Car hauling looks like regular trucking from the outside. It is not. The load board is different, the insurance is heavier, the rates are quoted per vehicle instead of per mile, and the brokers are a separate crowd entirely. If you are coming from dry van, almost none of your existing setup carries over. Here is the honest version.
Open or enclosed: pick one before you shop
| Open | Enclosed | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 7 to 10 vehicles | 2 to 6 vehicles |
| Typical freight | Dealer moves, auctions, relocations | Classics, exotics, high-value |
| Volume | High, roughly 90% of the market | Low |
| Pay per vehicle | Lower | Much higher |
| Cargo insurance needed | $250,000 typical | $500,000 and up |
| Trailer cost, used | $25,000 to $60,000 | $40,000 to $90,000 |
Most new car haulers start open. The volume is there, the trailers are cheaper, and you learn to load before anyone hands you a Ferrari. Enclosed is a good second act, not a first one.
Authority: same as any other carrier
Car hauling is for-hire interstate freight, so the FMCSA treats you like everyone else. You need a USDOT number (free) and MC authority ($300, roughly four to six weeks including the protest period). Nothing about vehicles as cargo changes this. See our guides on what a USDOT number is and how long MC authority takes.
Insurance is where car hauling gets expensive
This is the part that surprises people. Auto liability follows the standard FMCSA minimums, so nothing new there. Cargo is a different story.
A dry van carrier gets by with $100,000 in cargo coverage. Now load nine cars averaging $30,000 each onto a stinger. That is $270,000 rolling down the interstate. A $100,000 policy does not come close, and no auto transport broker will approve you with one.
Where the loads actually are
Central Dispatch is the answer, and it is not close. It is the DAT of auto transport: brokers post vehicle moves, carriers take them. If you are searching DAT for car loads you are searching the wrong board, which is a mistake plenty of new car haulers make in their first month.
Beyond the board, four sources matter:
- Auto transport brokers. The steadiest work. Brokers who move vehicles daily need reliable carriers on their lanes and will call you directly once you have proven you show up. Royal Port Logistics (USDOT 3032619, MC 40242) is one example of a licensed vehicle transport broker that dispatches nationwide and handles both retail relocations and export runs to port. Brokers like this are the relationship you want, not the load board.
- Auction lots. Copart and IAAI winners pay storage by the day, so speed sells. Expect inoperable units and bring a winch.
- Dealerships. Local dealer trades and lot transfers. Low glamour, steady money.
- Export runs. Vehicles headed to ports for overseas shipping. Predictable lanes into a handful of port cities.
Rates work differently here
Nobody quotes you per mile. Everything is per vehicle, and your job is arithmetic: nine cars at $650 each on a 1,200 mile run is $5,850, which pencils out to $4.87 per mile if you fill the deck. Fill seven instead of nine and the same trip is a different business. Load factor is the whole game.
Standard uplifts you should be charging for:
- Inoperable vehicle: $100 to $200 extra
- Oversized (dually, lifted truck, van): $100 to $150 extra
- Top load requested: varies, but it is worth money
Income, realistically
An open carrier running a full 9 or 10 car stinger typically grosses $250,000 to $400,000 a year. Net after fuel, insurance, maintenance, and the truck payment usually lands between $80,000 and $150,000. That is a wide band because it depends almost entirely on how often you run full. Compare against general freight in our owner-operator income guide.
Your carrier packet still comes first
Auto transport brokers want exactly what every other broker wants: MC number, USDOT number, COI, equipment details, payment info, signed broker-carrier agreement. The one difference is that they read your cargo limit first and hardest, because a claim on their freight is a $40,000 conversation, not a $4,000 one. Also see the full document checklist before your first load.