What's the difference between open and enclosed car transport?

Open car transport carries the vehicle on an exposed deck — the type you see daily on UK motorways, two tiers of cars in view of passing traffic. Enclosed carries the vehicle inside a sealed, covered trailer with no external exposure. Open is cheaper, with higher capacity per trailer and broader carrier availability. It is the right choice for standard production vehicles, dealer stock and fleet moves. Enclosed is the better choice for valuable, sensitive or privacy-critical cars — supercars, classics, collector cars, anything with paint protection film or ceramic coating. We offer both and will tell you which fits your vehicle.

Is my car at risk of weather damage on open transport?

Open transport exposes the vehicle to rain, road spray, sun and seasonal road salt — the same elements every car on the road handles in normal use. For a standard production vehicle on a route of a few days, this is not a meaningful risk. Where weather is a real consideration is on cars with fresh paint, paint protection film, ceramic coating or pre-show condition — in those cases the additional exposure can compound, and we recommend enclosed transport instead.

Is the vehicle at risk of theft on an open transporter?

Cars on open transporters are visible to passing traffic but they are not unprotected. Overnight halts are at fenced-yard depots and compound sites used by the wider transport industry, not roadside service areas. Keys stay with the driver and are never left in the vehicle. The trailer carries GPS and the live location is shared with you for the duration of the move. Insurance covers the vehicle in transit from collection to hand-over.

What is covered by the insurance on open transport?

Vehicles are insured in transit from collection to hand-over, with the cover limit confirmed on your quote. Cover is gate to gate: loss or damage arising from collection, loading, transit, customs handling, unloading and delivery is included. Pre-existing damage recorded at the collection inspection is excluded from the hand-over claim — that is what the photographic pack is for. For vehicles above around £100,000 we recommend the enclosed service rather than topping up open-transport cover.

How much cheaper is open transport than enclosed?

Open transport costs meaningfully less than the equivalent enclosed move — enclosed haulage typically runs 40 to 60% more, reflecting its lower per-trailer capacity (one to three cars, against six to ten on an open deck) and the extra care in loading and routing. On a £30,000 family SUV going to France, open transport costs materially less than enclosed — a saving the asset value comfortably supports. For a £150,000 supercar, the saving disappears against the cost of a single panel respray.

Open car transport

+44 161 706 0492 Full quote form

Multi-vehicle deck haulage from the UK

The cost-effective end of our service. Vehicles travel on an open multi-vehicle transporter, the same configuration you see every day on UK motorways. It is the right choice for standard production vehicles where enclosed haulage is not necessary — and the wrong choice for valuable, sensitive or privacy-critical cars, which should go on our enclosed service instead.

See the wider services hub for our full range, including multi-vehicle transport for dealer and fleet moves.

A blue Lamborghini Urus loaded on an ICM trailer

Transporter: Open multi-vehicle; 6 to 10 cars per trailer
Pricing: Priced per job, UK to EU; lower cost than enclosed haulage
Insurance: Fully insured; covered in transit, gate to gate
Transit: 2 to 6 days, UK to EU; longer for Mediterranean and RoRo

When open transport is the right choice

Three categories where open haulage is the honest fit — and where most of the open-transport work we do sits.

Standard production vehicles

Family saloons, estates and SUVs in the £15,000 to £40,000 range — Audi A4 and A6, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class and E-Class, Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan, Volvo XC60, Range Rover Sport. Cars built for daily use, with paintwork specified for normal road conditions and no aftermarket protection that needs preserving.

Dealer stock and trade moves

New and used vehicles moving between franchise dealerships, auction houses (BCA, Manheim, Aston Barclay), preparation centres and customer-handover sites. Volume work where unit cost matters. Multi-vehicle dispatch keeps the per-car rate low and turnaround predictable.

Fleet and lease returns

Corporate fleet movements, lease defleet to remarketing sites and end-of-contract returns from drivers across the UK and Europe. We co-ordinate with fleet managers, leasing companies and end-of-contract inspectors on collection windows and condition reports.

How open transport works

Collection, inspection and loading order

An open shipment begins with a collection from the address you nominate — a private residence, a franchise dealership, a fleet centre, an auction site or a trade compound. The transporter arrives within a pre-agreed window, normally a two-hour slot. The driver completes a pre-shipment inspection before the vehicle is touched: every panel is photographed, the indicated mileage and fuel level are logged, and any pre-existing marks are noted and signed off. That record is the contract for hand-over at the other end.

