Hauling cars cross country as an owner operator

The thought of doing 7 picks or 7 drops in CA or some cities on the east coast makes me want to shoot myself

 

Those units are typically personal owned vehicles, very high probability of having a damage claim on each load. Also, like Terry said, often these are one or two units per stop, loading and unloading in residential areas, or unloading the whole truck to make the units fit in the proper order. Last, with the recently renewed interest in cracking down on illegal high-mount loads, meaning enforcement of the overhang regulations, it is difficult to load a legal 7 car load and go across the country without getting fined or worse, having to unload and leave a unit at the scale house.

It is my opinion, take it how ever you want, but after two decades in the car haul industry, hauling everything from salvage units to new units, I think the money is in regional wholesale dealer work. Before selling my company we averaged 90 mile length of hauls at about $1 per mile/per unit, and when things were going right we had a full 7 load in one direction and at least a partial load in the other direction. My friends that are still in the car haul business and making money are doing a slightly larger area that my trucks did, but they are running regional with the same customers every week. The random stuff off the load board is hard to count on, risky for payment as well as false damage claims, and the personal owned vehicle crowd are pains in the arse.

 

Sustainability, you'll need regular customers not on CD and factor in time as Terry270 has alluded to. Count on this when you pick up or deliver.

• no one home and won't be for hours
• someone is home but doesn't have the keys
• POV car is loaded with plants, (now the ag department is involved and the car weighs enough to tip the scales) or for real adventure the car owner puts his hand gun in the car, you break down, put your truck in the shop, someone ransacks the cars, steals the gun and gets caught by the police breaking and entering with the gun, the customer doesn't want to pay because his car was ransacked but all they took was the gun which you just transported. Thankfully Texas police are forgiving about this.
• The dealer has the car but can't find it.
• he does find the car but can't find the keys to one of the 6 cars blocking the car you're picking up.
• The broker screwed up and you just drove 200 miles to pick up a car already shipped.

These are just a few of the time and $ costing obstacles without getting into normal operating expenses.

The misconception about carhaul paying well is to confuse POV and auction work with new cars, it's not even the same game much less the rates.

You're not the first one to the party, it's an old industry but you may find a niche.

 

POV's are a royal pain in the Heinaman. As NuCar said, not home, etc. Or they want you to pick up at the door, but they live in a gated community. Then on delivery, because they think they can put one over on you, they want to point out damage they want you to cover but was there all along.

There are dealers that buy vehicles in non-winter weather areas (AZ, SoCAL) and transport east.

As said, you'll need to find your niche