Enclosed auto transport puts your car inside a sealed trailer for the whole trip. Nothing touches it but the straps over its tires. No rain, no road grit, no salt spray on I-95 in February, no eyes on it at a truck stop. Big Apple Car Shipping arranges enclosed car shipping from all ten of our New York offices, and the cars that go this way are the ones people care about most: a collector's Porsche from the North Shore, a Corvette bought at auction, a new EV, a show car headed to Carlisle.
This page covers the equipment, the loading hardware that matters for low cars, what covered car transport in NYC costs against open, the availability trade-off, and when enclosed is overkill. The quote tool beside the headline prices both options.
Hard-side versus soft-side enclosed trailers
There are two kinds of enclosed trailer and the difference matters. A hard-side trailer is a rigid aluminum or composite box with a rear door and usually a liftgate. It is the standard for high-value cars because it seals against weather and debris completely. A soft-side trailer is a steel frame with heavy vinyl curtains along the sides. It keeps rain and most spray off, loads faster, and costs a little less, but the curtains can flap against a car in wind.
Both count as enclosed on a quote. If a mark on the door would upset you, specify hard-side when you book. For a modern luxury sedan that simply needs to arrive clean, soft-side is a fair middle option.
Multi-car enclosed versus single-car trailers
Most enclosed carriers run two to seven cars in a two-deck trailer loaded by liftgate at the rear. A single-car enclosed trailer, usually pulled by a heavy pickup, exists for cars that must not share a load, for tight pickups where a 75-foot rig cannot go, and for expedited jobs. It is the most expensive way to ship anything, and the right answer for a seven-figure car or a time-critical delivery.
Drivers on enclosed trucks tend to have more years in the business, because they handle cars worth more than the truck. Expect a driver who carries wheel chocks, uses a flashlight for the inspection, and asks before touching a switch inside the car. That is what white-glove service means in practice.
Liftgates, ramps, and low-clearance cars
Apart from protection, the biggest reason to go enclosed is the loading hardware. An open carrier loads with steep ramps that a car with under about four inches of ground clearance will scrape on. A Porsche 911 with a front lip, a Corvette with a splitter, a lowered car on coilovers, a Lotus, and most Lamborghinis and McLarens fall into that group. Enclosed trailers typically have a hydraulic liftgate that raises the car flat to deck height, so there is no ramp angle at all.
Tell us the real ground clearance and whether the car has a front lift system. Inside, the car is secured with soft nylon straps over the tires, not chains or hooks on the frame or suspension. Wheel straps let the suspension move naturally and leave no marks. If your aftermarket wheels have a lip you care about, say so and the driver will pad the straps.
Who ships enclosed from New York
The pattern is consistent. Collectors on the Gold Coast of Long Island, from Great Neck through Oyster Bay to Lloyd Harbor, ship enclosed to winter homes in Palm Beach and Naples and back. Scarsdale and lower Westchester do the same. Manhattan collectors with cars garaged in the West 50s move them enclosed to track days and storage upstate. Pickups from the North Hempstead and Yonkers offices run enclosed every week in season.
Auction buyers are the other large group. A car bought at Mecum in Kissimmee or Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale needs to reach a Long Island garage without the auction's own transport markup. New EV deliveries, where the buyer wants a Lucid or Rivian to arrive with no added miles and no chips, usually go enclosed too. Show cars headed to Carlisle, the Amelia Island concours, and Lime Rock almost always travel covered, because a chip on the way to a judged event defeats the purpose.
Enclosed auto transport prices from the NYC metro
Enclosed typically runs 30 to 50 percent above open on the same lane. Using the open reference rates for a running mid-size sedan booked about a week out, that puts New York to Florida at roughly $850 to $1,100 enclosed, the Carolinas at $720 to $975, Illinois at $900 to $1,200, Texas at $1,300 to $1,650, and California at $1,750 to $2,250.
The same surcharges apply as on open: SUVs and pickups add $100 to $250, a non-running car adds $100 to $200, and expedited pickup adds $150 to $300. Single-car enclosed is priced per job and can be double a multi-car enclosed rate. Peak season pushes everything up: January through March southbound, June through August everywhere, and holiday weeks. The car shipping cost page explains how these numbers are built.
The availability trade-off and when enclosed is overkill
There are far fewer enclosed trucks on the road than open ones. On a busy lane like New York to South Florida, an open carrier can usually be dispatched within one to five days. Enclosed on the same lane often takes one to three extra days, and on thin lanes to the Mountain West it can be a week. If your date is fixed, book enclosed earlier, or ask about expedited pickup, which puts a premium on the load to attract a truck faster.
Enclosed is overkill for a leased Camry, a ten-year-old SUV with door dings, or a daily driver that lives outside anyway. Open carriers move about ninety percent of shipped cars without incident, as the open car transport page explains. Pay for enclosed when the car's value, finish, or clearance justifies it, not out of general nervousness.
How to prepare a car for enclosed auto transport
Leave the fuel at about a quarter tank: enough to load, unload, and reach a station, with no extra weight. Remove or secure anything detachable: car covers, loose spoilers, antennas that unscrew, and anything in the cabin. If the car has an alarm, show the driver how to disable it, and if it has a front lift, leave it raised and say so.
Photograph every panel, the wheels, the interior, and the odometer in good light, and keep the photos with your pickup copy of the bill of lading. The driver will mark every existing flaw; agree on it before you sign. At delivery, inspect before signing. The car shipping checklist has the full prep list.
Typical open versus enclosed prices from the NYC metro, running mid-size sedan booked about a week out
| Lane | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier |
|---|---|---|
| New York to Florida | $650–750 | $850–1,100 |
| New York to North Carolina | $550–650 | $720–975 |
| New York to Illinois | $700–800 | $900–1,200 |
| New York to Texas | $1,000–1,100 | $1,300–1,650 |
| New York to California | $1,350–1,500 | $1,750–2,250 |
Questions about enclosed auto transport from New York
How much cargo insurance do enclosed carriers carry?
Enclosed carriers often carry $250,000 to $1,000,000 in cargo coverage per load, compared with $100,000 to $250,000 on most open trucks. If your car is worth more than the carrier's limit, tell us at booking so we can dispatch adequate coverage or a single-car trailer. We verify the certificate of insurance before dispatch.
Will my lowered car or Porsche scrape getting on the trailer?
Not on a trailer with a liftgate, which raises the car flat to deck height with no ramp angle. Give us the real ground clearance and say whether the car has a front lift system, and we will specify liftgate equipment on the dispatch. Cars under about four inches should not go on a standard open carrier.
How much longer does enclosed take to pick up?
Usually one to three extra days compared with open on the same lane, because there are fewer enclosed trucks and each carries fewer cars. On thin lanes to the Mountain West it can be a week. Transit time once loaded is similar. If your dates are firm, book earlier or ask about expedited pickup.
Is enclosed worth it for a new EV delivery?
Often, yes. Buyers of a new Lucid, Rivian, or Porsche Taycan usually want the car to arrive with no added miles and no chips, and the trailer keeps it sealed and unseen. Set transport mode if the car has one and leave it near a quarter charge. For a used EV that is a daily driver, open is fine.
Can I ship a car enclosed from an auction like Mecum or Barrett-Jackson?
Yes. Give us the auction, lot number, your bidder number, and the pickup window the auction allows, and we will dispatch an enclosed carrier to the auction yard. Auction pickups are time-sensitive because storage fees start after a few days, so call as soon as the hammer falls.