Open Carrier Auto Transport

The Inner Workings Of Open Carrier Auto Transport

Open carrier auto transports are the most common method of moving vehicles around the country--and with good reason. They are dependable, economical and efficient. They’re widely used not only by car carriers such as Direct Connect Auto but also by online and brick and mortar car dealerships. They’re important to America’s, and the world’s, automobile infrastructure. There’s no better choice when you need to move cars quickly and inexpensively. That’s why we wanted to use this space to shed some light on the inner workings of open car transports so that you can learn about what makes them so versatile. But first, here is an open car carrier.

Usually, one of these carriers will be able to fit anywhere between 5 to 9 cars--depending on its model. In the states, a vehicle cannot exceed 80,000 pounds in weight--that's a number we car transporters all have to be mindful of. It's one of the reasons cars have to be completely emptied of personal belongings before they can be loaded onto a carrier. This isn't the case in other countries, like China, where carriers are able to carry significantly more weight.

The carrier pictured here is the standard design, with a skeletal tube steel shell surrounding a number of decks, an upper and lower one. These decks are broken into ramps which are controlled by a system of hydraulics. The hydraulics allow each ramp to be controlled individually which makes loading and unloading vehicles easier.

But how are the cars brought on board? They’re actually driven up a ramp and fastened securely in place. This is why if a customer wants to ship a car that isn’t currently running, we need to know in advance. Once the car is secure, the ramps can then be moved into different positions as to better facilitate the loading or unloading of other vehicles.

Open carrier auto transports are vital to the work we do and they helps countries all over the world stay mobile. It involves several ingenious designs which makes it a versatile and surprisingly complicated piece of machinery. Ready to see one up close? Then feel free to contact us to schedule your car transportation today.