Protection that does not look like it.

When an armored vehicle is the right call.

Most clients never need one. Some do: an executive whose company is in the news, a public figure attending a contentious event, a family after a credible threat, a visiting official with a protection requirement set by their government, or a principal travelling to a city where the security advice has changed. The decision usually follows a threat assessment by the client’s own security team, and we work to that assessment rather than second-guessing it.

An armored vehicle is one layer of a protection plan, not the plan. The driver, the route, the timing and the people around the principal matter at least as much as the steel and glass.

The vehicles.

Armored work is mostly done in full-size SUVs, such as the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban or GMC Yukon, because they carry the weight of the armor without looking unusual, and they have the space for a protection officer up front. Armored sedans are available in some cities for principals who prefer them. Vehicles are discreet: no markings, no visible equipment, and nothing that signals what they are. Ballistic protection levels vary by vehicle; we tell you the certified level of the vehicle offered, and the National Institute of Justice explains how ballistic standards are defined.

Because armored vehicles are a limited resource in any city, availability, positioning and price are confirmed in a written quote. Lead time helps, especially around major events.

The chauffeur is the protection.

An armored vehicle handles differently from the same model without armor: it is heavier, brakes later and corners harder. Chauffeurs assigned to armored work are trained for that, and for protective driving more generally: route selection and alternates, spacing in traffic, recognizing when a vehicle is following, and the drills for a blocked road or a compromised venue entrance. They work to the detail leader, keep the vehicle locked and staged ready to move, and never leave it unattended with the engine off when a principal is due.

Where your detail has its own procedures we adopt them. Where a client does not yet have a security provider, we can introduce one through our network, and the Overseas Security Advisory Council and the Department of Homeland Security both publish public guidance that is a sensible starting point.

Support vehicles and published rates.

Many protection plans pair an armored principal vehicle with unarmored support cars for staff, luggage or a follow position. Those support vehicles are billed at our published rates: $185 an hour for an SUV Business, $235 for an SUV First, $155 for a Business Sedan and $285 for a First-Class Sedan, in US dollars with taxes and a 20% gratuity included, 93 miles a day included and extra miles at $3, $4 or $8. Tolls, parking and Wi-Fi are at actual cost.

If you own an armored vehicle and need the driver only, our chauffeur for your car service applies at $95 an hour within the city, with a four-hour minimum, provided the chauffeur assigned is trained on that vehicle type.

Every figure includes taxes and a 20% gratuity. 93 miles a day are included with company vehicles. Out of town adds 50% to the hourly rate, plus the chauffeur’s hotel and a flat $100 travel allowance, with your car or ours. Tolls, parking and onboard Wi-Fi are passed on at actual cost. Overtime is simply billed at the same hourly rate.

Short visits and standing arrangements.

Armored transport can be arranged for a single day, an event, a multi-city trip or on a standing basis. A visiting principal might need an armored SUV from arrival at Teterboro, Van Nuys or Pearson to departure three days later. A resident executive might need one every weekday for a period after a threat. Standing arrangements are set up like our monthly chauffeur service, with the same team assigned and the terms written into the agreement.

Government and diplomatic clients with protection requirements should also see our diplomatic and consular transportation page.

Advance work and routes.

For planned movements, the route is chosen before the day. Primary and alternate routes are driven in advance where time allows, with attention to choke points, construction, one-way systems and the approach to each venue. Pickup and drop-off points are agreed with venue security so the principal spends as little time as possible on the pavement. Timings are varied on repeat journeys so a pattern does not form. The chauffeur and the detail leader carry the same plan, and the coordinator has it too.

For unplanned movements, which every protection plan has, the chauffeur’s judgement and local knowledge do the work. That is why we assign drivers who know the city well and who have worked with protection teams before.

Cities and events.

Requests concentrate around major events: the UN General Assembly in New York, large shareholder meetings, award shows in Los Angeles, international summits in Washington, D.C. and Toronto, and high-profile trials and hearings. They also follow the news: a takeover announcement, a controversial product launch or a public dispute can change an executive’s risk profile overnight. We can usually position an armored SUV in the major US cities and in Toronto at short notice, and further afield through vetted partners on our countries page; lead time improves the choice of vehicle.

If a requirement is open-ended, say so. A standing arrangement can be scaled down as the risk recedes, and the principal can move to an ordinary First-Class Sedan or SUV on our published rates without changing chauffeur.

Discretion around protective work.

Clients who need an armored vehicle usually also need the request itself kept quiet. Enquiries are handled by a small team; the principal’s name is not used in scheduling systems if you would rather it were not; and chauffeurs are told only what they need to know, when they need to know it. Vehicles are staged away from the principal’s home or office until required. We do not confirm to third parties, including hotels and venues, that a client is using our service unless you ask us to. The discretion rules below apply to every armored assignment, and we will add any further requirements your security team sets.

Requesting an armored quote.

Send us the city, the dates, the number of principals and protection staff, the level of protection your assessment calls for, and whether you need support vehicles. Requests are handled by a small team on a need-to-know basis, and we will sign your NDA before details are shared further. Call (877) 403-1177 or use the request button below; we do not discuss assignments by unencrypted email if you would rather we did not.