Starting a car hauling business: the setup, the rules and the loads

Car hauling has one of the lowest entry costs in trucking and one of the highest costs per mistake: every load is someone's car. I'm Steve, lead dispatcher at TruckSprint. Car hauler is one of the eleven equipment lines we dispatch, and this guide covers the decisions that matter most when you're starting out.

How car hauling works

You pick up vehicles at a dealership, auction, port, rental lot or private home, inspect each one, load and secure them, and deliver them with a signed bill of lading. You're paid per vehicle or per load, and on most open-trailer work you carry several vehicles headed to different stops on the same trip. Enclosed trailers carry fewer vehicles, usually high-value ones.

Choosing a setup

There are three common ways in:

• Pickup or dually with a 2 or 3-car wedge. Lowest cost, nimble in cities and residential streets, good for dealer and auction runs. Many are built to stay at or under 25,999 lb combined so no CDL is needed.
• Dually with a larger wedge or gooseneck. More cars per trip; often crosses the CDL line.
• Tractor with a 7 to 9-car stinger or high-mount. The most cars per trip, the highest cost, a Class A CDL and more regulation.

Your license follows the ratings on the stickers, not the weight you actually haul. Try the three setups:

The first preset shows why so many small car haulers build their rigs at 25,999 lb: the trailer is rated over 10,000 lb, but the combination stays under 26,001 lb, so no CDL is required by weight (49 CFR 383.91). One pound more on the ratings and it's Class A. Check any rig with our CDL checker.

Source: 49 CFR 383.91, eCFR · checked 2026-10

No CDL doesn't mean no rules. A combination rated at 10,001 lb or more used for-hire in interstate commerce is a commercial motor vehicle, with medical card, hours of service, inspection and insurance requirements.

Authority and insurance

• USDOT number and for-hire operating authority for interstate work. Our new authority checklist covers what comes after.
• Liability: at least $750,000 for for-hire interstate vehicles at 10,001 lb or more (49 CFR 387.9). Many brokers and dealers want $1,000,000.
• Cargo sized for a full load of the most valuable vehicles you'll carry. A trailer full of newer vehicles can be worth far more than a typical cargo limit; tell your agent what you'll haul.
• Drug and alcohol testing, and a Clearinghouse account, if a CDL is required.

More on what moves premiums in commercial truck insurance.

Securing vehicles

Vehicles have their own securement rule. For cars, light trucks and vans that weigh 10,000 lb or less (49 CFR 393.128):

• Each vehicle must be restrained at both front and rear with at least two tiedowns.
• Tiedowns that attach to the vehicle must use the mounting points designed for that purpose.
• Wheel straps must restrain the vehicle sideways, front to back and vertically.
• Edge protectors aren't required where webbing touches tires.

Vehicles over 10,000 lb fall under the heavy vehicle rules in 393.130. Check straps within the first 50 miles and then every 3 hours or 150 miles (392.9(b)).

Source: 49 CFR 393.128, eCFR · checked 2026-10

The inspection and the bill of lading

Most car hauling claims are about damage, and most damage disputes are decided by the paperwork at pickup:

1. Inspect every vehicle before loading, in good light: every panel, the glass, wheels and interior if you're allowed in.
2. Mark every mark on the vehicle condition report or bill of lading.
3. Photograph each side, the odometer and any existing damage, with time stamps.
4. Get a signature from the person releasing the vehicle.
5. Repeat at delivery, with the receiver's signature, before you leave.

If the paperwork says "no damage" and there's a scratch at delivery, it's yours.

Finding car hauler loads

• Vehicle transport load boards, which carry far more car hauling freight than general freight boards. See best load boards for how to choose a board.
• Dealerships needing trades and inventory moved between stores.
• Auctions, where buyers need vehicles delivered.
• Rental and fleet companies repositioning vehicles.
• Brokers who specialize in vehicle transport.

Steady dealer and auction relationships make planning easier: a full trailer out and something to carry back.

Money and mistakes

Pay is usually per vehicle, and it varies a lot by distance, lane, vehicle type and whether the trailer is open or enclosed. We don't publish a "rate per car" because there isn't a reliable public figure; price each load against your own costs. The setup check above shows what a full trip grosses at whatever per-car pay you enter.

Common mistakes:

1. A rig that crosses the CDL line by accident, because the stickers weren't checked.
2. Cargo coverage too low for the vehicles on the trailer.
3. Skipped inspections at pickup. No photos, no defense.
4. Half-empty trips. Plan the backhaul before you leave.
5. Hauling heavier vehicles like work trucks under the car rules instead of 393.130.

Car hauling pays for careful operators. The paperwork and straps take minutes; a damage claim can take the month's profit. If you're coming from hotshot work, our hotshot trucking guide covers the overlap.