If you own an exotic car, you likely dote on it, giving it the best possible treatment any and every way that you can. While it is one thing to go all-in on the best car waxes, tires, and scrubbing cloths, how sure are you when it comes to shipping? Provided below is an overview of enclosed shipping and whether or not you should bother.
What is Enclosed Shipping?
There are two categories when it comes to exotic car transport.
- Open. Your car is transported without any protection from the environment or road. If you are familiar with the multi-car transport rigs that automotive dealers regularly receive, that is what open shipping is like.
- Enclosed. Your car is safe and secure from any external hazards of the environment, meaning that there is a greatly reduced chance of your car taking on damage, marks, or stains.
What Are the Benefits of Enclosed Shipping?
- Your vehicle can enjoy plenty of security and protection during the trip. Being enclosed means that your car is shut off from the outside world.
- You gain access to a class of carriers that is more acquainted with high-end vehicles. If you are considering shipping your car in an enclosure, chances are good that it has several special quirks that someone with just a handful of years in transport might not be able to manage. Choosing enclosed shipping ensures that your baby will be treated nearly as well as you treat it yourself while it is en route to its destination.
- There is little to no chance of damage from road debris or inclement weather. Being enclosed means that any unpleasantness that may arise during the trip, such as a freak hail storm or debris that manages to rise up from the road at just the right moment, will just bang against the enclosure instead of your precious car.
What Are the Drawbacks to Enclosed Shipping?
- It costs more than it would to ship your car out in the open. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay at least twice the rate of open shipping when you choose to ship your car within an enclosure. That means you can expect an estimate somewhere between $1k and $2k. You will also be paying 50%-100% over open shipping rates per mile traveled with enclosed shipping.
- Inferior fuel-efficiency.
- Trips take longer than with open shipping. Barring considerably sizable exotic cars, an enclosed shipment can hold two or three cars at a time. These sorts of cars are often features of shows or other events, and there can be a good bit of navigating on the shipping company’s part to thread the needle on every client’s schedule.
What Affects the Price of Enclosed Shipping?
While enclosed shipping is likely to cost you twice as much as open shipping; you may be curious how the quote is reached. It turns out that several factors go beyond just the choice itself.
- The distance to be traveled. While long-distance transportation tends to mean you will be paying less per mile, the overall cost will be greater.
- The destination. The less finagling that the company needs to do and the less foreign the destination point is, the cheaper your cost may be.
- The type, make, and model of the vehicle to be transported. Expensive and newer cars tend to cost more to transport.
- The type of shipping involved. Shipping from airport terminal to terminal is a generally cheaper method than door-to-door.
- The condition of the vehicle to be transported. If your car is unable to be driven on and off of the transporter, you may be stuck with a non-use fee.
In Conclusion
Enclosed shipping is a great way to move your exotic car across great distances without driving it and risking a variety of issues from the environment and the road. While you will likely be paying a premium, that extra cost comes from knowing how to handle and treat your car while it is away from you.
