Stinger-steer

Stinger-steer: A stinger-steer car hauler is a tractor-trailer whose fifth wheel sits low and behind the tractor's drive axles, on an extension called the stinger. That lets the trailer reach over the tractor, so cars ride above the cab and the rig carries more vehicles than a traditional setup. Source

The length rule

Federal rules set the minimum overall length states must allow for car haulers: 65 ft for traditional auto transporters with the fifth wheel over the rear axles, and 75 ft for stinger-steered ones, not counting cargo overhang at the front and rear. Source That extra length is why stinger rigs can carry more cars than high-mount rigs.

How it drives

With the pivot point behind the drive axles, a stinger-steer turns differently from a regular tractor-trailer. It can be easier in tight dealer lots but swings wider at the rear in some turns, and backing takes practice. Loading uses hydraulic decks and ramps, with cars driven up and secured at the front and rear.

In practice EXAMPLE

A car hauler with a stinger-steer rig loads nine cars at an auction: two over the cab, the rest on the upper and lower trailer decks. Each car is strapped at the front and rear, at least two tiedowns per vehicle. Source The full trailer spreads the truck's costs over more cars than a smaller rig could carry. Work out what a full load leaves with the car hauler load profit calculator. More in car hauler semi trucks and car hauler trailer types.

Stinger-steer vs high-mount

A high-mount, or traditional, car hauler has its fifth wheel over the tractor's rear axles, like a regular tractor-trailer, and usually carries fewer cars. A stinger-steer gives up some maneuverability habits drivers know from regular rigs in exchange for more capacity and a lower deck over the cab. Many large car hauling fleets run stinger-steers; many owner-operators start with high-mounts or wedges because they cost less and are simpler to drive and maintain.

New stinger-steer drivers usually train with an experienced hauler, because loading the upper and over-cab decks safely, in the right order, takes practice that no manual replaces, and a mistake on the top deck is expensive.