What does it take?

Car Haul, I guess, is like anything else, you never know until you try. Many folk do find that when they try it out, it doesn't work for them. So until them .......

Luck

 

It can be tiring, but as you get systems down, and work smarter, it becomes easier everyday.
Look at the union carhaul senority list...... many many 20 plus year guys.
You even find a few elusive 30 plus aswell. Thats almost a dying bred with the turn over rate these days in truckin.
If you are a farm boy, this should be right up your alley.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...um/136236-what-is-required-to-car-hauler.html

 

Like with anything, car hauling has diversity. Firstly, a COD market hauler for instance and a dealer hauler can be two VERY different operations.

The pick and drop hauler (one car here, one car there) or COD hauler will encounter a totally different agenda during a common working day than a 'full load' auction to dealer driver. Many do both, some won't do one or the other.

Imagine picking up one car at a time (9 picks / 9 drops) on every load you haul. Then factor in that most will come from / go to people's residences. You will find yourself in upscale neighborhoods dodging low-hanging tree limbs with the roof of 100k luxury cars (one miscalculation and it's a claim) or trying to circle a block for the 10th time trying to locate a parking space in order to unload.

Recommend 'Tums' be kept at all times! LOL

Of the 9 cars you have on in your jigsaw puzzle loading structure, 4 will be calling regularly to ask when you 'are gonna be there' as if calling more often will stop the snow you are driving through or make the truck run faster.

In short, what I'm saying is: Be prepared for the full package of what car hauling is.

Hope the info helps

Emmett

 

4 will be calling regularly to ask when you 'are gonna be there' as if calling more often will stop the snow you are driving through or make the truck run faster

Emmett123, thats funny #### right there.....
I never had to deal with that but I bet it wears thin real fast.

 

I always tell them I will be there when they see me pull up and not a min sooner and they will get car (s) when they no longer see them on my truck..bahahahahahaa

 

Car haulers are a special breed of driver. By nature they are stubborn and some what opinionated. They have to like puzzles and challenges. They can not be put off by heights and bad weather. They need have good people skills and know how to communicate effectively. In short anyone can drive a truck... not everyone can be a car hauler. Finding a company that will train you is very important. There are special skills and techniques that you need to learn to be effective. Learning to haul cars is not as easy as learning to drive truck and most companies will want you to have at least 2 years of regular truck driving before they will even consider training you and then they would prefer someone with flatbed or oversize experience. If you can handle it and you pass the training, you can make very good money. There is a learning curve to hauling cars so if you do decide to learn be sure to give yourself time to get comfortable with it. I can give you a general idea on what to expect when you first start hauling cars.

You will need about 2 weeks of training on just loading and unloading cars. If you are going to damage a car this is where it will happen. And I can guarantee that you WILL damage a car. It may be you first load or your first week or two but it will happen.

It will take about 6 months to get comfortable with loading and unloading your truck, but understanding your particular truck will help.

After 2 years you will have enough experience to run your loads without thinking about it too much and if your damages are low (they will still happen from time to time no matter how long you haul cars, just part of the job) then you will not have a problem getting a job with any auto transport company.

If you can make it to this point you are no longer a truck driver or a car hauler.... you will be an "Auto Transport Engineer". It is not an easy job but it can be very rewarding, both in the respect you get from other drivers and also in your paycheck.

 

Are there any car haulers here from CA? What is the annual salary?

 

Salaries average between 50k to over 90k for company drivers with the average being in the 70k range. Industry standard is 25% of the load with most trucks averaging $6000 to $8000 a week in gross revenue. Local drivers usually make less than otr but they are usually home most nights.

 

I worked the paperwork for my brother's car hauling business for many years (12 Petes/Kens with Cotrell 10-car trailers/headracks). In my opinion one of the most difficult parts is getting your foot inside. It's the old catch-22: nobody wants to hire you without experience, so how are you going to get the experience?

If you know anybody who does it ask them if they can show you how they load/unload the trailer. If you at least know how it's done it might help when one of those rare trainee opportunities opens up. Keep in mind that unless other kind of loads, loading and unloading is going to be the most important part of your job. Other than leaving a roof under a bridge that's when most of the damages occur. And like somebody else said you WILL damage a vehicle (or a few) and it will feel terrible. It comes with the territory, so much so that a "damage" account is a usual thing. Be super careful but when it happens don't let it discourage you. I've seen many a driver try this career and quit as soon as they do their first damage which is a pity because it's a very good niche.

Good Luck!