, keeps out weather and debris, and costs a little less.

Can a lowered car go in an enclosed trailer?

Yes, with a lift gate. Tell the dispatcher the ground clearance so a carrier with a hydraulic gate is assigned.

How long does enclosed shipping take?

About the same as open: 2 to 4 days for under 1,000 miles and 7 to 10 days coast to coast. Single-car dedicated trailers are faster because there are no other stops.

Does enclosed transport include better insurance?

Generally yes. Enclosed carriers carry higher cargo limits because of what they haul. Ask for the certificate before pickup and compare the limit to your car’s value.

The bottom line

Enclosed auto transport costs 30 to 60 percent more than open because an enclosed trailer carries a third as many cars and loads them more carefully. For a daily driver, that premium buys little. For a classic, an exotic, a brand-new car, or anything where one paint claim would cost more than the difference, it is the obvious choice.

Get a free enclosed transport quote from ABC Auto Shipping, with no deposit and the full price stated up front. Or call 877-686-5611 and describe the car; the dispatcher will tell you whether it needs a hard side, a lift gate, or just a good open carrier.