Wanna Be An Owner Operator-Car Hauler

I don't have a ton of time but I'll try on touch a few things...

That type of truck is perfect for what you're looking at; I pull an identical trailer. For multiple picks and drops the versatility is unmatched. I haven't kept up with prices but that seems a little high, it does look very straight, though. As far as the warranties, they are only as good as whoever backs it. I'd pull an oil sample after a test drive, and probably pull samples from the driveline, too. Have a mechanic take a look as well, unless you have the knowledge to inspect it yourself.

As far as your business idea, the hard part is making enough to survive while building a customer base. If you haul for someone else, it's hard to be around for your customers at first. I don't mess with the corporate moves, and so I can't tell anything about that except that I hear that Central Dispatch has far fewer cars than a year or two ago, and many of the corporate moves go on there.

The big outfit who went into bankruptcy ( and just recently lost a bunch of contracts) deals almost exclusively with new cars. No money in new as they've beat the rate down so low, it's hard to be profitable. But my point is that their troubles are unrelated to the segment you're pursuing. But it's not exactly a rosy time to be a carhauler; still making money, but the margin is much smaller now.

 

When I got out several years ago, I owned a Delavan 3200 12-car setup on a Freightliner cabover. IMHO that is one of the best transport setups out there. I've also run Cottrell and, most recently, with my buddy, Boydstun. I still like the Delavan best. That being said, I'm getting ready to get back into it and am going with a 8-9 car highmount to drag behind my Columbia.

Whatever you end up looking at, take great care to inspect the hydraulics, especially the lines. As was stated before, also look for stress fractures and see if the belly rails have been curbed. Tons of moving parts on these things and, as also stated, it can get expensive if a failure occurs, hydraulic or otherwise, when one car lands on another.

 

Delavan used to make a good trailer as did Boydstun. I don't think that either are still in business. Miller makes a good high mount trailer. I don't remember if they make a stinger. I owned a 9 car highmount once and had a rack on a tractor. Having a highmount trailer would offer some flexibility if the carhauling end gets too soft. I don't know if I would want to get back into the business with the current economy. On the other hand, there should be a lot of repo's moving back and forth to the auctions.

You are not as likely to damage a car if you pin the ramps. I used to take longer to load and unload than some because I always put a couple of pins on the ramps. I suppose you could say that I was a bit paranoid about being under a ramp if the hydraulics failed, but I never crushed a vehicle. I did blow a line once while loading, but since I had the ramp pinned, I didn't damage anything or get hurt.

If I were you I would check around to see others are doing. My guess is that rates are still soft, but with fuel going up, rates could be rising. Even if you find an older stinger, prices are not all that cheap so you want to make sure that you can hit the road running. You might find a good deal in a daycab if you don't mind staying in motels. I have had daycabs and sleeper carhaulers. I like the idea of not having to hunt for a motel every day. But, you do save some weight and room with a daycab.

 

Not sure about Boydsun, but Delavan is still up and running, although they no longer make the 3200 series. I think it's now the 4000 series and all but identical, save for the lack of spread-axles, which has its benefits.

As for pinning the decks, I always do. I was taught that way years ago. The one time I had a position collapse was actually due to a design flaw in the headrack, which was a Delavan copy. I knew it could happen, but wasn't paying attention one day nad had a half-ton Ford land on an Accord. That was a $900 lesson. I feel I got off cheap.

 

I did a search and Boydstun is no longer making car haulers. At one time they made a good trailer. I am glad that Delavan is still around. I have not seen a new one in a long time. I always liked the way they made their high mount trailers.

 

Yeah, I do like the Delavans. I could put 12 on mine if they were small enough. I never did, though. My buddy runs a Boydstun and it isn't too bad.

 

I am glad that I could help. I have never owned a Western Star, but know a few people who have bought them. I don't recall hearing anything negative about them. I don't know that their fuel mileage will be any better or worse than anything else around. When you start pulling a car hauler around you will find that you have a lot of wind surfaces for the wind to catch. My Peterbilt with a trailer weighed about 42,000 empty. That is a lot of weight. Western Star still has a flat surface on the front, but their edges are a bit softer than a Peterbilt. I almost bought a Western Star several years ago, but I didn't like having to bend down to get to the sleeper. I think the newer Western Star trucks are more open. I don't recall seeing many Western Stars pulling car haulers. Gearing and how you drive will have more to do with fuel mileage than anything.

Weight is very important when it comes to hauling cars. That is a good reason why many will have the small sleepers. I had a 63" flat top on my Pete. Most had a 48" at the time. You can probably get a larger sleeper with a Freightliner and still be a little lighter on weight than with a Pete or Wester Star. I would expect the Peterbilt would be a little heavier than the Western Star if you have the extended hood.

Before buying anything I would suggest sitting down and think about the type of freight you want to haul and length of haul. Once you make that decision then you can begin to look for the right equipment. As a footnote, some of the newer cars prefer straps to chains. You might keep that in mind when you are thinking about the type of equipment you want to buy. You can still haul most cars with chain tie downs.