Loading order on the trailer is planned around the route. The first vehicle off at delivery goes on last; the last off goes on first. Each car is secured with straps over the wheels — the standard tie-down for open-deck dispatch, the same method used by manufacturer transport and the wider European car-movement industry. It is well-proven for the vehicles it is designed to carry.

A white Corvette on the deck of an ICM multi-car transporter

Transit, customs and delivery

Once loaded, the transporter runs the planned route — UK domestic runs head straight to the delivery address; international runs cross the Channel via Eurotunnel or a ferry crossing from Dover, Portsmouth or Hull, then continue across the EU road network. The deck is exposed to weather and road conditions throughout the journey, which is part of the cost saving over enclosed haulage. For a standard production vehicle on a route of a few days, that exposure is no different to a normal week of driving.

Post-Brexit, every UK to EU movement clears customs. Our in-house team lodges the UK export declaration and instructs the broker on the import side. T1 transit, the EU import declaration and the onward release are handled without the customer being involved — the paperwork lands at the transporter, not at your office. The detail is set out on our European customs page.

Hand-over takes place at the address you nominate — a residence, a dealership forecourt, a fleet centre, an auction site or a trade compound. A hand-over inspection mirrors the UK collection record, the photographic pack is emailed the same day and the customs release follows where applicable. For repeat trade and fleet work we set up a single nominated co-ordinator so the same point of contact runs every consignment.

When to choose enclosed instead

We will tell you directly when open transport is not the right fit. Four factors push the decision toward enclosed haulage. First, value: anything north of around £40,000 starts to benefit from a covered trailer, and anything north of £100,000 should default to enclosed. Second, paint sensitivity: paint protection film, ceramic coatings, fresh respray and concours-ready condition all benefit from a covered deck — a single stone chip on an open route can mean a four-figure bill. Third, vehicle category: supercars, hypercars, classic cars and limited editions are not appropriate for the open service regardless of monetary value. Fourth, privacy: if the vehicle should not be visible to passing traffic, enclosed removes the load from public view.

For collector vehicles and restorations, see our classic car transport service. For modern supercars and hypercars, see our supercar transport service. If you are weighing the decision for a vehicle that sits near the boundary, use our transport quotes page for the details we need to quote for open or enclosed transport.

From first enquiry to hand-over

Six stages, every shipment. International moves add the customs stage; UK domestic moves skip it. The rest is identical.

Step 01
Quote and brief
You provide the vehicle, collection address, destination and any specifics — fleet numbers, trade-plate paperwork, dealer reference. We return a written quote with a single point of contact on the file.
Step 02
Schedule and confirmation
On acceptance we confirm the collection window and loading order on the transporter. For fleet and dealer moves we co-ordinate directly with the site contact so the driver is met on arrival.
Step 03
Collection and inspection
Pre-shipment inspection at the collection address. Every panel is photographed, indicated mileage is logged, pre-existing marks recorded and signed off. The record is the contract for hand-over.
Step 04
Loaded on the open deck
The vehicle is driven onto the multi-vehicle transporter and secured with straps over the wheels. Loading order is planned for the route — first off goes on last.
Step 05
Customs (international moves)
Every UK to EU movement clears customs post-Brexit. Our in-house team lodges the UK export declaration and instructs the broker on the EU side. We work direct with your nominated customs agent on trade and fleet consignments where preferred.
Step 06
Delivery at the address you nominate
Hand-over at the dealership, fleet centre, residence, auction site or trade compound. A hand-over inspection mirrors the collection record, the photographic pack is emailed the same day and the customs release follows where applicable.

Vehicles we typically move on open transport

The categories most often booked on the open service. Higher-value and sensitivity-critical cars go on the enclosed service instead.

Family saloons and estatesAudi A4 and A6, BMW 3-Series and 5-Series, Mercedes C-Class and E-Class, Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, Volvo S60 and V60
Family SUVsRange Rover Sport, Volvo XC60 and XC90, BMW X3 and X5, Audi Q5, Land Rover Discovery, Ford Kuga, Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sorento
Hatchbacks and crossoversVolkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V — daily-use vehicles bought outright or on lease
Dealer stock and auction lotsTrade-prepped cars moving between BCA, Manheim and Aston Barclay sites, between franchise dealerships, or from auction win to the buyer's forecourt
Light commercials and pickupsFord Transit Custom, Volkswagen Transporter, Mercedes Vito, Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux — fleet vans and pickups on trade or end-of-lease movements
End-of-contract and lease returnsLease defleet to remarketing centres, end-of-contract returns from corporate drivers, company-car switches and fleet reallocations across the UK and EU