How To Make Money Transporting Cars In 2024 [Step-By-Step]

Are you looking for a way to make some extra income and don’t mind long drives? Or maybe you’ve got your own truck or trailer you’re not utilizing enough?

You’re in luck! There’s a great opportunity to make money by transporting cars. 

Auto transport is a great gig to help individual customers and car companies load and move cars far distances.

The reasons they need to move their cars vary, but the key is that they need drivers for the job. As a driver, you may drive the car directly or use a truck and trailer. 

Different types of vehicle driver jobs require differing skills and training. Read on to find out the best car transport jobs for you. 

Types of Transporting Cars Jobs

• Personal vehicle transport 
• Single-car trailer transport 
• Rental car relocation 

What You’ll Need to Transport Cars

Transporting cars jobs vary widely when it comes to what you’ll need.

While some of the opportunities require no more than a license, others will need specialized training and personal equipment depending on the location and scale of operation.

Take a look at which position you’d want to try your hand at to decide which of these things you’ll need. 

• Valid driver’s license: You’ll be driving a car or truck and need to be legally qualified to do that. 
• Clean driving record: For any of these transportation jobs, you’ll need to provide a clean driving record as proof that you’re a safe driver. People want to know their vehicles are in good hands. 
• Commercial driver’s license (CDL): For some of these jobs, you’ll need your CDL. This is a specialized license that requires additional coursework, training, and testing to get, but allows you to have a career driving larger and special vehicles. 
• Truck or trailer: As an individual, you may need a personal truck or trailer to transport the cars. Working for a company can provide this, though. 
• Insurance: If you’re a self-employed truck driver, you’ll need personal insurance to ensure you avoid problems with accidents and expenses.  

How Much You Can Make Transporting Cars

Car haulers make an average hourly wage between $27 and $34 in the United States. 

The pay you receive in these gigs will vary massively based on the type of job and the contract with the employer or client.

You must keep in mind that this gig requires you to pay additional expenses upfront out of your own pocket, such as lodging, food, and sometimes insurance. 

Top Types of Car Transport Jobs 

Personal Vehicle Transport

Individuals or car dealerships need their vehicles transported long distances for different reasons.

One option becoming more popular is to have a third-party person drive their car for them.  Some companies hire individual drivers to be part of their team or you can do it individually.

Finding opportunities individually is more difficult. You’ll need to look on social media pages, like Facebook groups, or use your network to build a reputation. 

Reaching out to car dealerships or searching for opportunities online may be an easier route to get started.  

Pros 

• Flexible gig: You’ll determine your availability and can pick up jobs whenever your schedule allows it. 
• Travel: It’s a great way to experience the world for free. Traveling at someone else’s expense, you can check out cool places along the drive if time allows it. 
• Easy job: Some people might consider this a dream job. You can listen to podcasts, call friends and family, or listen to music while driving. For those who don’t mind driving, it’s an easy job. 

Cons

• Need insurance: If the car policy of your clients can’t include you, you may need to pay for health insurance out of your pocket. Many clients will demand insurance before hiring you. 
• Own expenses along the way: For multi-day drives, the contracts may not cover your expenses along the way, such as lodging and food. You’ll be paying out of pocket for these, which can cut into your profits. 

Independent Trailer Transport Jobs

If you own a trailer that can do auto transport, you may consider offering an independent delivery service to move people’s vehicles for them.

It’s great to do this locally, where you may only need to move short distances.  

Depending on the size of your truck and trailer, you may need to get your Commercial Drivers License (CDL).

The CDL license will allow you to drive larger trucks and carry more vehicles on your trailer if it’s large enough. 

Pros 

• Flexible schedule: You’re in charge of your time, clients, and schedule. Plan around your life and make extra money on the side. 
• Choose your clients You choose the jobs you accept or decline. If you don’t want to work with someone, it’s your service so you can decline it. 
• Determine your own pay: Since you’re offering the service, you can determine your rates for clients. 

Cons

• Own equipment: You’ll need to use your truck and trailer. This will likely cause wear on your equipment, decreasing it’s worth. 
• Insurance: These deals will be personal contracts with individuals. For both you and the client, having some type of insurance policy in case there are issues is well worth the time and money investment. This will be an additional expense, though. 

Rental Car Relocation

Rental car companies struggle to keep the necessary amount of cars in the locations where they need them.

For example, more people will drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco than from San Francisco to Los Angeles. 

These companies will either provide a free rental car or even pay you to move the car for them. It’s a great way to get somewhere for free. 

If you’re interested in these opportunities, check out a few of the companies that offer this. Most of them will post directly on their company website.

A few options to look at are: 

• TransferCar (US, AUS, NZ)
• Free2Move (EUR, US) 
• IMoova (US)
• CruiseAmerica (US)

Pros 

• Free trip: You’ll get a free one-way trip that you can make the most out of as a road trip adventure. 
• Insurance included: The insurance on you and the vehicle is typically included in the contract. 

Cons

• Low pay: Typical relocation deals don’t pay. For most of them, you’ll receive the vehicle for the trip for free with gas paid for.  
• Limited options: The options for relocation are limited. There will be more during the busy travel season. 
• One-way: These only bring you one way, so you can’t get back to your original place easily if you need to. Look for another relocation that lines up to help with that. 

Common Questions We Get Asked