- Types of Car Haulers
- Open Transport Trailers
- Enclosed Transport Trailers
- Single-Vehicle or Multi-Vehicle Trailer Set-up
- A-1 Auto Transport’s Top Picks for Trailer Brands
- Boydstun
- BigTex
- Featherlite
- Kaufman
- Cottrell
- Diamond C
- Quality and Customer Satisfaction
A large part of being involved in the auto transport industry is using the name brands everyone knows and trusts. A-1 Auto Transport fully endorses these quality brands to ensure safety and reliability when transporting a vehicle. Thanks to the numerous brands that offer exceptional products, we are never in short supply of reliable transport options. Each brand offers its own unique features, which is why our favorite brands are top of the line. We would never use a trailer to transport your vehicle if we wouldn’t transport our own with it.
Types of Car Haulers
A part of our job at A-1 Auto Transport is picking out which trailer will be the best fit for the transport situation you are requesting, as there are many different types of vehicles that get shipped. Part of being an expert in the industry is knowing the difference between hauling a classic or a daily driver. You will want a different type of transport experience for a classic car versus something like an eight-year-old Honda Civic. A-1 Auto Transport understands this, which is why only use the industry-leading brands of car haulers.
Open Transport Trailers
Open transport trailers are the cheaper option when looking to haul a vehicle. These trailers, in most circumstances, can haul more than one car at a time. By hauling more than one car at a time, transport companies can give you more competitive pricing. Open transport trailers range from the capacity of one vehicle to eight vehicles (nine if they are smaller) as long as the 80,000-pound weight cap is not exceeded.
The downside to using an open transport trailer is the exposure to the elements. With an open trailer, vehicles are exposed to weather elements as well as possible debris along the road. That is why it is important to decide what kind of transport you want for your car. If you are shipping a classic, you may want to look at enclosed trailer options.
Enclosed Transport Trailers
An enclosed transport trailer offers protection for the vehicles being hauled on all sides. Although enclosed transports are more expensive than open transport, they do offer protection from the weather and road debris that may be encountered during transport. These types of trailers are ideal for classic, luxury, and exotic cars. Convertibles are often transported using this method.
Depending on the type of trailer used, enclosed transport trailers can haul up to eight vehicles. In most circumstances, a transport company will not put this many cars in an enclosed transport unless they are being shipped to the same destination. These trailers, if for single-vehicle usage, will often be used for expedited transport orders.
Single-Vehicle or Multi-Vehicle Trailer Set-up
Trailers can come with the ability to hold one or multiple vehicles. Some companies specialize in selling trailers for only one vehicle occupant, and others have a wide array of sizes, shapes, and types. A-1 Auto Transport uses this information about the auto transport industry and makes sure to have a large assortment of transport trailers at our disposal at any given time. We also have multiple brands of trailers for different customer needs, plus it was too hard to choose just one.
Most multi-vehicle transport trailers can facilitate a couple of situations. Most of the multi-vehicle trailers you see when you drive through town are for car dealerships. When dealerships get new vehicles in, they are transported on these types of open commercial transport trailers. Smaller dealerships may call upon a transport company to ship multiple cars that they pick up from an auction, in the same regard, they are receiving their new shipment.
Another instance when you might see a trailer with multiple vehicles is when numerous customers ship their cars to either a terminal or they can wait a little longer to receive their vehicle because of the extra savings. In either of these situations, commercial open trailers are used for the purposes of hauling multiple vehicles.
Single-vehicle trailers are also available. These trailers are often used when requesting an expedited transport service. These trailers can come open or enclosed. A lot of higher-end vehicle owners request enclosed single-vehicle trailers for the safety of their vehicle. Choosing a single-vehicle carrying option is more expensive than putting your car with others.
A-1 Auto Transport’s Top Picks for Trailer Brands
You can do a Google search and find trailers of all shapes, sizes, colors, and capacity for sale. You will see names like Cottrell, Kaufman, and Boydstun accompanying the ads for trailers that haul cars. After being involved in the auto transport industry for over 30 years, you begin to learn what makes a good car hauler and an even better car hauler manufacturer. Different types of trailer materials are better than others, and the same applies to choosing the brand of trailer you need for the job that needs to be done. To help you understand what it takes to find the best car haulers, we have put together a list of our favorite and top picks for trailer brands.
Boydstun
Boydstun Equipment Manufacturing is an auto transport manufacturer that is based out of Clackamas, Oregon. Boydstun has taken technology and innovation to a new level with their latest car hauling design. Their customers spoke, and Boydstun listened. Having a relationship with its customers and listening to the feedback they give, Boydstun was able to improve an already high-performance car hauler and make it something even better.
The new model of car hauler from Boydstun, the 9106-48-EZ, is an 80-foot long unit that offers 3-car and 3.5-car head racks. They also provide the trailer in a 44-foot version, the 9106-44-EZ. Both of the trailers come standard with Boydstun’s trademarked Rapid Rachet system. The system has low enough resistance that the driver or representative can operate the rachet by hand and still allows for a secure tie-down without removing the tie-down bar. Because one of the most frustrating parts of working a car hauler is when corrosion or rusting occurs making parts stick, Boydstun has plated their assembly in yellow zinc, offering a constant coating with more abrasion resistance.
