Sell Your Car Carrier Truck
Have a car carrier truck, car hauler, or automobile transporter you want to sell? EasyTruckBuyer considers specialized trucks used to transport vehicles, including stinger-steered auto haulers, high-mount configurations, multi-car straight trucks, and auto-hauling tractors with installed carrier equipment.
Whether your truck is working, aging, damaged, or no longer in service, you can submit it for an individual evaluation. We work with private owners, owner-operators, transportation businesses, and fleets across all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
EasyTruckBuyer has been buying trucks since 2007. We review the information provided before deciding whether an offer is possible. Not every inquiry results in an offer or purchase.
Ready to sell your car hauler? Tell us about the tractor or truck chassis, vehicle-carrying equipment, condition, and any trailer included in the proposed sale.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAR HAULER
Use the existing form to begin. Describe the truck, headrack, any included trailer, and known condition issues in the information you provide.
Can I Submit My Car Carrier Truck for Evaluation?
Yes. You can submit a car carrier truck for evaluation even if it has high mileage, mechanical problems, damaged loading equipment, or is no longer running.
What matters initially is identifying the truck and explaining its configuration.
A car hauler may consist of a specialized tractor with a headrack, a tractor and automobile transport semitrailer, or a straight truck with an integrated multi-car carrier body. These configurations involve different equipment and sometimes separate ownership documents.
Useful starting information includes the truck’s year, make, model, mileage, location, operating condition, and the type of carrier installed.
If a headrack or trailer is included, describe it separately. A complete car-hauling rig can be submitted for consideration, but that does not guarantee EasyTruckBuyer will purchase every component. Standalone trailer purchases should not be assumed.
You do not need a complete technical specification sheet to begin. Accurate information about what you own, what works, and what needs attention is more useful than guessing at missing details.
Types of Car Carrier Trucks We Consider
Automobile transport equipment comes in several configurations. Identifying the correct one helps distinguish the vehicle’s working condition from the condition of its carrier equipment.
Stinger-Steered Car Haulers
A stinger-steered car hauler is a tractor-semitrailer combination with its fifth-wheel connection on a drop frame positioned behind and below the tractor’s rearmost axle.
This arrangement is commonly associated with specialized automobile transporters using vehicle-carrying headracks and adjustable trailer decks.
The tractor may have a low-profile cab or other features designed to accommodate vehicles positioned above it. Its headrack and trailer may have separate manufacturers and model years.
When describing this type of rig, identify the tractor, headrack, and trailer individually. Include any known problems with the loading decks, hydraulic system, coupling, frame, or securing equipment.
Stinger-steered transporters are subject to particular federal size provisions. The Federal Highway Administration’s automobile transporter guidance explains those provisions and their relationship to the National Network. The rules do not mean every car hauler can travel on every road without additional restrictions.
Conventional and High-Mount Car Carriers
A conventional or high-mount automobile transporter generally uses a more traditional fifth-wheel location over the tractor’s rear axle area.
The semitrailer carries specialized vehicle-loading equipment, which may include adjustable decks, ramps, wheel pockets, and hydraulic components.
Some combinations also use vehicle-carrying equipment mounted on the tractor.
If you are selling a high-mount rig, provide the tractor and trailer details separately, including the make and model of the carrier equipment when known.
Explain whether the tractor and trailer are currently paired, whether the loading equipment operates, and whether anything has been modified or removed.
A high-mount trailer may use tractor-supplied hydraulic power or a self-contained hydraulic unit, depending on its design. Do not assume one power system applies to every carrier.
Multi-Car Straight Trucks
Some automobile transporters use a single truck chassis fitted with a multi-car carrier body instead of a semitrailer.
These trucks may have a main loading deck, an upper deck, loading ramps, winches, or other installed vehicle-handling equipment. Features depend on the body manufacturer and configuration.
For this type of truck, provide the chassis information, carrier-body manufacturer, mileage, gross vehicle weight rating if known, and details about the decks and installed equipment.
A conventional single-vehicle rollback tow truck is a related but different type of commercial vehicle. Describe it as a rollback if that is what you own.
Specialized and Enclosed Auto-Hauling Trucks
Some trucks are modified or configured for specialized automobile transportation, including applications involving enclosed transport equipment or unusual loading arrangements.
If you have an auto-hauling tractor associated with an enclosed carrier, identify the tractor and describe the trailer or enclosed equipment separately.
The truck can be submitted for consideration, but a purchase of the enclosed trailer itself is not guaranteed.
