Open, wedge and enclosed car haulers
Car hauling dispatch that plans the deck, not just the load
A car hauler earns on a full deck in both directions. We plan the cars, the pickup order and the backhaul around your trailer and your cargo coverage, and every load is offered to you before it is booked. The rate con comes to you.
Where car loads come from
Most car hauling freight starts in one of four places. Dealers move inventory between stores and send trades across the region. Auctions release thousands of vehicles that buyers need delivered. Rental and fleet companies reposition cars with the seasons. And private customers ship a single car when they move or buy one far from home.
Much of that freight is posted on vehicle shipping load boards and marketplaces, where dealers, auctions and brokers list cars by route and price. The rest moves through relationships: the dealer group that calls the same hauler every week, or the auction buyer who sends all their purchases with one carrier.
We work both sides. We search the boards for cars that fit your route and trailer, and we build relationships with the dealers and brokers who keep repeat freight moving. For the full picture of how car loads are posted and booked, read our guide to how car hauler loads are booked and the one on the car hauler load board.
How we plan a car hauler trip
Deck order first. The last car you load is the first one off. We plan pickups so the delivery order matches the deck, which saves you from unloading three cars to reach the one in the back.
Vehicle mix second. Pickups, vans and lifted trucks take more room and more height than sedans. We confirm the year, make and model of each vehicle before the offer, so the trip fits your trailer's deck heights.
Both directions. A full deck out and an empty deck home loses half the trip. We start working the backhaul while you are still loading, with cars from the delivery area pointed toward your home base.
Release times and receiving hours. Auctions release cars on their own schedule and dealers receive in set hours. We check both, so a car that isn't ready doesn't strand the rest of the load.
Securement on every car
Cars, light trucks and vans up to 10,000 lb need at least two tiedowns each, holding the vehicle at the front and the rear, either to mounting points built for it or over the wheels. 49 CFR 393.128Checked October 2026 Heavier vehicles fall under the heavy equipment rule. Worn straps and missing wheel nets are among the easiest violations for an inspector to spot on an open trailer.
Condition reports protect you
A damage claim usually comes down to what was written and photographed at pickup. Walk around every vehicle, photograph all sides, the roof, the wheels and the odometer, note every existing scratch on the condition report, and get it signed. Do it again at delivery. Haulers who skip this step pay for damage they didn't cause.
CDL or not
The license follows the weight ratings. A combination rated 26,001 lb or more with a trailer over 10,000 lb is Group A and needs a Class A CDL. 49 CFR 383.5Checked October 2026 Most stingers and high-mounts are well over that line. Some wedge setups stay under it, which is why a lot of new car haulers start there.
Open, wedge or enclosed: how the work differs
Open stingers and high-mounts carry the bulk of dealer and auction freight over long distances. The money is in volume: a full deck, a tight pickup order and a backhaul that keeps the trailer earning on the way home. These rigs usually run with a Class A CDL and higher insurance.
Wedges carry fewer cars but cost far less to start and often run shorter regional trips. They suit dealer trades, private moves and partial auction loads. Many owners use a wedge to build a record before they buy a full-size open trailer.
Enclosed trailers move classic, exotic and high-value cars for customers who will pay to keep them out of the weather. Fewer loads, higher value per car, and much stricter expectations on handling, communication and insurance limits.
The car hauling year
Car freight has its own calendar. Dealer inventory moves with new model releases and sales events, auctions run on weekly schedules, and rental fleets shift cars toward vacation regions before the busy season and back afterward. Snowbird traffic sends private vehicles south in the fall and north in the spring.
We plan around that calendar, so your truck is positioned where the cars are about to be released rather than where they were last month. In slower stretches we lean on private moves, dealer trades and backhauls that keep the deck moving.
Auto transport brokers check your authority, insurance certificate, trailer type and often your claims history before they release cars. A clean record of condition reports and on-time deliveries opens better freight quickly, so we protect it from the first load. One avoidable claim can cost more than a month of dispatch fees, and it follows your MC for years.
Your deck, your decision
We call you with each load before it is booked: the cars, where each one picks up and delivers, the order on the deck, the dates and the total pay. You decide whether it works for you, your trailer and your week.
Once you agree, the rate confirmation or dispatch sheet comes to you for signing. If what you read doesn't match the call, a different vehicle or a lower price, don't sign it. Call the desk and we sort it out. If you say no, we keep looking, and you owe nothing for that load.
Your direct customers stay yours. If you already haul for a dealer group, tell us which days are spoken for, and we fill the gaps and the backhauls around them.
The car hauler fee EXAMPLE
Car haulers pay the same tiers as every rig: 5% of gross for one truck on an MC older than 6 months, 7% while the MC is under 6 months, and 4% per truck for fleets of 2 or more while that limited-time rate lasts.
Say a trip moves seven cars and pays $3,150 in total. At the standard rate the dispatch fee is $157.50 and you keep $2,992.50. Those figures are an example to show the math. Check a real trip's margin, fuel and miles included, with the car hauler load profit calculator.
No setup charge, no load minimum, and a parked trailer costs nothing. Waiting on dealer or broker payments? See factoring for car haulers, and the full dispatch fee breakdown.
What car haulers ask before they sign up
"I already know the boards."
Then you know how much time they take. We search them while you drive, call the dealers and brokers, and plan the deck order, so your evenings aren't spent matching cars to routes.
"Dispatchers send me cars that don't fit."
Not when the trailer card is complete. Deck heights, car count and limits on pickups or lowered cars are on file, and every vehicle is checked against them before the offer.
"Damage claims scare me."
They should be managed, not feared. Condition reports at both ends, coverage that matches the cars, and brokers with fair claim records. We help with all three, and we never book a car worth more than your coverage.
Car hauling dispatcher questions
01What insurance do car haulers need?
At least the federal liability minimum for your operation, plus cargo coverage sized to the vehicles you carry. Brokers, dealers and auctions each set their own cargo requirements, and enclosed or high-value cars often need more. We never guess at your policy: we match loads to the limits written on your certificate, so a car worth more than your coverage isn't offered.
02Where do car haulers find loads?
Vehicle shipping load boards and marketplaces, auto transport brokers, dealer groups, auctions, rental and fleet companies, and private customers. Direct dealer and auction relationships tend to give the steadiest freight; boards fill the gaps. A good dispatcher works all of them and plans each trip so the deck stays full in both directions.
03Can a new MC haul cars?
Yes. Many new carriers start with a wedge or a small open trailer. Some brokers and dealers want an established MC, so we start with those who book new authorities and help you build a damage-free record. A new MC pays 7% for 6 months, then the standard rate.
04How much do car haulers make per load?
It depends on the number of cars, the miles, the vehicle types and the season, so a fixed number would mislead you. Loads are usually priced per car, and the trip total is what matters once empty miles and fuel are counted. Run your own load through the car hauler load profit calculator before you accept it.
05Do you book auction and dealer loads?
Yes. Auction runs, dealer trades and dealer deliveries make up much of the work we plan for car haulers, alongside rental fleet moves and private vehicles. We watch auction release times and dealer receiving hours, because a car you can't pick up or drop on time breaks the rest of the trip.
06Can I haul cars without a CDL?
Sometimes. A wedge pulled by a pickup can stay under the Group A line if the combination is rated below 26,001 lb or the trailer is rated 10,000 lb or less. Most stingers and high-mounts need a Class A CDL. Check your truck and trailer ratings, not the car count, to know for sure.
Full deck out. Full deck home.
Send the application with your trailer type and cargo limits. We'll call with car loads that fit, and you approve each one.