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"Paid $900 to get my wife’s brand new car from Naples Florida to Fairplay MD. Didn’t pay for extra coverage, car came in 4 days without a scratch, communication & updates were excellent. Reasonable price, would definitely use this company again"
Florida to Maryland
May 2026
"Great experience all around. The delivery went smoothly, arrived a day earlier than anticipated, driver was great, car in perfect condition (Iowa to NY). Scheduling was outstanding! Dealership had last minute delays and I had to reschedule twice and roadrunner easily accommodated."
Iowa to New York
October 2025
"I shipped my car from Forth Worth TX to Sacramento CA. I was able to instantly request a quote online, book a pickup, and set a delivery all without any hassle. Driver showed up on time for pick up and was extremely professional. My car got to the destination a day early without incident."
Texas to California
July 2022
"A pickup was scheduled just 2 days from when I called and delivered from Dallas to CA in just 2 days. Driver was great and also very good value. Have used RoadRunner on 2 occasions and both very good."
Texas to California
January 2026
Open car transport is car shipping on an open carrier, the two-level trailer you see on every interstate. It carries 7 to 10 cars strapped down by their wheels, with no roof or sides. Dealerships receive new cars this way, and about 19 in 20 of the vehicles RoadRunner moves travel open. Your car rides in the weather, which is why open costs less than an enclosed trailer, and it arrives with the road dust of a long drive.
Open car transport and enclosed transport both bring your car door to door with a vetted, insured carrier. The difference is a roof, and what the roof costs. Most people ship open.
Transporting a car from one point to another can be a daunting task, especially if you have little or no knowledge of the industry. Before you start planning your car shipment, it is essential to understand the difference between open and enclosed car shipment.
Open transport car shipping is a car shipping method where vehicles are transported on an open trailer exposed to the elements, including wind, rain, dust, and debris. This is the most commonly used method of shipping cars, and it is also the most cost-effective. Open transport car shipping is used on routes of every length, from a move across a state to a coast-to-coast relocation.
Open transport car shipping is often used by car dealerships, rental car companies, and individuals transporting their cars to and from dealerships. Since open transport car shipping is the most convenient and cheapest way of transporting cars, it allows dealerships to transport their vehicles to various locations without incurring significant costs.
Open transport car shipping is also ideal for people shipping ordinary vehicles such as sedans, SUVs, and minivans since these vehicles are commonly used and are not too expensive. Additionally, since the trailers used for open transport car shipping can carry multiple cars, the shipping costs per vehicle are much lower than other car shipping methods.
Enclosed transport car shipping is a car shipping method where vehicles are transported in a closed trailer. The closed trailer protects the vehicles from the elements, including wind, rain, dust, and debris. This is the safest way of transporting your car, and it is ideal for people who have expensive or classic cars.
Enclosed transport car shipping is often used by car enthusiasts, collectors, and dealerships transporting expensive or rare vehicles. Since these vehicles are expensive, they require specialized care during transportation. Enclosed transport car shipping offers the best possible protection for these vehicles.
Enclosed transport car shipping is also ideal for people transporting luxury or exotic vehicles such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Bugattis. Since these cars are very expensive, they require specialized care and treatment during shipping. Enclosed transport car shipping is perfect for people who want complete peace of mind when transporting their expensive vehicles.
Choosing the right car shipping method depends on several factors, including the distance of the journey, the type of vehicle being shipped, and the level of protection required during transportation. If you're shipping an ordinary vehicle or don't have a large budget, open transport car shipping is the most cost-effective option. On the other hand, if you're shipping an expensive or classic car, enclosed transport car shipping is the safest option. Whatever option you choose, make sure that your car shipping company is professional, licensed, and insured to ensure a smooth, stress-free experience.
The cost to ship a car open depends on distance, the vehicle’s size and weight, the season and the route. The mileage table shows the average open carrier rate per mile by distance band, and the lane table below shows what real routes have cost recently. Your exact price, open and enclosed side by side, takes about 30 seconds in the car shipping cost calculator.
The per-mile averages are RoadRunner’s open carrier rates by distance band, for the period given beneath the table, and they match an independent guide: Cars.com puts open transport at about $0.80 per mile, the same figure as our short-haul band. On the busiest long routes, current lane averages run above these long-haul per-mile rows, so the lane table below is the better guide for a cross-country budget.
The lanes below are the ones RoadRunner’s open car carriers run most, each with the average open transport price and what enclosed would add on the same route. The open price is what most people pay, and the gap is the enclosed premium, which varies by lane. If you already have quotes in hand, these averages show what a real price on each lane looks like, and a quote far below them is usually a bait price that rises once the car is on the truck.
