ENTRY 01 / CAR HAULING DISPATCH
Car hauling dispatch that fills every spot on your trailer
Car hauling pays by the car, not the mile, so an empty spot on the trailer is money left at the auction. Our car hauling dispatch plans each load car by car, confirms payment terms and pickup details for every vehicle before the rate con reaches you, and keeps the trailer full in both directions. You sign every load.
- Per-car planning
- 5% of gross
- You sign every load
Wedge and dually setups, open three to five car trailers, and tractor-pulled stingers. CDL or non-CDL, under your own MC.
Every rate con lists each car, its pickup and delivery, and how it is paid, so you know what you are agreeing to before your signature goes on it.
ENTRY 02 / QUICK ANSWERS
Car hauling questions owners ask first
Q01Is car hauling good for an owner-operator?
It can be. Car hauling pays per car, so filling every spot on the trailer is what makes the money. A three-car wedge costs far less to start than a nine-car stinger, and both can work. The hard parts are damage risk, cargo insurance and planning loads so the trailer stays full in both directions.
Q02Can I haul cars without a CDL?
Yes, with the right setup. A pickup with a wedge or small car trailer can run without a CDL if the combined weight rating stays at 26,000 lb or less. Larger rigs, like a tractor pulling a seven to nine car trailer, need a Class A CDL. You still need your own USDOT number and MC authority for interstate for-hire hauling.
Q03What insurance does a car hauler need?
At least the federal minimum auto liability for your operation, often $750,000 for general for-hire property carriers with vehicles of 10,001 lb or more, plus cargo coverage. Brokers and shippers usually want cargo limits that cover the most valuable cars on your trailer. Confirm limits with your insurance agent.
Q04Where do car hauling loads come from?
From dealerships, auctions, manufacturers, rental and fleet companies, and private owners moving cars, usually posted by brokers on load boards built for car haulers or through direct relationships. Auction and dealer freight tends to repeat, which helps you build regular lanes.
Q05How are car hauling loads paid?
Each car can have its own terms. Common ones are cash or certified check at delivery (COD), payment at pickup (COP), quick pay from the broker for a small fee, or standard broker terms such as net 30. The terms belong on the rate con for every car before you accept the load.
Q06How much does car hauling dispatch cost?
The same as every truck we dispatch: 5% of gross on loads you haul with one truck and an MC past 6 months, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two or more trucks. No setup fee and no contract.
SOURCE: 49 CFR 387.9, MINIMUM LEVELS OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, OCT 2026
ENTRY 03 / PER-CAR SETTLEMENT
One load, car by car
Every number is an EXAMPLE. Add or remove cars, change the rates and the payment terms, and watch the load total, the fee and what is left after fuel. Notice how much arrives at delivery and how much waits on broker terms; that split decides your cash flow for the week.
| CAR | PAYMENT TERMS | RATE | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | |||
| $ | |||
| $ |
| Load gross (3 cars) | $1,525.00 |
|---|---|
| ($) | |
| Dispatch fee 5% | ($76.25) |
| AFTER FUEL AND FEE | $1,028.75 |
Cash or check collected at delivery (COD): $450.00. The rest arrives on the broker's terms. Rates are EXAMPLE values.
Inoperable cars take more time and often need a winch. They usually pay more; the rate con should say the car is inoperable before you accept it.
Mixed payment terms are normal. COD cars put cash in your hand at delivery; net 30 cars need factoring or a cushion.
Fill the backhaul. A full trailer one way and an empty one back halves your average per car. We plan the return load before you deliver.
ENTRY 04 / PAYMENT TERMS AND DAMAGE
What a car hauling dispatcher confirms before you sign
Car hauling disputes almost always come back to two things: money terms nobody wrote down, and damage nobody photographed. Both are cheaper to prevent than to argue about. Before a load reaches you, we pin down the terms for every car on it.
- Payment terms per car. COD, COP, quick pay or net terms, and who collects.
- Pickup details. Address, contact, hours and whether keys and titles are there.
- Condition. Operable or not, running or rolling, and any known damage.
- Delivery details. Dealer, auction or residence, hours, and whether you can drop after hours.
- Cancellation pay. What you are paid if a car isn't ready when you arrive.
- Insurance needed. Any cargo limit the broker or shipper requires for these vehicles.
At pickup: walk every car, photograph all sides, the odometer and any existing damage, and note it on the bill of lading or inspection report before you load. Have the shipper sign it. Those photos are your proof if a damage claim comes later.
At delivery: repeat the inspection with the receiver, get a signature and photos again, and send the paperwork the same day. Clean paperwork is also what gets net-terms cars paid on time.
Car hauler rigs we dispatch
- Wedge or two to three car trailers behind a dually. Low startup cost, often non-CDL, great for regional dealer and auction runs.
- Open five to six car trailers. More cars per trip, usually a CDL setup, longer regional and interstate runs.
- Seven to nine car stingers and high-mounts behind a tractor. The most cars per load and the most planning per load.
- Enclosed trailers. Classic, exotic and high-value cars that pay more and need higher cargo limits.
Car hauling has seasons too
Snowbird season moves cars south in the fall and north in the spring. Auctions run on weekly schedules, so dealer freight follows them. Model-year changeovers, rental fleet turnover and tax refund season all shift volume. We plan lanes around those cycles so your trailer is pointed toward the next busy market, not away from it.
A car hauling dispatcher who knows the calendar books the trip north in April before every other carrier is fighting for the same cars.
How we fill the trailer. We start with an anchor: a dealer or auction load of two or three cars going your way. Then we add single cars picking up near the anchor and delivering along the route, checking that pickup windows line up and the load order works on your deck. Every car on the final load is on the rate con, with its own terms, before you sign.
Why car haulers hire a car hauling dispatcher
Building a full load takes calls
Matching three to nine cars going roughly the same way, from different shippers, is most of the work in car hauling.
Cars not ready on arrival
Keys missing, a car not released, an auction lot closed. A desk confirms before you drive there.
Payment chasing
Different terms per car means different follow-ups. We keep track of what is owed and on what terms.
Empty backhauls
The return trip decides whether the week pays. Planning it while you are loading the outbound makes the difference.
ENTRY 05 / THE FEE
Car hauler dispatch service fee, per load
A car hauler pays the same tier as every truck we dispatch: 5% of gross with one truck and an MC past six months, 7% while the MC is newer, 4% for two or more trucks. On the EXAMPLE three-car load above, $1,525 gross carries a fee of $76.25 at the standard rate. Nothing on a load you decline. See the dispatch pricing page.
Thinking about starting in car hauling?
Our guide to becoming a car hauler owner-operator covers rigs from wedge to stinger, startup costs, insurance and where the work comes from. What we need to dispatch you: MC and USDOT number, certificate of insurance with cargo limits, a W-9, your trailer type and capacity, your ELD provider and your notice of assignment if you factor.
Full trailer out, full trailer back, your signature on every load
Apply in about a minute. Tell us your rig, capacity and home base; every car hauling rate con lands in your inbox for you to sign or refuse.
RATE CONFIRMATION · TO: YOUR COMPANY
AUCTION → DEALER · 3 CARS · TERMS PER CAR
SIGNATURE: ____________________ (yours, never ours)