Has anyone seen GMs private fleet of auto hauler trucks???

That was what they were trying to do with Jack Cooper when GM wanted 51% ownership to bail them out but they wanted Riggs (CEO of Jack Cooper) to leave. They have used several different carriers as dedicated to GM for years but they have all been owned and branded by the carrier and not GM. Honda rigs I have seen were owned by Virginia. The Stellantis rigs I used to see shuttling from Canada to a distribution yard near Toledo.

 

I think the closest they came was the Pro Fleet that I think was run by Proficient. But I haven't seen them on a regular basis in a couple years now, and the few times I have seen them it hasn't been in the yard.

 

I don’t see how it’ll fix anything they claim. There’s still only “X” number of qualified auto transport drivers, “X” number of transport trucks, and “X” number of vehicles being produced.

 

Control over your supply chain is a big deal. They just have to pay well and provide good benefits. Most private fleets do that. I would expect GM private fleet to be in the top tier of pay/benefits. Finding qualified drivers won't be an overnight process but it's not some insurmountable, impossible thing they can't overcome. They could even train new drivers from their own pool of other employees.

 

The biggest problem is the same one everyone faces. Carhaul is full of guys who don't have the slightest clue how little they know. Our knowledge base is evaporating as the carhaulers age out, as the young guys, with few exceptions, aren't willing to learn the details as that "takes to much time."

Sure they can throw a load on quickly, but they have zero concept of weight distribution when partially loaded. Their loads are rarely properly secured. They usually suck at loading the units in the correct position to minimize height. And few have the ability (or patience) to inspect a vehicle properly before loading.

In their world "I'm fast as ####, boi!" equals being a carhauler.

 

Because of what you and @Banker have posted in the car hauler sub-forum, I have reservations of this thing working out how the GM big shots think. Those clowns managed to bankrupt one of the largest companies on the planet, which makes me question their ability to create something functional in the trenches of car hauling.

 

GM and Ford both pay excellent to have their vehicles moved. The problem is that some of the carriers that get the contracts steal too much off the top. The carriers that pay a fair share have no problem generally moving the units. No surprise to anyone because this is how some businesses operate. Generally less than 20% of the people who try hauling cars, can do so successfully long term. If GM decided to do their own fleet it will be a premium job and mostly filled by current carhaulers.

 

I don’t see them doing it unless they absolutely have to because it costs more to operate a carhauler than anyone can imagine. The long haul routes almost have to have backhauls to make it worthwhile and GM branded rigs won’t be welcome in any other manufacturers yard.

 

I’d assume they’d have to do like Toyota does and just haul the stuff closest to the rail or port, and farm out the long haul side.