| Lane | Distance | Open (avg) | Enclosed (avg) | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California to Texas | 1,510 mi | $1,200 | $1,860 | +55% |
| California to Florida | 2,620 mi | $1,450 | $2,280 | +57% |
| Texas to California | 1,540 mi | $970 | $1,520 | +57% |
| Florida to California | 2,630 mi | $1,330 | $2,100 | +58% |
| New York to Florida | 1,230 mi | $1,020 | $1,740 | +71% |
| Texas to Florida | 1,170 mi | $850 | $1,350 | +59% |
| Florida to New York | 1,230 mi | $1,080 | $1,860 | +72% |
| California to Georgia | 2,300 mi | $1,360 | $2,200 | +62% |
| Florida to Texas | 1,180 mi | $1,000 | $1,530 | +53% |
| Massachusetts to Florida | 1,400 mi | $1,000 | $1,690 | +69% |
| New Jersey to Florida | 1,180 mi | $940 | $1,480 | +57% |
| New York to California | 2,780 mi | $1,500 | $2,340 | +56% |
Two clocks run on every shipment. Booking to pickup is 1 to 3 days on any carrier, and the road is about a day of transit for every 500 miles, door to door. Neither clock depends on the roof. When you book, you give your first available date, the earliest day your car can be ready for pickup. Flexibility on that date means more carriers can take the shipment, and often a better price.
| Distance | A lane like it | Transit after pickup | Booking to delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | Atlanta to Nashville, about 250 miles | 1–2 days | 2–5 days |
| 500–1,000 miles | Illinois to Georgia, about 810 miles | 2–4 days | 3–7 days |
| 1,000–1,500 miles | New York to Florida, about 1,230 miles | 3–5 days | 4–8 days |
| 1,500–2,000 miles | California to Texas, about 1,510 miles | 4–6 days | 5–9 days |
| 2,000–2,500 miles | California to Georgia, about 2,300 miles | 5–8 days | 6–11 days |
| 2,500 miles and up | California to Florida, about 2,620 miles | 6–9 days | 7–12 days |
Coast to coast, an open shipment is usually at your door inside 2 weeks of booking. The trailer does not change the clock: open and enclosed run the same corridors at the same pace.
Open car carriers are the bulk of the national fleet. Each one carries 7 to 10 vehicles, so the truck’s cost is shared across every car aboard, and the result is the open price. Pickup is inside 3 days of booking, and transit runs the same corridors at the same pace as an enclosed shipment. Price open auto transport for your route now, with no upfront deposit.
The workhorse of the open fleet is the stinger: a tractor with a head rack over the cab, pulling a dropped-frame open trailer with 2 decks. The rig carries 8 to 10 cars, and the truck’s cost is shared across every car aboard. Sharing the truck is why an open auto transport quote costs less than an enclosed one, and why open-air car shipping is the affordable way to ship a car.
Open transport is safe for most vehicles, because the open carrier is built for the everyday car. It is the same equipment dealerships and manufacturers trust with new cars every day. Your car is strapped at the wheels and never by the frame. The driver walks the car with you at pickup and records its condition on the Bill of Lading, the walk-around is repeated at delivery, and the carrier’s cargo insurance covers the car for the whole trip.
Open transport cannot promise a spotless arrival: expect road dust, rain marks and, in winter, salt, all cosmetic and a car wash away. When damage does happen, it is documented and claimable. If your car’s value or finish makes even that exposure unacceptable, enclosed transport is the answer.
Every open car carrier in RoadRunner’s network is verified to hold an active cargo insurance policy before it accepts your shipment. Federal law requires cargo coverage filings for auto haulers (49 CFR Part 387). Your vehicle is covered by the carrier’s cargo policy during transit, and the policy does not cover personal items left in the car.
A claim is settled against the condition recorded on the Bill of Lading, which is why the pickup inspection matters. You are assigned a shipping specialist when you book, and the specialist can give you the coverage details on your assigned carrier before pickup.
Select a state below for more information about shipping a car to or from that location.
Click two states to set the route, or use the lists. Alaska and Hawaii are served too, and listed under West.
Open car transport rises and falls with the country’s moves. It peaks in late spring and early summer, eases through the fall, and is quietest around the holidays. The cheapest weeks on most routes run from Thanksgiving into January, when the fleet has the most room. The enclosed fleet keeps a different calendar.
| Month | Open index | Enclosed index | On the calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | 71 | — |
| Feb | 65 | 76 | — |
| Mar | 83 | 84 | Snowbirds head north |
| Apr | 95 | 100 | — |
| May | 100 | 100 | Moving season peaks |
| Jun | 90 | 79 | — |
| Jul | 86 | 76 | — |
| Aug | 82 | 74 | — |
| Sep | 65 | 72 | — |
| Oct | 67 | 83 | Snowbirds head south |
| Nov | 65 | 73 | — |
| Dec | 64 | 70 | Holiday lull: the most room |
The open transport year follows the country’s moves. Late spring and early summer are the peak, when leases end, families relocate between school years and the military’s permanent-change-of-station season moves tens of thousands of households. May is the busiest month on the open fleet, and prices on the popular routes reflect the peak.
Fall is the snowbird season. From October, retirees send cars south to Florida, Arizona and Texas, and the southbound routes out of the Northeast and the upper Midwest fill first. The return runs March into April on the same routes. If your route is one of them, the cheaper booking is the one ahead of the wave.
Winter shipping means road salt on arrival in the northern states, cosmetic and a car wash away. Prices in the holiday lull sit at their seasonal low on many routes, and the wait for pickup stays inside 3 days all year.
