Enclosed transport, handled by people who own trucks.
Some vehicles should not ride outside. Prime Trans does not own an enclosed trailer, and we will not tell you we do. Enclosed moves will be booked through our brokerage with vetted enclosed carriers once our property-broker authority issues. Our own trucks are open car haulers, and if the car can ride open, we can move it today.
Illustrative photography — not Prime Trans equipment.What is enclosed auto transport?
Enclosed auto transport moves a vehicle inside a covered trailer rather than on an open carrier, protecting it from weather, road debris and view. It typically costs thirty to sixty percent more than open transport and is used for collector, exotic, classic, low-clearance and high-value vehicles.
Where this stands today: our own 8 trucks are open car haulers. Enclosed moves go through our brokerage with vetted partner carriers, and our property-broker authority has been applied for and is pending with FMCSA (MC number not yet issued). Until it issues we cannot arrange an enclosed move for pay. Send the vehicle and the route now and dispatch will quote it the day the authority is active.
It usually is not. Sometimes it absolutely is.
- ValueIf a rock chip costs more to repair than the difference between open and enclosed, take enclosed. That threshold is lower than most people think on a repainted classic.
- Ground clearanceAnything under about four inches of clearance needs a lift gate and low-angle ramps. An open car hauler's ramps will scrape it.
- FinishFresh paint, a wrap, a show car heading to a judged event, or bare metal on a restoration.
- DiscretionA pre-release vehicle, a prototype or anything that should not be photographed from the next lane.
One company accountable, not a lead sold five times.
- 01
You tell us the vehicle
Year, make, model, running or not, ground clearance, modifications, and both addresses. A photo helps more than a paragraph.
- 02
We place it with a vetted enclosed carrier
Once the broker authority is active, we check the carrier's authority, insurance and safety record before the truck is assigned, using the same checklist we ask shippers to apply to us.
- 03
You get the carrier's details in writing
Company name, MC number, insurance limits and the driver's contact. If a company will not tell you who is actually hauling your car, that is the answer to a different question.
- 04
We stay on it to delivery
Condition report and photographs at both ends, and one number to call if anything moves sideways.
The honest comparison.
| Open carrier | Enclosed carrier | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Baseline | Typically 30–60% more |
| Availability | Many more trucks; capacity most weeks | Far fewer trucks; plan two to four weeks ahead |
| Exposure | Weather and road debris, same as driving it | None |
| Ground clearance | Ramp angle limits it | Lift gate handles very low cars |
| Capacity per truck | Up to 9 vehicles | Usually 2 to 7 |
| Right for | Daily drivers, dealer inventory, fleet and auction units | Collector, exotic, classic, show, pre-release |
There is a longer comparison in open or enclosed: which do you actually need.
Honest scope: Prime Trans owns open car haulers. Enclosed moves will be placed with vetted partner carriers under our brokerage authority, and we will say so on the phone, in the quote and on the paperwork. Any company that will not tell you whether it owns the truck is telling you something; see Direct, no broker.
Straight answers
Can Prime Trans book enclosed transport today?
Not yet. Our property-broker authority has been applied for and is pending with FMCSA, and until it issues we cannot arrange an enclosed move for pay. Send the details now and dispatch will quote it the day it does. If open transport will do, our own trucks can move the car now.
How much more does enclosed transport cost?
Typically thirty to sixty percent more than open transport on the same route. The gap is widest on short runs, where the fixed cost of a scarcer truck is spread over fewer miles, and narrowest on long cross-country moves.
Is my car insured during enclosed transport?
Yes, under the hauling carrier's cargo policy. Ask for the certificate of insurance and read the per-vehicle sub-limit rather than the headline number — that sub-limit is what actually applies to your car, and on a high-value vehicle it is the number that matters.
Can a car that does not run go enclosed?
Yes, with a winch or a lift gate. Say so at booking. A non-running vehicle that also will not roll, steer or brake needs different equipment again, and finding that out at the pickup wastes a day for everybody.
How far ahead should I book enclosed transport?
Two to four weeks for most routes. There are far fewer enclosed trucks than open ones, and the ones with immediate availability in peak season are usually available for a reason.
Where to go next
Auto transport
Open car hauling on our own trucks: dealer trades, auction pickups, export-warehouse runs and OEM overflow across the Southeast, with photos of every unit at both ends.
Read onEV transport
EV and hybrid transport across the Southeast: the weight, state-of-charge and damaged-battery questions that make an EV different on the deck.
Read onDirect, no broker
Why dealers, auction buyers and exporters book Prime Trans directly: an asset-based car hauler, MC 1575910, with its own trucks, one dispatcher and no broker markup.
Read onInoperable vehicles
Non-running, wrecked and salvage vehicle transport from Spartanburg SC on winch-equipped car haulers, and the three questions to answer before booking.
Read onA unit on the lot costs you every day it sits there.
Tell us where the units are, where they are going, how many and when. A written quote comes back the same business day, from the carrier that will haul them.