Truck mover?

With driveaway services you either contract through someone like Truck Movers, Bennett or Quality as a 1099 driver or you have your own direct customers. The market is so small and specialized you won't find a load board like you do with freight. Also, the rates suck, even with direct clients like mine. Typically, a legal size and weight truck that needs a CDL pays around $2 per mile all in to the carrier. No fuel surcharge, you pay fuel, tolls, permits and everything. Non-cdl trucks pay as little as $1.40 all in to the carrier.

There is more to moving trucks than just freight insurance and operating authority. I currently do driveaway as my own company, have several dealers that are my direct customers. I have to have additional insurance for my transporter plates that costs almost as much as my public liability for my operating authority.

Also have to babysit the load when it breaks down until the client decides what to do with it and find your own way home or to the next truck. I move about 30 trucks a year, make ok money at it, but I do highly specialized units that need size and weight permits and special training to drive. If I were doing regular trucks I would close down the driveaway segment.

Do you have your own transporter plates as well? Most states require a commercial office and physical location inspection before issuing transporter plates, and you may need plates in more than one state since not all state honor each-others plate. Also will need extra IFTA decals and magnetic signs for the trucks to move them, and a contract with a permit service because even with transporter plates some states still require a trip, caravan or other permits.

Is your public liability at least $1 million and does your MCS-150 declare driveaway/towaway? The FMCSA categorizes driveaway services the same as automobile transport, meaning they require $1 million instead of the standard $750,000 public liability, they make you register as a class 9 ORM-D haz-mat hauler (no HM endorsement or placards obviously). Motor vehicles has to be listed as one of your commodities.

Your cargo insurance has to be high enough to cover the RETAIL value of the trucks you plan on moving and your cargo insurance has to cover vehicles specifically. You public or general liability nor your physical damage cover vehicles as a commodity which is what driveaway is, so you would need to have these riders added to your existing policy. Expect to pay two or three times normal freight rate for this type of coverage.

Last insurance hurdle, if you are delivering new trucks the manufacturers will want constructive total loss and diminished value coverage, this covers the vehicle as a total loss even when it only has a few thousand in damage. Dealers don't want to sell repaired vehicles, nor will many manufacturers allow them to, so you need insurance that covers the gap between actual damage and retail value when they keep the truck and crush it.

Not trying to discourage you, just speaking from experience. Would hate to see you get a contract to move a truck, have an accident and be stuck without the proper coverage, or get caught without the right permits and plates.

By the way, contracting with Truck Movers or Bennett is a great way to learn the driveaway business. Bennett has an excellent book they give their contractors with the state listed and what permits are needed and do a good job of showing you how the game works. Most driveaway pays the contractor 65% of line haul, so expect less than $1 per mile and you cover all transportation and fuel on most accounts.

 

If you can meet all the criteria to be qualified as an independent driveaway company, you may find some work through your local Adesa or Manheim auto auction. Often they have large trucks and RVs that need to come to/from their auction house and rather than ship or tow them they will use a driveaway contractor.

Manheim dispatches their work through Ready Logistics and Adesa uses Cars Arrive. They are both 3PL load boards geared more toward traditional auto transport companies, but they may be looking for a driveaway contractor from time to time.

 

I that is drivers wage, hell yes I could. LOL

 

I did drive away work for a used truck salesman. Contact local dealerships and see how they deliver new and used trucks.