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. Oftentimes, customers are confused as to which type of hauler will be used in transporting their vehicle. As the customer, one should know the types of auto transport trailers/haulers to be used, its pros and its cons, as there is such a large array of cars, SUVs, bikes, boats and trucks today.
People do not even know that there are two big kinds of transport trailers - open, and enclosed. In general, Car Transport is carried out by two types of trucks - trailers, or hotshots. Both trucks have their own specified uses or function.
Hotshots look a lot like pick-ups, and move between one and three cars at a time Unlike with large haulers, you do not have 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.
The small size also means that they deliver faster, having an easier time of navigating on residential streets. Hotshots are best if you need door-to-door delivery. The hotshots big brother is the tractor trailer - a beast that can carry up to 12 vehicles per trip.
The first benefit of tractor trailers is cost - more cars means more people paying, which means you each pay less In order for this to be really beneficial, the trailer needs to be at maximum capacity. Therein lies the big problem - you may wait weeks for the trailer to fill up with cars going in the same direction.
Tractor trailers are also somewhat limited because they are too wide for suburban streets. These machines are built to go the distance - they are heavy and relatively slow. You may need to meet your driver at the terminal to pick it up.
In terms of trailer types, the decision may split into either single-vehicle or multiple-vehicle. The decision is not up to the customer but to the truck. Hotshots use single-vehicle trailer while semi-trailer trucks have the multiple.
Every now and then a semi will transport a single car if it has unusual measurements. When the driver picks up the cargo he will load the car onto a flatbed. A service like this cost a lot more than normal, but it is very safe.
If you are using a multiple-vehicle trailer, it will either be on the upper or the lower deck. The cars on the bottom are dripped on from above, while the cars on the upper deck are exposed to harmful weather and dirt. Neither position is better off.
