Best Enclosed Transport Companies & Rates (2023 Review)

The Gist:

Companies that specialize in shipping luxury or classic cars, as well as alternative vehicles like ATVs, offer enclosed trailers to give your car extra protection. Our team of experts suggests requesting free quotes from a few of the top enclosed car shipping companies. In this article, we will review the best enclosed car shipping companies and explain how much it should cost to ship a car on an enclosed trailer.

Enclosed auto transport, considered the safest car shipping option, protects your vehicle and peace of mind. Your vehicle will be in a closed trailer, protecting it from outside elements. Open carrier shipping exposes your car to road hazards and the elements, whereas shipping it in a fully enclosed trailer minimizes potential damage.

Our team researched and rated the major car shipping service providers based on reputation, cost, services, and customer reviews. Each of these companies provides options for enclosed auto transport.

Our team selected Montway Auto Transport as the Best Overall shipping company in the country. The auto shipping broker provides affordable shipping options by working with over 15,000 carriers across the nation and provides enclosed car transport to all 50 states–including Alaska and Hawaii.

The Better Business Bureau gives the company an A+ rating and the reviews section of the BBB's website has customers giving Montway an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.0.

Explore the company's pricing and services with our full Montway Auto Transport review.

You can see the cost of shipping a vehicle with Montway in the table below:

Montway Auto Transport is a reputable auto transport broker offering several car shipping services and cheap car shipping rates. We named it the Best Overall car shipping company for 2023.

AmeriFreight is an auto shipping broker that works with a wide network of fully vetted car carriers. The broker offers enclosed auto transport to all 50 states. We consider AmeriFreight the shipping company Best for Discounts, as it offers reduced rates for service members, college students, first responders, and more.

AmeriFreight holds an A+ rating from the BBB and nearly 1,200 customers on the BBB's consumer reviews section agree, giving the shipping broker an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.0 stars.

Read more in our full AmeriFreight review.

The table below shows the cost to ship a car on an enclosed carrier with AmeriFreight is $1,414.

AmeriFreight is a leading car shipping broker that partners with over 10,000 car carriers to deliver a wide range of auto transport services. The company also works with government agencies, vehicle manufacturers, and retailers to deliver outsourced logistics services and shipping on a large scale.

Our team considers Sherpa Auto Transport Best for Locked-In Rates. The transport broker offers a Price Lock Promise, which says the price quoted by Sherpa is the final price you’ll pay. Though it doesn't ship internationally or to Hawaii and Alaska, Sherpa Auto Transport offers enclosed car shipping across the lower 48 states.

Sherpa has a top-notch reputation with the industry and customers alike. The BBB rates the shipping company with an A+, and customers give Sherpa a near-perfect rating of 4.9 stars out of 5.0.

Read our complete Sherpa Auto Transport review to learn more details on locked-in pricing and services.

Sherpa offers car shipping enclosed car shipping services for $1,850.

Sherpa Auto Transport has many strengths, from excellent customer service to the added security of the Price Lock Promise. We name Sherpa the Best for Locked-In Rates in the auto transport industry, though the company's benefits go far beyond that.

Because Easy Auto Ship prides itself on going the extra mile, we consider it to be the auto transport company with the Best Added Benefits. Beyond providing enclosed car transport services to all 50 states and international destinations, Easy Auto Ship offers amenities like paying for your car wash and rental car reimbursements.

The broker holds an A+ rating from the BBB and a 4.6-star average customer rating across over 750 reviews.

You can learn more about the broker's added benefits in our complete Easy Auto Ship review.

Easy Auto Ship's enclosed shipping costs are slightly higher than the above companies at $2,016.

Our team rates Easy Auto Ship 4.3 out of 5.0 stars and recognizes it for having the Best Added Benefits for 2022. The company is highly rated, and customers consistently praise Easy Auto Ship for its affordability, guaranteed car shipping quotes, and easy shipping process.

uShip is a car shipping marketplace where customers post shipment requests, and carriers offer bids. Because this puts the power to choose pricing in the customer's hand, our team finds uShip to be the Best Shipping Marketplace. With uShip, you’ll be able to find the best pricing from a provider for enclosed car shipping.

The BBB gives uShip an A+ rating, and customers rate the marketplace 4.6 out of 5.0 stars.

Discover more about the shipping marketplace with our complete uShip review.

uShip's marketplace provided us with a quote of $1,970 for enclosed auto transport services.

Enclosed auto transport trailers are fully enclosed shipping compartments with hard-sided or soft-sided walls and soft straps.

There are several different types of enclosed car carriers:

You should expect to pay between 40 and 60 percent more per mile for enclosed car shipping over open auto transport.

Our team received rates from a few of the top shipping companies to give you a better idea of the price of enclosed shipping.

Here are some costs we found for an operable 2018 Hyundai Elantra traveling a distance of 1,504 miles:

Most auto shipping companies consider enclosed vehicle transport a premium service, generally used to ship sports cars, high-end vehicles, and classic cars. Enclosed car trailers aren't able to carry as many vehicles as open car haulers, so the service does cost more on average.

Enclosed Car Shipping Quotes

According to our research, the average enclosed car shipping quote is $1,783. Below are all the quotes we received during our industry-wide review.

Enclosed auto shipping can be a great option when transporting cars that need extra protection. These shipments have higher insurance policy limits, offering more coverage for high-value vehicles. Owners of upmarket vehicles, like classic or luxury cars, often prefer covered car shipping to keep their vehicles clean and free of cosmetic damage.

Alternative vehicles with larger wheels or low ground clearance often can't fit onto standard open carrier trailers, so enclosed vehicle shipping is the best option to accommodate unique requirements.

Shipping your car in an enclosed trailer will give you less scheduling flexibility than open auto shipping. Enclosed carriers make up a smaller market and thus cater to a smaller customer base. You should leave as much lead time as possible when booking enclosed auto transport.

If you’re concerned about the safety of your vehicle during the shipping process, you may want to learn more about enclosed auto transport.

When researching how to ship a car, it's best to learn about the various factors that affect the cost of car shipping prices. When budgeting for your covered transport, remember that other factors affect car shipping costs:

Enclosed auto transport is the safest vehicle transport method, but it's not always the best option for cheap car shipping.

AmeriFreight, Gartho Logistics, and Ship a Car Direct are the cheapest enclosed auto transport companies. Even though those are the most affordable, they may not be the best, so it is essential to look at the quality of each company's services and reputation before making a decision.

Below are some frequently asked questions about enclosed car transport:

Shipping your car in an enclosed trailer is about 40 to 60 percent more expensive than open carrier shipping. However, if you want extra protection for your vehicle, the extra cost can be worth it. Enclosed trailers keep your car safe from road debris and hazardous weather conditions.

To ensure the cosmetic and mechanical integrity of your classic car, you’ll want to ship it in an enclosed trailer. If it's inoperable, be sure to indicate as such during the quote process. Your carrier will use a winch to load your classic car into the trailer.

When determining the cost to transport a classic car, your transport broker will factor in the distance and time frame that works best for you. According to uShip, the average cost to ship your car 100 miles or less is around $3.38 per mile. Transports less than 1,000 miles average around $1.14 per mile.

If you’re looking for the most affordable way to ship your car and don't mind it getting a little dirty, open air carrier shipping could be your best choice. When shipping a classic or exotic car that needs more protection, enclosed auto transport is the way to go.

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of car shipping companies. While there are multiple qualities that make an auto transport provider successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

*Data accurate at time of publication.

Get a Quote From Our Top Pick - Montway

Montway has an outstanding reputation and offers competitive pricing for car transport services.