Open Car Transport
Door to door pickup on a standard 7 to 10 car open trailer. Same trucks dealers and auctions use. Live GPS, 1 to 3 day pickup window, $99 deposit locks the rate.
Vehicle Shipping, Priced in 30 Seconds.
Instant quotes, vetted carriers, dispatched in 24 hours , anywhere in America.
What is open car transport?
Open car transport is the standard way vehicles move across the country. Roughly 9 out of 10 cars ship this way, including pretty much every new car you see on a dealer lot. The car rides on a multi-level open trailer, exposed to weather, hauled by an FMCSA licensed carrier.
It is the cheapest, fastest, and most available option because there are way more open trucks on the road than enclosed ones. If your car is a daily driver, a lease return, a college kid's hand-me-down, or a fresh Carvana purchase, open is almost always the right call.
Whipshipper plugs into the same live carrier load board the big brokers use. We post your load, drivers bid on it, and you get the rate that actually moves the car. No middleman markup that bloats the price.
Why people pick open over enclosed
Open transport wins on price, speed, and availability. Here is why.
Cheaper
Open is 30 to 50 percent cheaper than enclosed. A coast to coast move on open runs $1,100 to $1,800. Same trip enclosed is $2,000 to $2,900.
Faster pickup
There are roughly 10 open trucks for every 1 enclosed truck on the road. More supply means your load gets picked up in 1 to 3 days instead of waiting a week for an enclosed slot.
Same trucks dealers use
If your new car arrived at the dealer on an open trailer, your used car can ship the same way. These are professional auto haulers, not random pickups with a strap.
Full insurance still applies
Every carrier carries cargo insurance that covers your vehicle in transit. Open does not mean uninsured. The certificate gets emailed before pickup.
Door to door
Driver picks up at your house or as close as the truck legally and safely can get, and drops at the destination address. No terminal runaround.
Live GPS
Once the truck rolls, you see real-time location and a live ETA pulled from the driver's phone. No more wondering if your car fell off the earth.
Open vs enclosed at a glance
Most people ship open. A few situations call for enclosed.
Open transport
- Cheapest option, 30 to 50 percent less than enclosed
- Fastest pickup, more trucks available
- Standard 7 to 10 car trailer
- Exposed to weather, road dust, rain
- Best for daily drivers, lease returns, dealer purchases
- Average coast to coast: $1,100 to $1,800
Enclosed transport
- Sealed trailer, no weather exposure
- Premium service, fewer trucks available
- Soft side or hard side enclosed
- Liftgate loading for low clearance
- Best for classics, exotics, $5k+ collector vehicles
- Average coast to coast: $2,000 to $2,900
How it works
From quote to delivery in 4 simple steps.
Get a quote
Punch in pickup zip, drop zip, and vehicle. You see a live rate from the load board in under 60 seconds.
Lock the rate
$99 deposit holds the carrier and locks your price. Balance is paid to the driver at delivery.
Pickup
Driver calls 4 to 24 hours before arrival. Inspection at pickup, you sign the condition report.
Delivery
Track the truck in real time. Driver calls before arrival. Inspect on delivery, pay balance, drive off.
Open transport pro tips
Stuff that saves you money and headaches.
Flexible dates beat rigid dates
Telling the driver any day this week is cheaper than I need it Tuesday at 9am. Flexibility lets carriers stack you onto an existing route.
Top load costs more
Top of the trailer is safer from road debris. If you want a guaranteed top spot, add roughly $100 to $150 to the rate.
Quarter tank of gas
Carriers want light vehicles. Full tank adds weight which costs them fuel. Quarter tank is the sweet spot.
Don't pack the trunk full
Up to about 100 lbs in the trunk is usually fine. Above that, the carrier can refuse or upcharge. DOT does not love brokers hauling household goods.
Disconnect toll tags
Otherwise you eat tolls along the entire route. Pull the transponder, bag it, toss it in the glove box.
Take photos at pickup
Snap 8 to 10 photos of every side, plus close-ups of any existing dings. Driver does this too, but your set is your insurance.
Why customers stick with Whipshipper
Sample rates by distance
Real ballpark numbers from recent loads. Your live quote will be sharper because it pulls from the current carrier load board.
| Distance | Open Transport | Enclosed Transport | Transit Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 500 miles | $450 to $700 | $700 to $1,100 | 2 to 4 days |
| 500 to 1,000 miles | $700 to $1,000 | $1,100 to $1,500 | 3 to 5 days |
| 1,000 to 2,000 miles | $900 to $1,400 | $1,500 to $2,200 | 5 to 7 days |
| 2,000+ miles | $1,100 to $1,800 | $2,000 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.
“Bought a used Civic in California, needed it home in Florida. Whipshipper had a truck on it in 2 days, delivered 6 days later. Driver Doug was super chill and the live GPS was money.”
“Moved for a new job and shipping my Camry was way easier than driving it. Got an honest quote, no upsell calls. Showed up on day 4. Will use again.”
“Other brokers quoted me $1,400 then said the rate is actually $1,700 once a truck was assigned. Whipshipper quoted $1,150 and that is exactly what I paid.”
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.