After you buy
Vehicle Transport
Two ways to move a car you bought long-distance: an open multi-car carrier, or a fully covered enclosed trailer.
Open transport
The standard, economical option for running road cars where weather exposure isn't a concern — everyday drivers, project cars, and any vehicle where saving 30–50% on shipping matters more than avoiding road grime.
- →Door-to-door or cheaper terminal-to-terminal
- →Standard multi-car or flatbed carrier
- →In-transit insurance to standard limits
- →Widest carrier availability and fastest booking
- →Roughly $0.45–$0.70 per mile, 7–14 day delivery window
Enclosed transport
A fully covered trailer that protects the car from weather, road debris, and attention. The right call for vintage, collectible, low-mileage, freshly painted, or low-clearance vehicles — anything where a rock chip is a real cost.
- →Door-to-door pickup and delivery
- →Air-ride suspension and soft strap tie-downs
- →Liftgate loading for low-clearance cars
- →Higher insurance limits, often to full agreed value
- →Roughly $0.90–$1.50 per mile, 7–14 day delivery window
How to choose
If the car is a driver and a stone chip wouldn't change its value, open is the sensible default. If replacing the paint or trim would be expensive or difficult, pay for enclosed. Rates on both move with fuel prices and season — snowbird routes spike in fall and spring, and cross-country or remote pickups price higher.
Before you book
Get the carrier's MC number and certificate of insurance, confirm the coverage limit meets or exceeds the vehicle's value, remove personal items, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, and photograph the car at pickup and delivery alongside the bill of lading.
General information only — not legal, mechanical, emissions or tax advice. Prices, timelines and rules change and differ by state, so confirm the details for your situation. Companies named here are independent of Unsmoggables; we don't endorse or guarantee them, and any dealing with them is under their own terms.