The Types Of Trailers Utilized In Auto Transport


by Geoff McAlister


Purchasing for the right car transport company is intimidating for most individuals. It is not a service that people use quite often so it is difficult to know what features to look for. Although there are a number of choices to make, let us concentrate on the kinds of trucks and trailers that could be used.

Truck Kinds

Auto transport is carried out by one of 2 kinds of trucks: tractor trailers or hotshots. A hotshot is a small truck similar to a pickup.Because hotshots are small they transport only one vehicle at a time. This means they are available faster because the shipper doesn't have to find other customers to fill the empty slots. On the other hand, that means all costs of operation are shouldered by the one car being transported so they are more expensive. Their small size means residential street navigation is easy plus they provide your car right to your door.

Tractor trailers transport anyplace from 3 to 12 autos at a time depending on the size of the attached trailer. The more cars, the cheaper the transport fee because expenses of operation are spread among several customers. To be affordable, the trucks need to run as near to capacity as possible. Which means the auto transport company needs a significant lead time between a customer's call and the shipping date to ensure that they can find several autos headed in the same direction.An additional disadvantage to tractor trailers is that they might not be able to travel in some residential areas due to the tight streets. You may have to meet the vehicle at a nearby parking lot to select up your car rather than having it delivered to your door.

Trailer Kinds

The first decision about trailers is single-vehicle vs. multiple-vehicle. This decision isn't made by the customer but instead dictated by the truck. Hotshots have single trailers; semis have multiple.There may be cases where a semi transports just one car, such as a car won't fit on a typical trailer due to size, modifications, or other characteristics. In this case it's to be shipped on a flatbed along with whatever other cargo the driver picks up. This is one of the more expensive ways to ship yet may be necessary depending in your car.When shipping on a multiple car trailer, there's lots of debate about whether it's better to request a position on the upper deck or the lower deck.

Vehicles on the higher deck are more exposed to the environment while the lower deck may get oil or other fluids dripping from above. In the end, it seems to be about the same.Another choice is a closed trailer. Most car shipping is done in open trailers, leaving the car exposed to the elements. This is fine for many cars but if you've an costly or collectable car, it might be well worth the extra expense of a covered trailer.






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