Car hauling dispatch that fills the deck and pays for every spot
STINGER · 7 SPOTS · EVERY ONE PRICED
Car hauling dispatcher math
Per-car rates: what moves the price
Car hauling is priced per vehicle, so a full deck on one route beats a half deck stretched over two states. These are the things we weigh before a load ever reaches you. We don't publish a single price per car, because the honest answer depends on all of them.
Distance and route
Longer runs pay more per car, but the real money is pickups and drops that line up along one path instead of zig-zagging.Vehicle type
Pickups and large SUVs take more room and weight than sedans. Some spots can't take tall vehicles at all.Open or enclosed
Enclosed hauls protect high-value vehicles and pay a premium for it, along with higher cargo coverage.Running or not
Non-running vehicles need a winch and more time at pickup. They should pay more, and the shipper should say so up front.Pickup windows
Auction gate hours and dealer hours limit when you can load. Tight windows on several pickups are worth more.Season
Vehicle moves rise and fall with sales seasons, auction calendars and snowbird traffic between north and south.
Car load builder
Build a load on your own deck
Pick your trailer, then tap each spot to load a sedan, SUV or pickup. The builder adds up the estimated weight against the limit you set, flags tall vehicles on the upper deck, and totals the load at the per-car price you enter. It's the same check we run before we put a combination in front of you.
UPPER DECK
LOWER DECK
Tap a spot to cycle: empty, sedan, SUV, pickup.
- Cars loaded
- 7/7
- Est. weight
- 23,100 lb
- under your 30,000 lb limit
- Load pay
- $2,450
- Height check
- OK
- no tall vehicles up top
Vehicle weights are rough averages for illustration. Use real weights and your rig's ratings before loading.
On a real load, use actual vehicle weights from the paperwork and your rig's ratings. An EXAMPLE load like the default above is a starting point, not a loading plan.
What we handle
Dealers, auctions, fleets and private moves
Most car hauler freight comes from four places. Each works differently at pickup, and we tell you what to expect before you accept.
| Load type | What to expect at pickup | Paperwork | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dealer trades | Lot contact, keys, sometimes after hours | BOL and condition report | Vehicles not ready when you arrive |
| Auction runs | Gate hours, release numbers, a line at the gate | Gate pass and release | Missing releases that waste a trip |
| Fleet and rental moves | Several units at one lot, repeat lanes | Unit list and BOL | Tight delivery windows at busy lots |
| Private moves | Homes and storage lots, one vehicle at a time | Inspection with the owner | Narrow streets and limited parking |
We handle the calls around all of it: confirming the vehicle is ready, getting release numbers, setting pickup times, and keeping the shipper and broker updated while you drive.
Route planning
Planning a car hauler route: last off, first on
A car load isn't just a list of vehicles. The order you pick them up decides where each one sits on the deck, and where each one sits decides how fast you can unload. Get it wrong and you're unloading three cars to reach the one on top.
- 01
Map the drops first
Start from the delivery order, not the pickup order. The first drop needs the easiest spot to unload.
- 02
Assign spots
Heavy and tall vehicles where the rig handles them, with the last delivery loaded deepest.
- 03
Sequence pickups
Pick up in the order that builds that deck, even if it means a short backtrack between lots.
- 04
Plan the reload
Look for vehicles leaving the last delivery area before you get there, so the deck doesn't ride home empty.
This is where a dispatcher earns the fee on a car hauler. Building a full deck from several shippers, in an order that unloads cleanly, takes a lot of calls while you're driving the last load. We do the calls; you approve the plan before anything is booked.
Inspections and damage
Photos at pickup are your best defense
Damage claims are the biggest risk in car hauling, and most are won or lost at pickup. The inspection is yours to do; we make sure it never gets skipped in a hurry.
Note every mark on the BOL
Scratches, dents, chips and missing parts go on the condition report before you load, with a signature from the shipper.Photograph every panel
All sides, the roof, the interior and the odometer, in good light, with timestamps. Do the same at delivery.Secure to the trailer's rules
Straps, chains and wheel nets as your equipment requires. Re-check after the first stretch of road.Report problems right away
If a vehicle arrives different from its paperwork, call before you load it. We contact the broker so it's on record.