Open transport is how the country’s everyday cars move, and the makes below use RoadRunner’s open car transport services most often. If your car is one of them, it is the standard load on an open carrier, and nothing about your shipment needs special arrangement. Each card shows the make’s share of recent model years and new deliveries against the occasional classic.
Open is the default because the fleet is built for everyday cars. The situations below ship open most, from out-of-state purchases to snowbird seasons, and each card covers what to arrange when you book.
Every one of these shipments is priced from the same three details: the route, the vehicle and your first available date. Your open car transport price is on screen in about 30 seconds, with no deposit before your pickup is scheduled.
Get My Open Transport PricePrefer to talk it through? (888) 777-2123A few reasons why open car transport is our most popular service:
Open transport car shipping stays the most popular way to ship a car: it costs less, a truck is nearly always available, it takes every common vehicle, and the car is checked at every stop.
An open carrier hauls as many as 10 cars at once, so the cost per vehicle is the lowest of any car shipping method. On the same route an enclosed trailer costs 53% to 72% more, and the route prices above show the gap lane by lane.
Open carriers outnumber enclosed carriers on the road, so an open truck is usually available on your route within days, even in peak season. A last-minute booking is far easier to place open.
The same open trailer takes sedans, SUVs, pickups and minivans, and two cars going the same way can share one truck. A tall SUV or full-size pickup that does not fit inside an enclosed trailer ships open.
The car is in the open at every stop, so the driver checks the straps and the load each time. Online tracking covers the trip from pickup to delivery.
Open car shipping is safe for most vehicles: the equipment is built for them, and the carrier’s cargo insurance covers the car in transit. The 6 steps below cover the trip and what you do at each step.
A walk around the car in good light covers every panel and wheel, the windshield and the odometer. Date-stamped photos are your baseline, since an open carrier rides in the weather.
The driver inspects the car with you and records every existing mark on the Bill of Lading, the legal record of how the car left. You read the form before you sign.
The car goes up the ramps and is held by wheel straps, with no chain on the frame. Alarms off, fuel at a quarter tank, personal items out. A top-load spot puts the car above the road spray.
Your car rides on the open deck, exposed to weather and road film but strapped and inspected at every stop. You can track the shipment online the whole way.
You inspect the car with the driver against your photos and the pickup Bill of Lading before anything is signed. Road dust is normal, and any difference goes on the delivery copy.
Your signature closes the shipment. If you noted damage, the claim runs against the carrier’s cargo policy, and RoadRunner helps you file it promptly and follow it through.
The points that come up again and again in the verified reviews of everyday shipments with RoadRunner, ranked by how often, in the customer’s own words.
“Great service, driver professional and punctual and auto arrived at destination at date and time scheduled.”
“The driver kept in communication with me from a few hours of picking up the vehicle and when he dropped it off.”
“the large carrier arrived right on time and the driver ("Terry") was a pleasure to meet and he gave me more details on how the transportation operates.”
“The pickup was on time, the delivery was right within the expected window, and the vehicle arrived in perfect condition.”
How not to get scammed is the most-asked question on every car shipping search. RoadRunner runs on 6 rules, so that none of the common scams can reach you.
A bait price is one you only hear on the phone. RoadRunner’s price comes from live carrier availability on your route and appears on screen in about 30 seconds.
A deposit taken before a truck exists is a hold on the customer. Nothing is charged until your vehicle is scheduled for pickup, and you can cancel anytime before pickup.
Every carrier that takes your car holds active federal operating authority and a cargo insurance policy on file, both checked before the shipment is assigned.
Carriers pick loads from a national dispatch board by price, so a quote posted below the route’s going rate goes unclaimed until the broker calls to say the carrier needs more. A real price stays put.
The condition report the driver completes with you at pickup and again at delivery is the legal record of the shipment, and the document a claim is settled against. You keep your copy.
Your order has a number and a dispatch record, and you can follow the shipment online from pickup to delivery.
RoadRunner is a licensed auto transport broker: we match your shipment to one of 30,000+ vetted open and enclosed carriers and verify the carrier before it is dispatched. Every interstate auto hauler is registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and its record is public:
The price on screen comes from live carrier availability on your route and 30+ years of RoadRunner shipments. It is priced for your vehicle and your route, not a teaser that rises once a salesperson calls.
RoadRunner was a great choice. They showed up on time to pick up our car and delivered it from NY to FL is 2 days. Not only was the car as they picked it up, the driver even had it washed because there was road salt on it. We had possessions in the car, all untouched. I couldn't be happier with the service.
Get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the vehicle transportation process.
Open transport refers to a type of transportation service in which the goods or materials being transported are exposed to the elements and not enclosed in a container. Examples of open transport include flatbed trucks, open trailers, and roll-on/roll-off ships. This type of transport is commonly used for items that are large, bulky, or too heavy for an enclosed trailer or container. Open car shipping is generally less expensive than enclosed transport, but it also leaves the goods more susceptible to damage from weather and road debris.
Get your instant open car transport services price and current carrier availability. Your price appears on screen in seconds.
