CAR HAULER DISPATCH

Car hauling dispatch that fills the deck and keeps the claims off your record

Car hauling dispatch built for the way auto transport works: per-car pricing, tight pickup windows at dealers and auctions, and condition reports that decide who pays for a scratch. We fill your deck with loads that route well, check every car against your trailer, and bring each load to you for a yes or no. The rate con and the dispatch sheet come straight to you.

Dispatch my car haulers

Rate per car and per mile shown on every offer
Pickup windows matched across the deck
Inspection photos at both ends, every car

UNIT 02

Company B: from one wedge to three stingers

A hypothetical car hauler grows in four steps. Items with a source chip are rules; the rest is practice, not law.

EXAMPLE COMPANY, NOT A REAL CARRIER

STEP 01
One wedge, the owner drives
Dually + 3-car wedge trailer
Rules
- Combination over 26,000 lb GCWR towing over 10,000 lb needs a Class A CDL CDL Class AGCWR 26,001 lb or more, towing a unit over 10,000 lb GVWR49 CFR 383.91(a)(1): a combination with GCWR of 26,001 lb or more where the towed vehicle's GVWR is over 10,000 lb.49 CFR 383.91Checked Oct 2026
- Liability at or above the federal minimum Minimum liability, general freight$750,00049 CFR 387.9: for-hire interstate carriage of nonhazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more.49 CFR 387.9Checked Oct 2026
- Name and USDOT number on both doors of the truck Vehicle markingLegal or single trade name + "USDOT" number, both sides, sharp contrast, legible from 50 ft in daylight49 CFR 390.21 requires self-propelled CMVs to show the carrier's legal name or one trade name (as filed with FMCSA) and its USDOT number preceded by "USDOT", on both sides, in sharply contrasting letters readable from 50 feet in daylight while the vehicle is stationary.49 CFR 390.21Checked Oct 2026
Practice, not law
- Cargo coverage at the limit your first shippers ask for
- Photos of every car at pickup and delivery from day one
STEP 02
Trade up to a stinger
Tractor + 7 to 9 car stinger
Rules
- Annual inspection on the tractor and trailer every 12 months Annual inspectionEvery 12 months49 CFR 396.17(c): a CMV may not be used unless each component in Appendix A has passed an inspection at least once in the preceding 12 months.49 CFR 396.17Checked Oct 2026
Practice, not law
- Cargo limit raised to cover a full deck of higher-value cars
- Load plan per trip: which car on which deck position
- A cash reserve sized to your cargo deductible
STEP 03
Second stinger, first hired driver
Two stingers
Rules
- A driver qualification file before the driver hauls Driver qualification fileApplication, MVRs, road test, annual MVR review, medical certificate (and more) for every driver49 CFR 391.51(b) lists what each driver's qualification file must hold, including the employment application, MVRs from each licensing state, the road test certificate or equivalent, the annual MVR inquiry and review note, and the medical examiner's certificate.49 CFR 391.51Checked Oct 2026
- CDL drivers go into a random drug and alcohol pool FMCSA random testing rates, 202650% drug, 10% alcoholMinimum annual random testing rates for CDL drivers under 49 CFR 382.305, unchanged for calendar year 2026.U.S. DOT ODAPC, random testing rates, 2026Checked Oct 2026
Practice, not law
- A driver who has loaded stingers before, checked on a test load
- Written damage policy: what the driver pays, if anything
STEP 04
Three stingers
Three stingers, two hired drivers
Rules
- UCR fee moves to the 3 to 5 power unit bracket UCR 2026 fee, 3-5 power units$138Unified Carrier Registration fee per carrier for registration year 2026, by power units on the MCS-150.UCR Plan, fee brackets, 2026Checked Oct 2026
Practice, not law
- Claims log per driver and per customer
- One person who owns inspections, photos and claims

Notice what limits Company B at each step. Freight is almost never the problem. Insurance is: cargo limits climb as decks fill with newer, pricier cars, and premiums follow. Drivers are: a stinger driver who can load nine cars without a dent is rare and knows it. Cash is: one damaged car can cost more than a week's gross until a claim settles.

