Open Carrier Car Transporters

By Tom Kearns

Many issues must be considered before deciding upon one of the many companies available to provide a specific service, the most important are probably cost and reliability. When looking for a reliable auto shipping company, many customers are not aware that there is more involved in their decision, that there are actually different carrier types within the auto shipping industry. The trucks offered by most of the medium sized to large transport companies are not just the big trucks with big trailers that haul a bunch of cars. The car owner who prefers not to endure the stress involved in driving his car long distances himself needs to educate himself on the more technical aspects of the auto shipping industry.

There is air and water shipping which are a separate special subject. Within a country, cars are most commonly shipped over land, either in open carriers or in closed carriers. Open carriers are the more common, quickly operated, and cheaper type, though often through oversight than necessity. They accommodate about a dozen vehicles and are reliable enough to be used by anybody, as long as the precise purposes and circumstances of the transport are estimated. Long-distance transportation had perhaps better be done by closed carriers, since cars in open carriers are open to road debris, dirt, inclement weather, and plain vandalism or theft. In fact, even short distances are sometimes better traveled when sleet, sun, sand, or hail threaten to turn your car from that beautiful cherry red to patchy brown. Even if you have made sure any such damage is covered by insurance (preferably, the company's), the resulting fuss in most cases is not worth the trouble.

Naturally, owners of rare, expensive or vintage cars are more aware of the closed carrier option than those of us with normal, everyday cars. But the folks with Fords and Chevys should also consider this as an option, even though a more expensive one. The extra expense is partially due to the smaller capacity of the open carrier.

Essentially, then, the advantage of open auto transport is its relatively economic cost. Even driving a car by your own means to a remote destination is likely to cost more, because of the gas prices, especially if your car has poor gas mileage. Driving your own car even across a single state may incur expenses and involve unforeseen damages which are otherwise easily avoided when shipping the car with a company.

An open auto transport truck is hardly an uncommon sight which is testimony not only to its popularity but its reliability. Such trucks are around 80 feet long by 14 feet high and are restricted to only those roads capable of handling them, those without low bridges, sharp turns, or overhanging tree branches. Factories trust these vehicles routinely to transport their finished products to show rooms and lots.

Another advantage to the open carrier mode of shipment is it is apt to offer more flexible options in the way of time frames and perks. A customer can specify where on the carrier he wants his car to ride, upper tier away from the bad guys, or even hauled behind away from possible damage by other vehicles. - 21396

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