Although you can make more hauling cars than most other aspects of the trucking industry, it is also more work. If you pickup at an auction, you will need to first locate all of your cars. You will then need to carefully inspect them for damage and note the paperwork, accordingly. You will then need to take them to your truck and stage them before loading. The average car hauler will probably have 9-10 vehicles on when fully loaded. There are some which can haul as many as 15 small vehicles. You rarely see those any more since there are so many SUV's. Some of these auctions are large and it can take a while to locate all of your vehicles. When you pickup at an auction, the dealer may have all of your load together, but most do not. In most cases, you will need to decide for yourself where you put each vehicle. The driver loads and unloads his own truck. When you first start out, it can be a bit harry driving up on top of a trailer or truck with it moving. The ramps will move when you drive on top of the truck. There are ways to load to best distribute your weight. The newer car haulers have ramps which can move weight forward or back which can move weight to some degree. Extra care needs to be taken because of damage. There isn't much room between where you pull and the inside of your trailer. Getting in and out of a vehicle can be a challenge, especially if you are not a small person. It is very easy to damage a vehicle. A scratch can cost you several hundred or even thousands of dollars. The driver is sometimes responsible for the deductible on insurance claims. When I hauled cars, I had a $2,500 deductible. You will need to secure your vehicles at each point with either a strap or chain. In other words, you will need to put 4 chains or straps on each vehicle. There are a few of the larger trucks or SUV's that I would add a couple of chains if they were on the rear top deck. You will need to put 40 chains on the average load. For comparison, most flat bedders will rarely use more than 10 chains or straps for an average load.
You will load in all types of weather. I have loaded cars at more than 40 below zero and higher than 105. Hauling cars is not for those who don't like to get dirty or work hard. It can take hours to load and properly secure a load. Some of the large car hauler companies such as Allied or Cassens are union and pay to load and unload cars as well as a mileage or percentage rate. Most of the independents pay percentage.
Anytime you get in to a more specialized area the pay tends to be better, but so are the responsibilities and work. I used to keep spare fittings with me to repair a blown hydraulic hose. You never know when one will blow and it is difficult to find someone to come out and make a repair. Without hydraulics, you cannot load or unload your truck unless you have one of those with the screw type lifts. Most are hydraulic. Most car haulers do more deadheading than other types of freight. Since you are usually paid percentage, with most companies, you won't be compensated for deadhead miles. The large union carriers may pay deadhead. It has been a while since I have spoken to any of them. I would say that the average pay for a good car hauler is around $75-80M. I have known of some who have topped $100M. Most companies want previous car hauling experience or at least driving experience. There are only a few companies who seem to be willing to train you to haul cars. It is easy to get hurt when you haul cars. It is more than 12' from the top of some car haulers to the ground. Fall and hit the wrong way and you could be paralyzed or dead. This is one type of trucking where you want to take your time.
|