Open Auto Transport

Open auto transport moves your vehicle on an uncovered multi-car trailer, alongside other vehicles heading the same direction. It is how the large majority of vehicles move long-distance in the United States, and it is the most economical option we arrange, because the cost of running the truck is shared across every car on the deck.

Genius Auto Trans is a licensed transport broker — USDOT 3674601, MC 1274912, authorized for Broker, Property, ACTIVE with the FMCSA. We do not own trailers. We source your open transport from a vetted network of more than 10,000 carriers, which means we are pricing your lane against the market rather than against one company's schedule.

How open auto transport works

Your vehicle is driven or winched onto a multi-level open trailer and secured to the deck with wheel straps or chains at the suspension points. The trailer carries no roof and no walls. The vehicle travels exposed to weather and road spray for the length of the trip — the same exposure it gets on any drive, but for a longer continuous stretch.

Two trailer types do most of the work:

• Multi-car open haulers — the long, two-level rigs you see delivering to dealerships. They carry the most vehicles and offer the best price per unit, but they are large, and they cannot manoeuvre into every residential street.
• Smaller open trailers — three to five vehicles, more manoeuvrable, useful for shorter runs and tighter access. Fewer of them on the road, so availability varies by lane.

Loading position affects nothing about safety, but it does affect exposure: vehicles on the top deck sit above road spray, vehicles on the bottom deck sit under whatever is above them. We do not sell a guaranteed deck position, because carriers load for weight distribution and delivery order, not preference.

If your vehicle does not start, does not roll, or does not steer, say so at the quote stage. Non-running vehicles need a carrier with a winch, which is a smaller pool and a different price. It is not a problem — it is a problem only when it is discovered at the kerb.

What open auto transport costs

We do not publish a price table for open transport, and you should treat any company that does with some caution: a published rate cannot know your vehicle, your lane, or what carrier capacity looks like the week you ship. Your quote is built from your shipment.

The factors that actually move the number:

• Distance — the largest single input, though not a straight multiplier. Long hauls cost more in total and less per mile.
• Lane density — a corridor with constant carrier traffic prices better than a route into a rural area, because more carriers are competing for the load.
• Vehicle size and weight — an SUV or a full-size pickup occupies more deck and more payload than a sedan, and prices accordingly.
• Running condition — non-running vehicles require winch-equipped equipment and a narrower carrier pool.
• Modifications — lowered suspension, oversized tyres or a roof rack change how the vehicle loads and sometimes what it can load onto.
• Timing flexibility — a wide pickup window gives us more carriers to work with than a fixed date. If the date is fixed, expedited auto transport is the honest option to price.
• Season — summer relocation and the autumn southbound snowbird movement both tighten carrier supply on affected corridors.
• Access at both ends — where a full-size hauler physically cannot reach the address, we arrange a nearby meeting point in advance.

Open or enclosed

Open transport is the right default for most vehicles. It is not the right choice for all of them.

Choose open for daily drivers, standard sedans, SUVs, pickups, dealer stock, auction purchases and online car buys — anything where the vehicle's value does not make weather exposure a material risk.

Choose enclosed auto transport where the vehicle's value, paint, ride height or irreplaceability makes exposure the wrong trade. Classics, exotics, show cars, custom paint and anything low enough to have loading trouble belong in a covered trailer. See exotic and luxury car transport for that end of the market.

The cost difference is real, and so is the protection difference. We will tell you which one your vehicle actually needs rather than upselling the trailer.

Who uses open transport

• People relocating — the standard choice for a household move where the car needs to arrive without adding thousands of miles to the odometer.
• Online and out-of-state buyers — you have bought the car; open transport is how it reaches you.
• Dealers moving stock — the same method manufacturers use to deliver new inventory. See the car dealer discount.
• Auction buyers — vehicles moving from auction sites to buyers, running or not.
• Military families under orders — see the military and veteran discount.
• Snowbirds — seasonal moves between northern and southern homes. Seasonal car relocation covers the timing.

Our process

1. Quote — vehicle, both locations, target timing. We price the shipment.
2. Booking — you approve the quote and we begin sourcing.
3. Carrier assignment — Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and a certificate is available on request.
4. Pickup and inspection — the driver records the vehicle's condition on a bill of lading with you present. Photograph it yourself as well; it is your record too.
5. Transit — you have a contact point throughout.
6. Delivery and inspection — condition is documented again before you sign.

The full sequence is on How It Works, and payment terms are on How to Pay.

Where we ship

We arrange open auto transport throughout the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC. Alaska and Hawaii are not served — including by companies that advertise them alongside mainland service.

Coverage by geography: Locations Hub. Specific lanes: Routes Hub. Cross-country moves in particular: state-to-state car shipping.

Door-to-door collection and delivery is the default on open transport — see door-to-door auto transport for how that works in practice, and what happens when a street cannot take a full-size rig.

Why book open transport through Genius Auto Trans

Verifiable authority. USDOT 3674601, MC 1274912, Broker Property, ACTIVE. Look it up in the FMCSA SAFER system before you book anything with anyone.

Carrier vetting before assignment. Active operating authority and cargo coverage are checked before a carrier is given your vehicle. We are a licensed and bonded broker, not the carrier. Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and we will provide that carrier's certificate on request.

Broker economics working for you. 10,000+ carriers means your lane is sourced against the market. A single carrier can only offer you its own truck on its own schedule.

No rate-card theatre. You get a price for your shipment, and the factors above explain how it was built.

More about the company: About Us. Answers by topic: Car Shipping FAQs.

Questions first? Call (800) 780-1113.

Related pages

• FAQ — Cost & Pricing
• Car Shipping (core hub)