Enclosed Auto Transport
Sealed trailer, no weather, no road debris. Hard side or soft side, liftgate available for low-clearance cars. $99 deposit locks the rate.
Vehicle Shipping, Priced in 30 Seconds.
Instant quotes, vetted carriers, dispatched in 24 hours , anywhere in America.
What is enclosed auto transport?
Enclosed auto transport is the white-glove option. Your car rides inside a sealed trailer the entire trip, totally protected from weather, road dust, salt, and the occasional rock kicked up by a tractor trailer. Most enclosed trailers haul 2 to 6 vehicles instead of the 7 to 10 you see on open trucks.
If your vehicle is worth over $5,000, has a paint job you cannot replace, or is a classic, exotic, race car, or limited edition build, this is the way. Dealers move Ferraris, vintage Porsches, restomod muscle cars, and freshly painted show cars enclosed for a reason.
Whipshipper has direct relationships with enclosed specialist carriers, including hard side fleets with liftgates for sub-4-inch clearance. We do not just slap your load on the same board everyone uses, we route enclosed loads through the carriers that actually have the right equipment.
Who needs enclosed
Most people ship open. These situations call for enclosed.
Classic and antique cars
Anything pre-1980 or with original factory paint deserves the sealed trailer. Restoration costs make the upcharge worth it.
Exotics and supercars
Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche GT cars, Bugatti. Insurance value alone justifies enclosed, and most dealers require it.
Show cars and freshly painted builds
Just dropped $15k on paint and clear? Do not let a rock chip ruin it 20 miles into the trip.
Low-clearance cars
Lowered, slammed, or sub-4-inch ground clearance? Hard side enclosed with a liftgate loads flat. Open trailer ramps will scrape.
$50k+ daily drivers
Tesla Plaid, AMG, M-cars, premium SUVs. Worth the extra $500 to $1,000 for peace of mind.
Auction wins you don't want messed up
Won a Barrett-Jackson lot? Shipping it open would be sacrilege. Enclosed protects the investment.
Hard side vs soft side enclosed
Two flavors of enclosed. Which one fits your car.
Hard side enclosed
- Solid aluminum or steel walls
- Liftgate loading, no ramps
- Best for sub-4-inch clearance
- Climate stable interior
- Highest cost in the enclosed category
- Typical for exotics and show cars
Soft side enclosed
- Heavy duty fabric walls
- Traditional ramp loading
- Best for normal clearance classics and luxury
- Still fully covered from weather
- Lower cost than hard side
- Typical for collector daily drivers
How enclosed transport works
Quote and match
Tell us the year, make, model, modifications, and clearance. We match you to a hard side or soft side carrier that actually fits.
Lock the rate
$99 deposit holds the slot. Enclosed trailers run booked, locking early matters more here than open.
White glove pickup
Driver photos every panel, uses soft straps or wheel nets, no chains on the body. Loaded slow and careful.
Sealed transit
Trailer stays sealed the entire trip. Live GPS the whole way. Driver opens the trailer at delivery for inspection.
Before you book enclosed
Run through this list so the carrier is set up for success.
- 1Measure ground clearance, anything under 4 inches needs hard side with liftgate
- 2Note any aftermarket parts, splitters, wings, exhaust that could catch on ramps
- 3Photograph every panel and inside the engine bay before pickup
- 4Pull the toll tag and any aftermarket alarms with motion sensors
- 5Disable car alarm or share the kill switch with the driver
- 6Confirm fluid leaks are addressed, drivers can refuse a leaking car
- 7Leave a quarter tank of gas, no more
- 8Hand the driver one key, hold the spare yourself
Enclosed transport by the numbers
Sample enclosed rates
Enclosed runs 50 to 80 percent more than open. Worth it for the right vehicle.
| Distance | Open Transport | Enclosed Transport | Transit Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 500 miles | $500 to $750 | $750 to $1,200 | 2 to 4 days |
| 500 to 1,000 miles | $750 to $1,050 | $1,200 to $1,650 | 3 to 6 days |
| 1,000 to 2,000 miles | $950 to $1,500 | $1,650 to $2,400 | 5 to 8 days |
| 2,000+ miles | $1,200 to $1,900 | $2,100 to $2,900 | 7 to 10 days |
Estimates only, your exact rate comes from the live carrier load board. Get an instant quote at the top of the page for real numbers.
What customers say
Verified shipments. Real names. Real routes.
“Shipped a 1967 Camaro restomod from Phoenix. Hard side enclosed, liftgate, the whole deal. Arrived on day 6 cleaner than I dropped it off. Worth every dollar.”
“Picked up a Porsche 911 GT3 in Seattle. The coordinator matched me with a soft side specialist, driver was a car guy who knew how to strap a sports car properly.”
“Just spent $18k on paint and would have lost my mind if it shipped open. Whipshipper put me on an enclosed trailer 2 days after I booked. Zero issues.”
Frequently asked questions
Ready to ship?
Pick the path that fits how you want to move.
Lock your rate today.
$99 deposit holds the carrier, balance on delivery.