Auto Transport - Advice

[R C Cola]

Auto Transport Which trailer to buy ?

Trying to decide which trailer to buy for transport work. Now doing RV and it don't cut it. I can get close to a dollar a mile if I am careful and could get by just fine with a 2 car trailer. Obviously, 3 would pay more money consistantly but I intend to stay under 26k and skip a lot of hassles.

What is weight on 35 ft. goose flatbed or ? ? for cars ?

Who makes a good lite weight 3 car wedge and what is the empty weight?

I would like to use 2 9k axles, much better for turning which would leave me

8000 for the truck. If I have to go with a 2 car to save weight it will most likely be a gooseneck. Open for ideas and suggestions. Thanks... R C

 

[PatrickCampbell]

Take 3 seems to be a good one but expensive. Sun Country seems to be good (I have a Sun Valley, which is now Sun Country) http://www.suncountrytrailers.com/ but VERY expensive - they wanted 12k for a 3 car hauler? There's always Kaufman. Guess the question is what do you want to do... 2 or 3?

 

[R C Cola]

Trailer

Weight is the key. Do not intend to go over 26k . At 5500 lbs I could go a 3 car and do fine with a 48 ft. and at 7k weight it starts to get iffy etc. Very common to see these drivers with 3 car overweight and buying transmissions yearly.

 

[R C Cola]

3 car wedge weight

Anybody ? Know the weights on these units. Real world empty weight.

 

[NIsaacs]

Sorry I can't help you with actual weights of an empty three car wedge, however they are heavy. Just a suggestion, but how about no pickup bed with a straight 35' flatbed trailer. With a fifth wheel mounted to the bare frame and a straight flatbed, you will have less weight and length waste, also lower load height. The wedge trailers are very high profile and wind resistant.





"NICK"

 

[MMeier]

Don't have a wedge, but my 35+5 pop up with dual tandems weighs in at 9100 by itself. Note sig.

 

[R C Cola]

Auto Trailer

Nick . . Good point but I will keep the bed due to CA letting me pass all the scales as a pick-up.



MMeier . . Yes that is exactly my problem. My PJ 40" weighed 9300 lbs with

chains and binders on board. Truck weighed 6700 and it was too easy to go over 26k with most anykind of freight. Bythe way what is the Challenger mentioned in sig. ?

R C

 

[PatrickCampbell]

I will see if I can get my setup on the scales sometime here. I think there is a considerable difference in weight between brands. Wally Mo and Big Tex ad heavy. Kaufman I am sure is pretty light. Take 3 somewhere in the middle? Are you thinking about buying new or used?

 

[R C Cola]

Trailer

Used if not too old and in very good condition. I took a very small loss on my last trailer that I had one year and kept in excellant condition. R C

 

[BlueDiamond]

Hey RC,

I have a Take 3 model 48 3 car wedge that tips the scales at about 6200lbs. With the 3500 DRW QC 4x4 hooked up empty weight jumps to 14,100lbs. Been hauling cars for about six months and so far haven't went over 26,000. Although on one trip to Arizona with two Toyota 4x4's and a 65 Thunderbird I scaled out at 25,900 with a full tank of fuel. A friend of mine has a Kaufman 3 car and a Duramax DRW 4x4 and empty he weighs 13,500. Hope this helps,Michael

 

[R C Cola]

Trailer and scales

Michael... . This is exactly the type of thing I need. At those weights I can pick and choose somewhat and stay legal. If I may ask who do you find to be best for loads, Central or ? ? ? RC

 

[BlueDiamond]

Central is the only one I've used thus far. Carsarrive.com sometimes has a couple decent paying laods. One of the brokers on Central has their own site(movingloads.com)which has loads that are also listed on Central but you don't have to have a membership to few what loads they have available. I signed up for vehicleloads.com but haven't been able to log on. Haven't used uship.com because people on there want you to pay them to haul their car it seems. Feel free to PM me anytime. Michael

 

[MMeier]

Central is the only one I've used thus far. Carsarrive.com sometimes has a couple decent paying laods. One of the brokers on Central has their own site(movingloads.com)which has loads that are also listed on Central but you don't have to have a membership to few what loads they have available. I signed up for vehicleloads.com but haven't been able to log on. Haven't used uship.com because people on there want you to pay them to haul their car it seems. Feel free to PM me anytime. Michael

Hehe, just gave out some quotes on uship :-laf :-laf poor SOB's probably keeled over after that!! Seeing as how they've tuned down quotes/ bids that wouldn't even cover my fuel!! Gotta love that site !!!!

 

[PatrickCampbell]

rates on movingload seem to be around 37 cents a mile per car. is this typical?

 

[R C Cola]

Rates

Patrick ... I haven't hauled cars for just over a year to know what is currant.

What I can tell you is that if you haul 3 units for 37/cents ea. per mile, I consider that the road to the poor house. 10 years ago we got more than that with a wedge. . 37x3= $ 1. 11/per mile minus . 30 fuel and . 10 for tires . 05 food

If that reallyis the going rate, I will drive someone elses truck for a clean

$ 300/day and mine in the driveway. I think some of the transporters have qouted higher numbers. Maybe they will chime in. R C

 

[MMeier]

I start off by qouting $2 a loaded mile,per unit, if they are somewhat soci able, then we can work from both ends, otherwise, C'ya!! get someone else to move your "stuff"!!

 

[R C Cola]

Car Rates

We have cars hauled quite often. Usually by big trucks. Since we are not on the primary competitive lanes the rate we normally have to pay is $ 1 per/mi.

From Phx. or El Paso, etc. to southern Idaho. I figure I can make good money

just by stealing some of their loads. The big trucks don't usually like going north and south. R C

 

[PatrickCampbell]

Is anyone working for United Road? Yes I agree . 37 CPM per car does not seem enough. United Road delivers cars from ports and rails to new dealers.

 

[R C Cola]

Patrick..... All the transporters I have spoken with use Central Dispatch or they have an established customer base they work with regularly. I have not heard of United. R C