Boydstun doesn’t stop at unique design for their car haulers, and they offer a full menu of extraordinary tools to help you with whatever your transport needs may be.
BigTex
In business since 1982, BigTex trailers have been a leader in heavy-duty and professional-grade trailers. Their trailer types include:
- Utility trailers
- Equipment trailers
- Landscape trailers
- Car hauler trailers
- Dump trailers
- Tilt trailers
- Deck-over tag-along trailers
- Flatbed gooseneck trailers
- Specialty trailers
Primarily offering single-vehicle car haulers, BigTex doesn’t hold back on style or selection. Each of their trailer styles offers various lengths and features. Their top of the line car hauler offers box tubing that offers added strength and durability. It is also a stylish option for classic cars due to the chrome wheels and steel floor.
When you need a single-vehicle car hauler, especially one with style, class, and durability, BigTex does not disappoint.
Featherlite
Over 40 years ago, Featherlite built its first product, a stock trailer. Since then, the company has grown and evolved to offer a wide selection of all-aluminum car trailers, stock trailers, utility trailers, horse trailers, recreational trailers, and specialty trailers. These trailers are available through dealers all across the United States and Canada. Featherlite offers a wide range of trailers or the ability to create one that fits your specific needs.
Featherlite offers the convenience of single-vehicle towing in style. The company has over 20 years of experience with NASCAR and understands what it means to protect your vehicle while you are transporting it. Trailers are available in an open or enclosed style, depending on what you are looking for. Featherlite allows you a long list of customization options for your car hauling needs.
Kaufman
Kaufman trailers have been in business for over 30 years. They take pride in their car trailers and call them their specialty. They offer many different kinds of car haulers, including single-car trailers, tilt car trailers, two-car trailers, gooseneck car trailers, wedge car trailers, double deck car hauler trailers, and even golf cart trailers. Kaufman offers a range of trailers that have the ability to accommodate anywhere from one vehicle to six.
Kaufman’s wedge trailer is the most popular wedge car trailer in the United States. Of the wedge trailers used, 80% of them are a Kaufman Brand wedge.
Each Kaufman trailer design comes with multiple options, including material, weight, and length. When you are in the market for a trailer, especially a wedge, Kaufman offers the most options for your needs.
Cottrell
Cottrell trailers are made and headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia. The impressive facility sits on 140 acres and is a total of 335,000 square feet in size. Cottrell has active patents on its innovative advancements in the trailer industry. Striving to be an asset to every major car hauler or independent, Cottrell makes sure to have all the products needed for an auto transport company’s operations.
Cottrell has made it their mission to support and serve the following organizations:
- Auto Haulers Association of America
- American Trucking Association
- Mid-America Trucking Show
- National Auto Auction Association
- National Association of Manufacturers
- Automobile Carriers Conference
Cottrell trailers offer options that can accommodate 10 to 11 cars, depending on the combination and combined weights. These are what Cottrell calls their NextGen Series of car haulers. With five options available in this category, Cottrell sets the standard for open trailer commercial car hauling.
Diamond C
A family-owned business in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Diamond C was born when a young couple decided to start their own trailer manufacturing company in the 1980s. Kim Crabb worked for a trailer manufacturer from 1981 to 1984 that shut down, leaving customers without products and families without a means of income. Along with her husband Mike, Diamond C was born.
Diamond C offers three different types of car hauling trailers. These trailers start with a basic wooden floor model and transition into steel floor models that have the capacity of one or two vehicles. These car hauling trailers come in a variety of sizes to help fit your needs. Pre-fabricated ones can be bought from dealers, or you can customize and build your own.
Other products built by Diamond C include utility trailers, equipment such as heavy-duty trailers, gooseneck trailers, pintle trailers, step deck trailers, and dump trailers. Some of their heavier duty trailers offer the ability to hold more than just a car. They can also hold heavy equipment such as excavators and backhoes. If you need more than just a vehicle hauler, using a Diamond C trailer could answer your transport needs.
Quality and Customer Satisfaction
Just like these trailer manufacturers, we strive to make our customers satisfied at A-1 Auto Transport. With over 30 years of experience in the auto transport industry, we know what it takes to get a car transported. We also know that when you need to transport a car, that might not be the only thing you need to move. For this reason, we offer services that can accommodate all the situations that may come up for transporting your car and household items, too.
Our expert transport specialists begin with an auto transport quote. When all the information has been gathered about your transport, we give you the details in writing. These details are yours to review. We do our best to accommodate requests, but we will be transparent with our charges. There is nothing that you won’t know you are paying for ahead of time. We expect the same from the manufacturers we work with, and won’t expect any less.
A-1 Auto Transport guarantees that we only use the best in the business, and now that you know our favorite brands, maybe you will be able to decide on your new favorite, too. Since a lot of these companies make more than just car haulers, we assure you that you should be able to find any type of trailer that you could need around your home and property.
A-1 Auto Transport only uses the best because you deserve the best. That is why when you need the best, you should call A-1 Auto Transport for a quote today.