Dispatch helps with all three in small ways. We price loads per car so a cheap car doesn't ride free on a good load, we avoid routes and pickups that push drivers into rushed loading, and we keep paperwork clean so claims go your way. The growth decisions stay yours. Before step two, run your numbers through the truck insurance cost worksheet.

UNIT 03

Where car loads come from

Most car hauling freight moves through dedicated auto transport load boards, where dealers, auctions, rental fleets, relocation companies and brokers post vehicles by pickup and delivery city. Central Dispatch and the Super Dispatch load board are two of the names carriers use most. Each board sets its own carrier requirements and fees, and we don't represent either.

The rest comes from relationships: dealer groups that move inventory between stores, auctions with regular outbound volume, and brokers who book the same lanes every week. These pay more steadily but take time to earn. A carrier with a clean claims record and on-time pickups gets called first.

The skill is building a full deck that routes well. A stinger with six cars from three pickups and four drops can pay well or eat a day, depending on where they are. The desk plans the whole deck: pickup order, which cars ride where for weight and unloading, and the next load from the last drop.

EXAMPLE Seven cars from a Dallas auction to dealers in Atlanta, with two more picked up in Birmingham on the way, for $2,400 on about 800 miles. That is $3.00 a mile. Leave the Birmingham pair off and the trip pays $1,850, so the desk asks: are two extra stops worth $550 to you? You make the call.

UNIT 04

Condition reports and damage claims

In car hauling, the bill of lading inspection decides who pays for damage. A thin one costs you money.

Each car gets a condition report at pickup: every scratch, dent, chip and missing part marked on the vehicle diagram, with photos, signed by the shipper. At delivery the receiver checks the car against it. Anything new is presumed to have happened on your truck. A pickup report that says "used vehicle, normal wear" leaves you no defense.

Your driver does the inspection. The desk makes sure there is time to do it right: we don't stack pickups so tight that inspections get rushed, we flag after-hours or unattended pickups ahead of time, and we note on the offer when a pickup has no one to sign. If a receiver claims damage, the photos and the signed report go to the broker the same day.

Photos from all sides
Plus roof, interior, odometer and any existing damage up close.
Signed both ends
Shipper at pickup, receiver at delivery, with names and times.
Night and unattended rules
Agreed in writing before the load, not after a claim.
Claim file the same day
Report, photos and messages sent while memories are fresh.

Our view: the cheapest insurance a car hauler buys is a driver who takes ten careful minutes per car at pickup. Pay for that time and protect it in the schedule.

UNIT 05

Car hauling dispatcher questions

EXAMPLE On a $2,400 load, dispatch costs $96 for a fleet of two or more rigs and $120 for a single rig. Tiers and the new authority step-down are on our dispatch rates page.

How much does car hauling dispatch cost?

5% of the load's gross for one rig, 4% per rig once you run two or more, and 7% while your MC is under 6 months old, which steps down automatically. No setup fee or contract, and no fee on loads you turn down.

How do car hauling companies grow?

Usually one rig at a time, from a small wedge or hotshot to a 7 to 9 car stinger, then a second stinger with a hired driver. The limits are rarely freight. They are insurance cost, finding drivers who load cars without damage, and the cash to cover claims. Company B above shows the order most fleets meet them in.

What insurance does a car hauling fleet need?

Federal law sets the liability minimum for interstate for-hire carriers. Cargo coverage for the vehicles you carry is usually required by the dealers, auctions and brokers you work with rather than by federal rule, and the limit they ask for depends on how many cars and what kind. Ask a licensed agent who writes car haulers. We aren't an insurer and don't sell coverage.

Can a new MC haul cars?

Yes. Many car haulers start on a new authority, and the main car hauling boards accept new carriers that meet their insurance and document requirements. Some dealers and brokers want more time in business, so the first months lean on the ones that don't. Your fee is the new authority rate until month six.

Do you dispatch hotshot car haulers?

Yes. Dually and wedge setups that carry two to four cars are dispatched the same way as stingers, with loads checked against your trailer length, deck layout and weight. Check your combination's weight rating, since many hotshot car haulers need a CDL.

Your name on the door, full decks behind it

Tell us your trailer, how many cars it carries and where you run. A dispatcher calls back with loads planned car by car.

4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new