Hotshot car haulers vs stingers
Wedge, stinger or enclosed: which loads each gets
The rig decides the work. A three-car wedge behind a pickup runs regional and dealer-to-dealer moves. A seven to nine car stinger runs longer lanes and auction loads. Enclosed trailers carry high-value and collector vehicles.
Hotshot wedge
Fewer cars, lower costs, quicker regional runs. Billed at 7% like other hotshots. Often a Class A CDL once the combination is heavy.
Stinger or high-mount
More cars per run and longer lanes. Billed at 5% once the authority is older than 6 months. Overall length limits apply on the National Network.
- Class A CDL: a combination with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 lb or more, when the towed unit's GVWR is over 10,000 lb.
- Auto and boat transporters: 65 ft overall (75 ft with a stinger-steered connection) on the National Network.
Source: FMCSA, 49 CFR 383.91; FHWA, October 2026
Seasons and lanes
When and where car hauling freight moves
Vehicle freight has its own calendar. Knowing it helps you be in the right region when volume picks up, instead of chasing it after the rates have moved.
Snowbird season
Retirees and seasonal residents ship vehicles south in the fall and back north in the spring, which tilts private moves along north-south lanes.Auction calendars
Large auctions run on weekly schedules. Being near a big sale day with an empty deck is a good place to be.Model-year changeovers
New inventory arriving at dealers and older units moving out can raise dealer and fleet volume around changeover periods.
Patterns shift from year to year and region to region, so treat these as starting points. Your weekly report shows what your own lanes actually paid, and that's the data we plan the next month around.
Avoid these
Six mistakes that cost car haulers money
Skipping the photos when you're late
The one load you rush is the one with a damage claim. Every panel, every time.Loading in pickup order
Unloading three cars to reach one wastes hours at every stop. Load for the drops.Driving to an auction without a release
A missing release number turns into a wasted trip and a lost spot on the deck.Taking a single car to fill time
One car at a low price can block a full load that shows up an hour later. Know your floor per spot.Underinsured high-value loads
A load worth more than your cargo limit puts your company at risk. Match coverage to the deck before you accept.Ignoring lot hours
Arriving at a dealer after closing or an auction after the gate shuts turns a full day into half a load. Confirm hours the day before.
Getting set up
What brokers and dealers check before your first car load
Tap through the checklist. Car hauling setup leans on insurance more than most equipment, because one load can carry a lot of value.
Car hauler setup
1/5 CHECKED
MC and USDOT active in your company name, matching your insurance certificate exactly.
Many shippers want cargo limits that cover a full load's value. Ask your agent about per-vehicle limits and exclusions.
Number of spots, open or enclosed, and whether you can take non-running vehicles with a winch.
How you document vehicles at pickup and delivery. Some programs require a specific app or form.
Who the broker or dealer calls with gate changes and release numbers. With us, the desk takes those calls.
Your call, every load
How a car load reaches you, and what it costs
We build the load, then send you the vehicles, pickups, drops, windows and pay. You say yes or no. On a yes, the broker emails the rate confirmation to you, and you check every vehicle and price on it before you sign. The fee is 5% of gross for semi car haulers with authority older than 6 months, 7% for hotshot wedges and new authorities, and 4% for fleets of two or more. EXAMPLE: a $3,500 load on a stinger costs $175.
Compare the numbers on the pricing page, check a load with the load profitability calculator, or read about hotshot dispatch and dispatch for a new MC.
Car hauler dispatch service: straight answers
Q01How much does car hauling dispatch cost?
Q02Do you help with inspection photos?
Q03What insurance does a car hauler need?
Q04Can I haul cars without a CDL?
Q05Do you find auction and dealer loads?
Q06Do I have to accept every load?
Every spot on the deck, paid.
Apply in about 2 minutes. Every load is your call.
Your fee
OF GROSS · NO HAUL, NO PAY