Sports and high-end cars on an open car carrier: what really matters

Open or enclosed: what we do, and what we do not

We transport on open car carriers. An enclosed or climate-controlled trailer is not one of our services: it belongs to specialised partners, and we will not sell it to you as ours. If your vehicle must travel sheltered — a collector car with delicate paint, a car where every splash counts — better to know before asking for a quote, on both sides.

For the great majority of sports and high-end cars moving between Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux, the open car carrier is the everyday solution among professionals: the vehicle is exposed to rain and road dust, as on an ordinary drive, and nothing more. The difference is made elsewhere.

The lower deck first

On a car carrier, position is not neutral. For a vehicle of value we use the lower deck, which the upper platform partly covers: it is better sheltered from the weather than the upper deck. Tell us when you ask that the vehicle is valuable — it steers where it sits in the load.

One exception: a very wide vehicle must go on the upper deck. On the lower deck, cars pass between the axles of the trailer; a vehicle that is too wide does not fit through there without risking its wheel rims scraping.

So do not underestimate size. A wide, tall or very long vehicle may need a different position or take more room on the truck than another: state its dimensions, width included, when you ask. That is why we always ask for the exact model, never just “a car”.

Ground clearance, front lip, diffuser: what to tell us

The real risk for a sports car is not rain: it is a ramp angle too steep for a front splitter or a low diffuser. Tell us anything that departs from the standard model: lowered or height-adjustable suspension, front lip, side skirts, body kit, very wide wheels.

A high-powered electric vehicle also weighs more than a comparable petrol car, which can reduce the number of units in the load. This information does not lengthen your request: it lets us answer correctly in the first reply rather than discover the problem on the ramp.

Strapping, condition report and the consignment note

A vehicle of value is not secured like any other: we use strapping adapted to the model. At loading and at delivery, a joint condition report — photos, existing defects noted — protects both sides; a dirty car hides scratches, so wash it before collection.

On the CMR consignment note, write precise reservations on the day of delivery, before you sign. What to check is covered in our article on the CMR consignment note.

Value: CMR, ad valorem and what to declare

A carrier’s liability under the CMR is capped by weight (8.33 SDR per kilo of gross weight), not by the value of the vehicle. For an ordinary car the cap is more than enough; for a car worth several hundred thousand euros it no longer bears any relation to what you are handing over.

That is the job of ad valorem cover, which we offer as an option up to €250,000 per vehicle: it covers the vehicle at its declared value. Above that, say so when you ask. Also check with your own insurer whether your policy covers the vehicle during transport: the two are different protections.

Overnight stops and the contractual carrier

A trip of several days means nights: always ask where the truck is parked. We provide guarded parking at stopovers.

Our planning counts 47 trucks with our certified partners. HTL remains, in every case, the contractual carrier: liable under the CMR for every consignment, including those a partner drives, with one contact from quote to delivery. Five of these trucks are car carriers of our own, which we have run since 2014. For a quote suited to your vehicle, give us the model, the route and the dates in our request form; our high-end vehicle transport page sums up the offer.