Comparison: Open carrier vs enclosed carrier for a 2009 Mustang from Seattle to Denver

I shipped my 2009 Mustang from Seattle to Denver last month and tried both quotes. Open carrier was $850 and enclosed was $1,400. I went with open thinking it was fine, big mistake. Got a rock chip on the hood and some bird droppings that sat too long. The enclosed carrier cost more but the driver covered the car and kept it clean the whole trip. If you care about paint at all, just pay the extra. Has anyone else had damage on an open carrier?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_thomas41mo ago

That bird dropping thing is rough. I feel you though, I had a similar thing with open carrier and got tree sap on the hood that was a pain to get off. @elliot54 is right that the price gap has shrunk some. I checked around too and saw enclosed for around $1,100 for a similar run. Next time I'd just pay the extra and not worry about it.

elliot541mo ago

Some bird droppings that sat too long" - I feel like that's more on you than the carrier, honestly. If you're shipping a car open, you gotta check on it at the drop off or at least make sure they know to wipe stuff off quick. The rock chip though, yeah that sucks, that's a real risk with open carriers and I've had it happen to me too. But here's the thing - enclosed carriers aren't always covered either, sometimes they park under a tree or something and you get sap drops. I've done both and honestly the price gap is getting smaller these days, I paid $1,050 for enclosed last year for a similar distance. Just my two cents but if you're really worried about paint, maybe wrap the hood and front bumper in painters tape before shipping no matter which option you pick.