What's the difference between open and enclosed car carrier transport?

Open transport carries more vehicles at a lower cost but exposes them to weather and road debris; enclosed transport protects the vehicle fully at a higher cost per unit and lower carrying capacity.

Can you transport a non-running vehicle?

Yes, using a winch-equipped car carrier, this takes longer to load than a self-propelled vehicle and is priced accordingly.

Do I need to pay customs duty moving a car within the EU?

No, vehicle movement between EU countries is single-market trade with no customs duty; you only need the vehicle's registration document and destination re-registration.

Will I pay import duty shipping a car from the UK into the EU?

It depends on where the vehicle was manufactured. Vehicles meeting UK-EU Rules of Origin thresholds qualify for 0% duty, while those that don't face a 10% EU import duty plus local VAT.

Can you ship a vehicle to Turkey, Central Asia, China, or the Americas?

Yes, but not as a single car carrier journey. We cover the European collection leg, then hand off to the appropriate mode, overland forwarding, rail, or sea, for the long-haul portion to these destinations.

Do you handle bulk dealership shipments as well as single vehicles?

Yes. We run both bulk stock moves for dealerships and auto rental companies, and single-vehicle relocations for private individuals.

Car Carrier Truck Services

Car Carrier Truck - Open and Enclosed Vehicle Transport

A vehicle in transit is exposed in a way most cargo isn't - a scratch or a chip during loading is a dispute waiting to happen. Cargo Logistic Solutions runs car carrier trucks for dealership stock, auction purchases, and private vehicle moves across Europe, on both open and enclosed transport, with the loading method matched to the vehicle rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

What Car Carrier Transport Actually Involves

Vehicles move on a car carrier either self-propelled - driven directly onto the trailer under their own power - or winched, for non-running vehicles or those with mechanical issues that make self-loading unsafe. Which method applies changes how the shipment is planned and priced: a winched vehicle takes longer to load and needs a trailer equipped for it, and not every unit in a general fleet is.

We run both open and enclosed transport, and which one fits depends on the vehicle's value, the weather exposure on the route, and your budget.

Open vs Enclosed - What Actually Changes

Open transport carries more vehicles per trip and costs less, but exposes cars to weather and road debris during transit - the standard choice for routine dealership stock and used vehicle moves where cosmetic risk is acceptable.
Enclosed transport protects the vehicle from weather and road spray entirely, at a lower carrying capacity and higher cost per vehicle - the right call for high-value, classic, or newly delivered vehicles where any exposure risk isn't acceptable.

Each vehicle is secured individually regardless of which transport type you choose. The difference lies in protection from the elements, not in how securely the vehicle is fastened.

Who Uses Car Carrier Transport

Dealerships and auto rental companies. Typically bulk shipments of new or used stock, often on a regular schedule tied to inventory turnover.
Private individuals relocating. A single vehicle move, often alongside a broader household or business relocation, where timing needs to align with the rest of the move.
Auction and private sale buyers. Cross-border purchases where the vehicle needs collecting from one seller location and delivering to another, sometimes with no prior relationship between buyer and transporter.

Which Rules Apply to Your Route

The documentation and cost structure change significantly depending on where the vehicle is going:

Route	What's required	Key detail
Within the EU	Registration document only	No customs duty; re-registration follows the destination country's technical inspection rules (ITV in Spain, Contrôle Technique in France, TÜV in Germany)
UK ↔ EU	Registration + customs duty assessment	0% duty only if UK-EU Rules of Origin are met (roughly 55–60% originating content); otherwise 10% duty plus 19–27% local VAT
Turkey, Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan)	Car carrier for the EU leg + overland forwarding chain	No single continuous car carrier journey - road collection in Europe, then a freight-forwarding handoff
Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), China	Car carrier for the EU leg + rail	No direct road option at this distance - the car carrier covers collection to the nearest suitable rail terminal
Americas & Canada	Car carrier for the EU leg + sea	Vehicle crosses the Atlantic by sea, typically roll-on/roll-off or containerised - the car carrier covers collection to the port

For EU-internal moves, the vehicle's certificate of registration - Zulassungsbescheinigung in Germany, carte grise in France, dowód rejestracyjny in Poland, permiso de circulación in Spain - needs to accompany the vehicle. For UK-EU moves, exporters also need to complete the V5C's «permanent export» section (V5C/4) and send it to the DVLA. Whichever route applies, this is exactly the kind of detail that turns into a costly surprise if it's not confirmed before the vehicle ships - we check documentation and duty exposure as part of quoting, not after the vehicle has already arrived. For destinations beyond Europe, we plan the shipment as a coordinated chain - European collection by car carrier, then the appropriate long-haul mode - rather than quoting it as a single door-to-door road job.

What Affects Car Carrier Transport Cost

Open vs enclosed transport - enclosed costs more per vehicle due to lower carrying capacity and weather protection.
Loading method - winched loading for non-running vehicles takes longer and needs specific equipment, adding cost over self-propelled loading.
Distance and route - priced by kilometre, the same principle as any road haulage.
Border type crossed - EU-internal moves need only registration paperwork; UK-EU moves add customs duty exposure depending on vehicle origin.
Destination beyond Europe - vehicles heading to Turkey, the Caucasus, Central Asia, China, or the Americas require a multimodal chain rather than a single road leg, which changes both the cost structure and the timeline significantly.
Batch size - dealership bulk shipments typically achieve better per-vehicle rates than single private moves.
Insurance and declared value - higher-value and classic vehicles carry a higher insurance component.

Why Choose Cargo Logistic Solutions for Car Carrier Transport

We run both open and enclosed car carriers, matched to loading method and vehicle value rather than defaulting to whatever's available. Every vehicle is insured individually, and we check the registration and customs documentation trail - whether that's an EU registration certificate, UK-EU duty exposure, or a multimodal chain beyond Europe - before the vehicle is booked, not after it's already loaded. With offices in Poland, Spain, Germany, and the UK, we cover bulk dealership moves and single private vehicle relocations across the same network, with onward connections for destinations beyond Europe.

Shipping a vehicle within Europe, between the UK and the EU, or further afield? Get a quote - we'll confirm open vs enclosed, loading method, and the exact documentation your route needs before your vehicle ships.