4 Types of Enclosed Trailers
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2-3 Car Enclosed
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5-6 Car Hard Side Enclosed
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Soft Sided Enclosed
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Conestoga
⚠️ Any vehicle that is worth over $100K and is traveling more than 300 miles needs to go enclosed
Also, any vehicle with clearance less than 4" (100mm) also needs to go enclosed (regardless of the distance).
2-3 Car Enclosed Trailer
This single level “non-stack” trailer is often referred to as a ‘hotshot’ carrier. Hotshot trailers hold less cars on the truck which translates to faster pickup, transit, and delivery times.
⚠️ INSURANCE MATTERS - Many of these 2 car carriers only carry $250K in cargo insurance. Make sure that the carrier's insurance is enough to cover your vehicle
5-6 Car Hard Side Enclosed Carrier
This enclosed trailer looks very similar to other semi trucks on the road. Vehicles are loaded and “stacked” inside a hard-side enclosed trailer that has an upper and lower deck.
Soft-Side Enclosed Carrier
Unlike 5-6 car enclosed carriers, soft-sided carriers can transport 7-8 vehicles enclosed. As the name suggests, soft-side covered carriers have soft sliding tarps for walls.
👍 Drivers do not have to crawl out of the vehicle's window - less prone to door dings.
👎 Vehicles do tend to get a little dirtier in transit. Especially in bad weather
Conestoga Enclosed Trailer
The Conestoga trailer is the larger of all enclosed trailers. Its retractable soft-side cover allows to transport oversize vehicles that are too wide or too tall to transport on a regular enclosed carrier.
🔔 Not Available on Central Dispatch - Heavy Load Board Only
🔔 Their cargo insurance must specifically say "Covers Automobiles"