Truck driveaway companies: how driveaway work runs and how to choose a company

How driveaway work runs

1. The load: a vehicle, or a stack of trucks mounted on each other, is ready at a factory, dealer or upfitter.
2. The drive: the driver inspects it, attaches temporary plates or permits the company provides, and drives it to the customer.
3. The delivery: the receiver checks the vehicle and signs; any damage noted becomes a claim.
4. The return: the driver travels to the next pickup or home, often by bus or plane, then repeats.

Stacked loads, where several trucks ride on the lead truck using saddlemounts or deck loads, let one driver move two to four units at once and are where much of the money is. Pay is usually per load or per mile, often a share of the load's revenue, and the driver covers costs the company doesn't.

Two driveaway companies, from their own pages

We list only what each company publishes on its own site, checked October 2026; no rankings.

• Bennett DriveAway moves buses, commercial vehicles and Class A motor homes, with roles for drivers with a CDL and no equipment, and pickup and power-only options. Bennett applicants must be 23 or older with at least six months of professional driving experience. Source
• TruckMovers, in Independence, Missouri, has been in truck driveaway since 1983 and moves Class 6 to 8 tractors, cab and chassis, box, dump and straight trucks, school buses and trailers, using independent contractors, with deck loads, 3-ways, 4-ways, singles, boom loads and Z-wings. Source

Other carriers in the trade publish less or post terms only in job ads, which change often. Use the questions below for any company, and check its active operating authority and safety record on FMCSA's public carrier lookup before you sign.

Licensing and logs

The vehicle decides the license. Heavy trucks rated 26,001 lb or more need a Class B CDL Source, stacked combinations and tractors pulling trailers often need Class A Source, and buses need the passenger endorsement. Logs are simpler than in most trucking: carriers may use paper records instead of an ELD in driveaway-towaway operations where the vehicle driven is part of the shipment, or is a motor home or RV trailer. Source Hours-of-service limits still apply.

Questions to ask any driveaway company

1. How is pay calculated, per mile, per load or a percentage, and when is it paid?
2. Who books and pays for travel to the pickup and back home?
3. What is deducted from settlements: escrow, insurance, fuel, plates, permits?
4. What insurance must I carry, and what is the deductible if a vehicle is damaged?
5. Is dispatch forced, or can I choose loads and days?
6. What do I need to own: tools, tow equipment, a pickup for some divisions?
7. How are delays, such as a vehicle not ready at pickup, paid?

The costs drivers carry

As independent contractors, driveaway drivers often carry their own travel between loads, meals and lodging, phone and sometimes tools and safety gear. Companies may deduct escrow, occupational or accidental insurance and a deductible for damage. Those costs decide whether the work pays. A driver who has to fly home after every single-unit delivery earns very differently from one who chains deliveries together or runs stacked loads. Work out a typical week's costs against its pay before committing.

Worked example EXAMPLE

A driver delivers a three-truck stacked load 1,100 miles from an upfitter to a fleet customer, paid as a share of the load's revenue. After delivery, the next pickup is 400 miles away; the driver takes a bus, which costs a day and a fare. The load pays well; the return trip takes a real bite out of it. Chaining the next pickup close to the last delivery is what makes the week work.

Safety and the vehicles

New vehicles can have unfamiliar controls, temporary plates and no history. Inspect each one before driving: brakes, steering, lights, tires, mirrors and couplings, the same parts every pre-trip covers. Source On stacked loads, check the saddlemounts and connections at every stop. Note any existing damage at pickup, with photos, because a scratch found at delivery becomes the driver's problem if it wasn't recorded.

Driveaway vs hauling vehicles on a trailer

Car haulers move vehicles on trailers, carrying several cars at once on a rig the carrier owns, with high equipment and insurance costs; federal minimum liability insurance is only the start. Source Driveaway moves the vehicle itself, so the driver needs no truck of their own for many loads, but earns less per unit moved and travels back without pay. Drivers who want their own equipment often move from driveaway into car hauling. See car hauling companies, tanker trucking companies and oilfield trucking companies.

Seasons and demand

Driveaway volume follows truck and bus production and fleet buying. When manufacturers and upfitters are shipping heavily, and fleets are replacing trucks, there are more loads to choose from. Motor home deliveries follow their own season around RV shows and spring buying. Slow production months mean fewer loads and longer waits between them, which is when contractor costs bite hardest.

Getting started in driveaway

1. Decide which vehicles you want to deliver, and get the license they need.
2. Keep your medical card current and your driving record clean; driveaway companies screen both.
3. Shortlist companies, read their contractor agreements, and ask the questions above in writing.
4. Set aside cash for the first weeks of travel and expenses, since settlements may lag deliveries.
5. Track every trip's pay, travel cost and days away for the first month, then decide whether to stay.

Is driveaway right for you?

Driveaway suits drivers who want flexible schedules, like travel and don't want to own a truck, and who can manage their own expenses carefully. It suits less well drivers who want steady home time or predictable weekly pay. Check whether you need a CDL for the loads you want with the CDL checker. If you already own a car hauler or another rig, our car hauler dispatch finds loads for your own equipment, and you approve each one.