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RescueLoad

    Car haulers

    Car hauling dispatch where every vehicle's condition is documented before you roll.

    In car hauling, one load means six or eight separate jobs on one trailer, each with its own pickup, drop, payment and paperwork. Our car hauling dispatcher desk builds full loads car by car, plans the order so you're not backtracking, and makes sure every unit has a condition report that will hold up if a customer calls about a scratch three weeks later.

    You set the lanes, the number of units you like to carry, and whether you take non-runners, private customers or enclosed work. Every load is offered to you car by car, and you approve it before anything is booked.

    Book my car hauler

    The condition report wins or loses the damage dispute.

    When a vehicle arrives and the customer finds a dent, the first question is whether it was there at pickup. The answer lives in two documents and a set of photos: the condition report signed at pickup, the one signed at delivery, and pictures taken at both ends. If the pickup report marks the dent, it isn't yours. If it doesn't, it probably is.

    Tap each document in the fan for what it has to show and the photos to take. It's tedious work at an auction lot with eight cars and a closing gate, which is exactly why it gets rushed. A rushed report is the most expensive mistake in car hauling.

    Take your time at pickup even when the lot is closing. If the light is bad or the car is covered in dirt or snow, write that on the report too, because it explains why small marks may not show in the photos.

    Every car, both ends

    Pickup condition report

    Filled in by the driver, signed by the shipper or their agent.

    Vehicle details
    Year, make, model, VIN, color, mileage if required.
    Existing damage
    Every scratch, dent, chip, crack and missing part marked on the diagram, panel by panel.
    Condition notes
    Runs or not, keys, dirt or snow that hides the paint, anything loose inside.
    Photograph before you leave

    How car loads are paid, and how we fill your trailer.

    Car hauling is usually priced per vehicle for a route. A full trailer can be one shipper's cars or a mix from dealers, auctions and private customers going the same way. Building that mix is most of the dispatch work: matching pickups that sit close together, drops in a sensible order, and dates that line up so the trailer isn't riding half empty.

    We also watch for the things that cost car haulers money quietly. A car that isn't ready when you arrive is a dry run, and it should pay something. A non-running unit takes a winch and more time. An address that a full rig can't reach means meeting the customer somewhere else. Those get sorted before you accept, not on site.

    A load built car by carExample

    • Unit 1Auction, Atlanta → dealer, Charlotte$200
    • Unit 2Auction, Atlanta → dealer, Charlotte$200
    • Unit 3Dealer, Atlanta → customer, Greenville$230
    • Unit 4Auction, Atlanta → dealer, Spartanburg$190
    • Unit 5Private, Marietta → Charlotte (non-runner)$260
    • Unit 6Dealer, Atlanta → dealer, Charlotte$170

    Six units, $1,250 for the run. Fee at 5%: $62.50. Each unit is offered to you and approved before anything is booked.

    What we check before offering a car

    • Whether it runs, steers and brakes, and if it needs a winch.
    • Size and weight against your trailer, especially trucks and vans on the top deck.
    • Whether the pickup and drop addresses can take your full rig.
    • Release paperwork or gate passes the lot will ask for.
    • Who pays and how: broker, dealer, or a private customer at delivery.

    The rigs we book

    Open multi-car trailers, from small wedge setups behind a pickup to full stinger and high-mount rigs, and enclosed trailers for vehicles where the customer is paying to keep them covered. Enclosed loads usually come with tighter handling rules and higher care expectations, so the condition reports matter even more. Tell us your trailer's capacity, deck heights and any weight limits, and we only offer units that fit.

    Auction and dealer timing

    Auction lots and dealerships keep business hours, run gate cut-offs and sometimes hold vehicles until paperwork clears. A pickup that looks simple can turn into a wait at the gate or a car that isn't released. We confirm hours, release status and contact names before you go, and when a car still isn't ready, we ask for the dry run pay that was agreed. Drops at closed dealers get arranged in advance, with drop instructions in writing.

