Dodge Ram 5500

The reason you see the 350/3500 rather than the 5500 is a combination of CDL and IFTA/IRP. If they keep their rig at or under a gross combined weight rating of 26,000 they avoid having a CDL (except California) as well as apportioned registration and fuel tax decals.

Now, you say you are sick of trucking and are looking for this as an alternative, well you maky want to look further into it. Running a pickup and wedge trailer requires everything that any other commercial vehicle requires as far as operating authority, DOT compliance, ELDs and so on. Only area you get a break is the CDL/IFTA/IRP and drug testing, if you are weighted and registered properly.

The DOT hammers on these trucks, they know most guys are trying to skirt the rules so they look hard at them, especially in Mass and New York.

 

I imagine running like this youd be limited to a 3 car or something of the sort? i'm trying to picture hauling vehicles and still managing to gross 26,000 or less, and still turning a decent profit... but i'm bad at math so its looking like a slave ship from here

 

It is, and yes to stay legal on weight and length you really are limited to 3 or less cars. There can be money made if you get direct customers and stay away from the load boards.

I have been towing or hauling cars for most of the last 27 years, never had a pickup and trailer, always had either specialized 4,5 or 7 car carrier or traditional high-mount 7 car trailers. My business partner had started with a 3 car wedge and did well, but that was 15 years ago.

Even with bigger trucks it is still difficult to make a decent profit in car haul today, not like it was even 5 years ago.

 

Yes you can find a truck and trailer in that range, although you won't be using it for personal use nor will your overhead be significantly lower than a class 7 or 8 rig. Here is why.

Over 26,000 gvwr will require IFTA and apportioned plates so you will need to account for every mile, even personal. The IRP and IFTA boards want their tax/fee for a commercial vehicle, even when being used as a personal conveyance. It isn't as simple as just taking the signs off the door or covering them and running, at least not if you want to be legal.

The insurance and other costs associated with running this setup will be nearly the same as if it were a single axle tractor with a trailer, and you can't just pause the payments on the insurance when you deploy. You would have to voluntarily revoke your authority to cancel insurance then when you return it would be like starting all over again as a new carrier with the brokers.

It is a myth that the pickups with the 3-5 car carriers are cheaper to run than a traditional class 7 or 8 high mount car hauler. They are not if you do it legal, the backnoffice compliance and other overhead is the same. Only savings is the tires and repairs may be lower price, although the trucks wear out much faster so in the end the cost per mile to operate is about the same.

Now, your plan may work if you can find a company to lease your truck and trailer to, that way you can come and go as you please without the cost of maintaining your operating authority while deployed.

I hipe you find a solution that works. It sucks that a man serving his country has these types of problems to deal with and can't feasibly run a business because of potential deployments. Thank tou for the sacrifice and service.

 

Wholesale like lease return average .40-.60 per mile, inoperable cars are near $1 per mile but need special handling. New I have no idea.

By the way, my former business partner has a older Mack single axle with a 7 car Miller trailer, complete rig ready to haul. Tractor is a 2000 with a 1999 engine so it is even ELD exempt. Trailer is a 2014, we owned it since new. $50,000 for the whole combo, located in northeast PA, about 60 miles from Newburgh, NY.