Car hauling 101

Car hauling is the process of towing or shipping your car using some kind of trailer. Some people choose to do this themselves and others hire car hauling companies. Car hauling has several synonymous phrases, including “auto transport,” “vehicle transportation,” and “car shipping.”

The two primary types of car hauler trucks or trailers are open and enclosed.

Open car haulers

Open car hauling trucks/trailers transport cars on a trailer that has two decks without walls or a roof. Open car hauler trucks offer customers the most readily available and cheapest option when shipping with a car hauler company.

Enclosed car haulers

Enclosed car haulers transport vehicles in a truck/trailer that has walls and a roof. This offers maximum protection from outside elements such as inclement weather and road debris. Hiring a company to haul your car on an enclosed trailer or renting/buying an enclosed car trailer to haul the car yourself will always cost more than if you chose to haul the car or have it hauled on an open trailer.

How to find cheap car hauling

Finding cheap car hauling will primarily be dependent on how flexible you can be about your vehicle hauling details. If you are transporting your car with a car hauling company, you can plan to have your car hauled during a less busy time of the year, such as October or February. During these months, car hauling prices tend to be at their lowest because car hauler companies’ demand is at a low for the year.

You can also schedule your car shipment at least four weeks before the pickup date you prefer. If possible, schedule up to eight weeks in advance to get the cheapest car hauling price. Additionally, do not ask to ship anything in your car as it is hauled, and always choose open car shipping. Shipping things in your car as it is hauled is possible, but it typically involves a “step-up” fee. Open-air car shipping is the most common type of car hauling; thus, it is the least expensive way to haul a vehicle.

Car hauler companies versus car hauler rental

When it comes to car hauler companies versus car hauler rental, you will have distinct advantages when it comes to each.

Car hauler companies

Car hauler companies can ship vehicles for individuals and businesses at a much more affordable price than a towing company because they can haul 8 to 12 vehicles at a time rather than just one. Car hauling companies also offer the convenience of shipping 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Most reputable car hauling services can service shipments anywhere within the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, so there is no need to seek out a local car hauler by googling “car haulers near me.”

The different types of situations where car hauling companies are needed

Car hauling companies are used for various situations both by individuals and businesses. Here are the primary ways car hauling companies are used:

• Dealerships – Car dealerships need just about all their vehicles delivered via a car hauling company with a few exceptions, such as trade-ins. Most frequently out on the highway you will see a car hauler truck shipping a trailer full of the same vehicles with an exterior wrap on each, and no license plates. These shipments are headed to a dealer.




• Fleet management – Fleet management is when a company with dozens or hundreds of vehicles frequently need them moved to another location in bulk or if they need additional vehicles delivered in bulk. An example is Amazon. The Amazon vans you see out on the street every day get delivered to Amazon in bulk by car hauler trucks, which is much cheaper for Amazon than having every van shipped individually.




• Auctions – Either private individuals or car dealerships will buy cars from online and in-person auctions. When this happens, there is frequently a need for these vehicles to be shipped to the address of the person or entity who bought them. Sometimes, this includes salvage vehicle auctions in which most cars purchased do not have a running engine.




• Rental cars – Ever wonder what happens when one car dealership has nearly all of their vehicles rented and driven to and returned at far away locations? They get additional vehicles shipped to their location to have stock on hand.




• Private vehicles – If you are reading this, you are likely a private individual considering shipping one or two personal vehicles. This is an extremely frequent occurrence for a multitude of reasons including someone moving long distance and not wanting to drive the car all the way to their new home, a child needing a car at college, taking an extended vacation to a winter home and more.

Car hauler rental

Renting a car hauling trailer can likely help you save a bit of money compared to hiring a car hauling company. However, it will be a lot more work and stress. When you choose to haul your own car, you must do all of the driving yourself. In addition to that, you will also be responsible for loading and unloading the car as well as for securing it to the trailer. If you do not know exactly what you are doing, this can easily result in damage to the vehicle that is being hauled and possibly even the vehicle that you are using to haul it. Finally, this will take at least an extra day, if not several days. This means you might have to miss a few days of work to haul a car yourself.

Conclusion

For several reasons, someone might choose to haul a car or have a car hauled for them. This includes a long-distance move, a relative needing a vehicle at college, a move for the military, seasonal relocation, and much more. The big question is, will you haul the car yourself or hire a car hauling company to do the job? Each has its unique upsides. If you haul a car yourself via the rental of a vehicle trailer, you might save some money. You can directly control the speed of the car hauling, and you will be in possession of the car being hauled for the entire trip. If you hire a car shipping company to haul a vehicle, your effort and involvement will be extremely minimal, and you will save a ton of time.

FAQ

Is car hauling hard?

Car hauling can be very hard. The reason car hauling can be so difficult is that you need to be able to ensure that your vehicle is completely, properly, and safely secured to the car hauling trailer. This can be very stressful for a first-timer. It is much easier to have your car shipped for you with a car hauling company such as RoadRunner Auto Transport.

What size enclosed trailer for the car?

If you are looking at renting or buying an enclosed car trailer to haul a vehicle yourself, you must find out the width, length, and height of the vehicle you will be hauling. Usually, an 8.5-foot-wide trailer will fit most vehicles, but the lengths and heights of these enclosed car hauling trailers will vary.

How wide is a car trailer?

Car trailers’ widths can vary. Generally, they are between 7 and 10 feet wide, with 8.5 feet as the most common width. When hauling a car, size specifications can be tricky for an inexperienced individual. Thus, we recommend having your vehicle transported by a car hauling company.

How much does it cost to ship a car?

Generally, the cost of shipping a car will fall somewhere between $0.40 and $1.50 per mile. However, the cost to ship a car will depend on several constantly changing factors, such as the cost of gas at the time of your shipment, demand for car shipping services at the time of your shipment, and more.