How do carhaulers transport cars for BMW, GM plants?

Either by having a contract direct with the manufacturer, or having a business relationship with one of those carriers.

When I was a terminal manager, there were outside trucks I loaded with full loads all the time, but they were always someone I knew and had loaded before. Normally the only freight that ended up on Central were aging units going to outlier dealers that I didn't have anything to go with to make a load.

And honestly, I detested putting any freight on the carriers I found on Central. Maybe 1 in 10 understood the procedures for new car freight, and of the other 9, 1 might actually care enough to listen and learn the proper way. I'd say maybe half were properly equipped with the over-the-wheel straps needed for new cars, and the damage ratios were ridiculously bad.

All of the above is why you rarely see new freight loads online, it's just too much headache for the contractual carrier.

 

It's usually about moving in quantity that makes sense. Some brokers post less than full stinger loads but they are usually larger vehicles. Don't assume expensive or new vehicles are high dollar loads. First call with the carriers that run out of the manufacturer that are close to you and ask if they dispatch to your equipment. I know R.P.M. and U.R.S. post some smaller loads at certain yards but don't expect good rates.
Manufactures usually have a separate logistics operation that might handle land , rail and sea transportation . I'm guessing if you don't have 50-100 trucks you probably would never get a response from anyone that handles contracts.

 

Exactly this last part. We had to hire a consultant to even get us to the right person to talk to about hauling spot buys. And it took a few years of doing those before they'd even consider allowing us to bid a ramp because they didn't think we were big enough.

To the OP, as far as length of haul, for most manufacturers, the loads are at most regional, rarely more than 500 miles from origin. The higher line imports tend to ship from fewer points, and thus have a longer average haul, but true long haul is a rare thing in new cars. Even Tesla's putting more on rail now, and their long haul stuff was a total ####show from what I've heard.

 

I worked for Bavarian Motor Transport. They hauled BMW and Mercedes Benz and Porsche. They went out of business but they had contacts with BMW. Not sure how they went out of business probably from not treating driver good. I know they had lots of older trucks and had trouble replacing them because the company that made them went out of business. They had curtain side trucks. I seen after I left they did buy regular car haulers.

They had offices at the two places we loaded BMWs

 

I know destination charge covers a lot of ground but if you read what they say is behind it is transportation costs. Kia has one of the lowest destination charge and I probably run the greatest distance they transport by truck. That said 9 units with a average of $11,500.00 destination charges going the maximum distance 940 miles gets me $3200 on average. I passed on a 9 unit load today 180 miles 3 stops $730. So if destination costs is $11,500.00 there is a whole lot of fat somewhere. That's all fine it just bothers me that reading about the rocketing destination fees they lead people to thing guys hauling the cars are filling their pockets.

 

If it was a gold mine, every O/O would be doing it.

 

They have tried over the last 2 decades. That is why it is not (as financially rewarding as it should be).
Additionally, people suck at math further lowering rates.