ODELL HAMPTON

Budget, timeline and potential exposure to harmful elements all dictate what kind of car transport you will use.

You have probably seen a variety of car haulers on the roads. A lot of people are not aware of the kinds of haulers that can be used to transport different vehicles. Keep abreast of the types of auto haulers out there, so that you can pick the right one if you need to transport a car, boat, SUV, or bike.



People do not even know that there are two big kinds of transport trailers - open, and enclosed. Car Transport is carried out by one of the two types of trucks – trailers or hotshots. Each one has its own adaptations.

A hotshot looks like an ordinary pick-up, but the difference is that they can transport up to three cars at once. The first big plus of hotshots is that you can ship instantly - you do not need to wait for the empty slots to be filled. Unfortunately, making use of hotshots is expensive, because you have to cover all of the costs.

A lot of people choose hotshots because they are better at navigating residential streets. Hotshots are best if you need door-to-door delivery. In comparison, a tractor trailer can carry more cars - as many as 12 depending on the actual trailer.

A huge advantage of using tractor trailers is that it is cheap - everyone using the service covers the cost. To be more cost-effective, the truck needs to reach the maximum capacity possible. Therein lies the big problem - you may wait weeks for the trailer to fill up with cars going in the same direction.

Another drawback to tractor trailers is that one cannot travel in some narrow neighborhood streets. Tractor trailers are not built for speed - they are heavy and slow. You should be able to collect your car at a driver terminal.

In terms of trailer types, the decision may split into either single-vehicle or multiple-vehicle. Different kinds of trucks and loads call for different trailer types. Most of the time, hotshots use single-vehicle trailers, while semi-trailer trucks use multiples.

If the car that needs to be transported is of an unusual shape or size, it can be carried by a semi. In this case, the vehicle has to be loaded on a flatbed together with other cargo the driver picks up. This is even costlier to ship but could be necessary depending on your vehicle.

If you are using a multiple-vehicle trailer, it will either be on the upper or the lower deck. Cars on the upper deck are exposed to the elements, and they drip on the cars on the bottom. Either way, your car may be damaged.