Car Hauling: Best Companies and How-To Guide
Let's Get a Car Hauling Quote!Transporting vehicles from one place to another definitely requires extra care and protection.
However, it is not as difficult as it sounds.
There are various ways by which you can easily ship your personal vehicles.
One of those ways is using car haulers.
Read the below section to know everything about it!
A car hauler or car trailer is a car carrier trailer which is used to transport personal vehicles like cars, bikes, etc. via a truck.
While a trailer is a specially designed equipment, a car hauler is a person who drives the trailer through a truck.
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However, both these terms are used interchangeably.
Anyway, the car carrier trailers are of different types.
The most common ones have attached ramps for loading and unloading the vehicles and use hydraulics to lift these ramps easily.
Car hauler trailers come in different shapes and sizes.
Like that one 🙂
There are specific trailers for specific vehicles.
Some are small and can only carry 4-5 cars at a time, there are bigger ones that come with a capacity to hold over 12 vehicles at a time. You can check all companies online reviews here
Here are some of the most common types of car haulers :
These are the most common type of car trailers that can be easily spotted on roads every day.
They can move any kind of car such as personal, new, used, antique, luxury etc. from one location to another using open trailers.
Even something like this
These trailers load the running cars on the ramp by driving and non-running cars using a winch.
These types of haulers come in different sizes.
They can carry between 2-9 cars at a time to your desired location.
The problem with open car haulers is, they are not suitable for narrow cars.
Thus the best way would be to choose an enclosed car carrier.
A single-car hauler is popularly known as a tow truck.
These are perfect for transporting the vehicle to any nearby location.
Another good thing is, they are readily available on short notice.
They are compact in size and navigate the road easily without causing any inconvenience.
They can even run on the narrow roads as their tires are not huge like other trailers.
Also, it takes time 🙂
By using these haulers, you can easily transport a number of vehicles ranging from sports cars to classics.
The disadvantages of a single-car hauler are, they don’t protect your vehicle from road damages as it is open.
Your vehicle may be subjected to harsh weather and other risks.
They can only be used to move cars over shorter distances. They can be very expensive if you use them for long distances.
An enclosed car hauler makes use of enclosed storage.
They are perfect for transporting cars to longer distances as they offer complete safety from weather conditions and also offer privacy during transit.
They are low in height hence, allows the low-clearance cars to load easily.
They also provide various functionalities like roll-back, ball and socket for loading different types of vehicles with ease.
They come with an attached winch that can safely load the non-running cars on the truck.
Commercial car haulers or multilevel car haulers are similar to open carriers but use a multilevel system to carry a variety of cars across different locations.
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The cars are stacked over one another and hence, their holding capacity is greater.
They can easily hold up to 12 cars at a time.
The disadvantages of commercial car haulers are, they are prone to road accidents and hence can be very dangerous to transport your vehicles in.
Also, they are quite expensive for long distances.
Renting a car hauler is easy.
You only need to decide your budget and what kind of service you want.
While looking for the best car hauler rental, the following factors should be kept in mind:
First and foremost, look for the daily charges of the truck.
Obviously, the prices depend on the location and type of vehicle but the starting daily cost ranges anywhere from $20 to $35 for a medium truck.
Pretty enough factors to consider
The good idea is to rent a larger truck instead of a smaller one to save some cost.
The majority of hauler rental companies charge an extra amount after exceeding the mileage mentioned in the contract.
These additional charges can range anywhere from $.20 to $.40 per mile.
These prices get added up as the mileage increases.
If you want to move your car for long distances, say state to state, then read your rental contract carefully.
Usually, the trucks come with a full tank of fuel at the time you get it.
You have to return it in the same condition.
Therefore, it becomes important to determine the average fuel consumption of the truck.
On average, it is about 10 miles per gallon.
This metric comes handy while estimating the overall fuel costs.
Always make sure you’ve read the rental contract thoroughly before making any payments.
The absence of it can cost you a lot more than normal.
Also, you can read our full guide to car shipping cost calculating
U-Haul
U-Haul is a popular hauler rental company that offers nationwide services.
It provides a number of options like cargo trailers, open trailers and enclosed trailers.
It is the only company that offers enclosed trailer rentals and thereby provides additional safety to your vehicle from harsh weather and thievery.
Its trailers are easy to use and less heavy as compared to other trailers which makes it much easier to handle.
Penske
It is another reputed moving company that offers great services at affordable prices.
The best thing about Penske is, it offers transparency to the customers.
You will only get what you see in the advertisements.
It also offers free reservations.
So, you can book your truck size for the desired pickup location without paying additional charges.
Budget
Budget hauler rental is popular for offering great deals and heavy discounts.
It offers transport services to more than 2,300 rental locations.
You can easily find a branch near your place.
However, Budget doesn’t provide an enclosed carrier or utility cargo service.
As far as the pricing is concerned, the base price for a 16-foot truck is $29.99/day.
You can also add a tow dolly for $45/day.
Basically, you have to pay extra for the additional equipment and other protection packages.
If you want to have that extra care and protection for your cars, you can consider buying your own car hauler.
Especially, if you are a buyer or seller who needs to frequently move to different car auctions, investing in a trailer rather than renting it is a far better idea.
It is more convenient and offers full control and protection.
There are a number of online websites that are fully trusted and offer a wide range of car haulers in different shapes and sizes.
You can easily get on according to your requirements.
They provide brand new as well as used car haulers, you can go for anyone you like.
Below are some of the most popular car hauler websites from where you can buy or even sell your trailers :
- eBay – Offers all kinds of used and new car haulers.
- Commercial Truck Trader – Offers best enclosed car haulers.
- Trailer Super Stores – Offers used and well as new car haulers.
Car Transport services and car hauler rental, both offer the same job i.e transport your vehicle from one place to another.
However, there are some factors that make car transportation service a much better option to move your vehicle to the desired destination.
Renting or even buying a car hauler has the following drawbacks :
- It is much more expensive.
- Doesn’t provide protection to your vehicles.
- Not suitable for long distances.
- High risk of road accidents.
These drawbacks can be easily overcome by using the car transportation service.
The car transport companies like GetCarrier offer amazing and safe moving services in a much faster and smoother manner.
Step 1
Step 2
It’s Insanely Easy!
Here are the benefits of using a car transport service :
- Provides extra safety and protection to your vehicles.
- Offers services across the nation. Perfect for transporting a car to a longer distance.
- Less Expensive.
- You don’t have to manage the transit on your own. Just hire the right car transport company and you’re sorted as they will do the rest while you can relax.
- Provides door-to-door pickup and delivery.
- Faster Delivery
Although using car haulers is a good idea, it is not recommended for long-distance transportation.
The reason is simple, they’re quite expensive and provide less safety.
On the other hand, car transportation services are more reliable as affordable for moving your car from one place to another.
Companies like GetCarrier provide far better services at a relatively low price.
The plus point is, you are free from managing the transit process on your own.
Just book your desired transportation method and rest is assured.