    When a customer says the car arrived damaged.

    It happens to careful drivers too. What you do in the first days decides how it ends.

    Damage claims on vehicles can be large, because a single panel on a newer car can cost more to fix than the whole run paid. That's why your cargo coverage limit matters when we choose loads: we won't offer you a unit worth more than your policy covers unless you've told us your limit is high enough.

    1. 01Pull the pickup report and photos. If the damage is marked there, send them to the broker and the customer and the dispute usually ends.
    2. 02If it isn't marked, tell your cargo insurer and the broker in writing, quickly. Keep every message.
    3. 03Claims against carriers follow federal deadlines and claim-handling rules.
    4. 04We gather the documents and send the notices on time. For large or disputed claims, talk to a lawyer; we'll tell you when that point comes.

    A car hauler dispatch service that shows you every unit first.

    You see the whole load before it's booked: each car, each pickup and drop, the pay per unit and the dates. Ask us to swap out a non-runner or a drop you don't like, or decline the whole thing. The rate con comes straight to you to sign. Passing costs nothing.

    The fee is the same as for any truck: 5% for one truck past 6 months of authority, 4% for two or more, 7% for a new MC until month 7. It applies to the per-unit pay and any dry run or other accessorial pay we collect, never to reimbursements. See the pricing page for the full rules, and the load profitability calculator to check a run before you take it.

    One more setting worth giving us: how many units you like on a load and how far you'll go for the last one. Some drivers would rather run five cars home than wait a day for the sixth. We plan around your answer, not a full-trailer rule.

    The full playbook for responding to damage, from the dock to the insurer, is in what a carrier does when freight is damaged.

    Load offer 1 of 2

    Example

    Atlanta, GA to Charlotte, NC

    Miles
    244
    Rate
    $1,250
    Per mile
    $5.12
    • Six units, one non-runner
    • Dry run pay if a unit isn't ready
    • Condition reports at both ends

    Pickup Wed 07:00

    Car hauling dispatch questions

    What is a vehicle condition report?
    It's the record of each vehicle's condition at pickup and again at delivery: existing scratches, dents, chips and missing parts marked on a diagram, with photos and both parties' signatures. It's the document that decides who pays when a customer says a car arrived damaged, so it has to be done carefully at both ends, every time.
    Who pays if a car is damaged in transit?
    Usually the carrier, through its cargo insurance, if the damage happened while the vehicle was in its care. That's why the pickup report matters: damage that was noted and photographed at pickup isn't yours. Disputed or large claims follow federal claim rules and your insurer's process, and may need legal advice.
    How are car hauling loads paid?
    Most car hauling is priced per vehicle for a route, sometimes as a flat amount for a full load. A trailer often carries cars from several shippers at once, so a load is built car by car. That makes the order of pickups and drops, and the dry runs when a car isn't ready, part of what decides your pay.
    Can a new MC haul cars?
    Yes, though some shippers and brokers set minimum authority ages and cargo coverage limits for vehicles. We work with the ones that fit your authority and your insurance. The fee is 7% until month 7, then 5% with one truck or 4% with two or more.
    Do you dispatch hotshot car haulers?
    Yes. A pickup with a wedge or a small multi-car trailer runs a lot of dealer and auction freight. We plan loads within your trailer's capacity and your truck's weight ratings, and the same rules apply: every car is offered to you, you accept or decline, and the rate con comes to you.
    Do I approve each car on a multi-car load?
    Yes. We build the load and show you each unit: pickup and drop location, whether it runs, the pay for that car, and the dates. You can take the whole load or ask us to swap a car out. Nothing is booked under your authority without your yes.

    Other trucks, same rules: box truck dispatch and dry van dispatch.

    Full trailers, clean reports, your call on every car.

    Send the application with your trailer type and capacity. Your first load arrives unit by unit for you to approve.

    Book my car hauler

    You approve every load. No setup fee. No contract.