This page concerns selling commercial trucks and truck-based automobile transport equipment. It is not a service for shipping passenger vehicles.
Why the Truck, Headrack, and Trailer Must Be Described Separately
The condition of a car carrier cannot be established from the tractor’s mileage alone.
A truck may start and drive normally while its headrack has damaged supports or its trailer has inoperative loading equipment. The opposite is also possible: the tractor may have a major engine problem while some attached carrier components remain functional.
Describing each part separately helps avoid misunderstandings about what is being evaluated.
Tractor, Cab, and Drivetrain
Start with the power unit.
Useful details include the engine, transmission, axle configuration, mileage, and whether the truck has a day cab or sleeper. Include known engine hours, drivetrain repairs, or maintenance history when available.
Specialized auto-hauling tractors may have lowered cab profiles, axle arrangements, or suspension configurations designed for automobile transportation. These features vary by model.
For example, Volvo’s VAH range includes purpose-built auto-hauling configurations. The actual specifications of your truck, rather than the general type, should guide its description.
Mention known problems such as:
- Engine or transmission faults.
- Dashboard warnings or emissions-system problems.
- Air-system, suspension, steering, or brake defects.
- Significant frame corrosion or collision damage.
- Missing wheels, damaged tires, or other issues affecting mobility.
Explain whether the truck starts, drives, steers, and rolls. These are separate questions, especially when the truck has been parked for an extended period.
Headrack and Vehicle-Carrying Structure
A headrack, sometimes called a headramp, is specialized equipment mounted on the tractor to support and position transported vehicles.
It may include upper loading platforms, supports, hydraulic components, hinges, pins, and locking mechanisms.
Identify the headrack’s manufacturer and model if available. The equipment may have a different age from the tractor and may have been installed or modified after the truck was manufactured.
Describe visible damage, corrosion, bent components, missing locking parts, or repairs to supporting structures.
If the headrack has been removed, disclose that information. A tractor without its original carrier equipment is not equivalent to a complete operating car hauler.
Hydraulic Decks, Ramps, and Power Systems
Many car carriers use hydraulics to position loading platforms and ramps.
Depending on the equipment, hydraulic power may come from a truck-mounted power take-off (PTO), a separate power unit, or another manufacturer-specified system.
Useful information includes whether the equipment operates and whether any of the following problems are known:
- Hydraulic leaks at hoses, fittings, or cylinders.
- Decks that move slowly, unevenly, or not at all.
- Stuck loading ramps or platforms.
- Damaged or missing locking devices.
- Problems with the hydraulic pump, controls, or power source.
- Previous repairs to cylinders, deck pivots, or structural supports.
Be precise about the affected equipment.
For example, a truck that drives but has an upper deck stuck in position presents a different condition from a non-running tractor with otherwise functional loading equipment.
Do not operate a damaged hydraulic system or climb onto unstable equipment to demonstrate its condition. Describe the problem and provide photographs taken from a safe location instead.
Trailer, Coupling, and Vehicle Securement Equipment
If a car-hauling semitrailer is included, describe its condition separately from the tractor.
Relevant areas include the trailer frame, kingpin and coupling arrangement, suspension, axles, brakes, tires, deck structures, lighting, hydraulic equipment, and loading ramps.
Identify missing or damaged wheel straps, chains, ratchets, securing points, and other carrier-specific hardware.
Automobiles, light trucks, and vans weighing 10,000 pounds or less individually are subject to the securement requirements in 49 CFR 393.128. Those rules help explain why securing equipment matters, but an equipment description is not a substitute for determining roadworthiness or regulatory compliance.
If you do not know whether the equipment is safe to operate, disclose its condition rather than attempting to test it.
Selling an Older, Damaged, or Non-Running Car Hauler
EasyTruckBuyer considers inquiries for used, older, high-mileage, damaged, and non-running trucks. Whether a particular car hauler can be purchased depends on its individual evaluation.
Older Trucks and High-Mileage Auto Haulers
An older automobile transporter may have substantial engine mileage and years of wear on its vehicle-loading systems.
Engine mileage alone does not show how frequently the decks were operated, whether hydraulic components have been repaired, or whether carrier structures have suffered damage.
Available service records can help explain the condition of both the power unit and carrier equipment.
Trucks That Drive but Cannot Load Cars Normally
A car hauler may remain drivable even when its specialized equipment is not functioning properly.
Examples include leaking hydraulic cylinders, damaged ramps, a headrack that no longer adjusts, or missing vehicle-securing hardware.
Explain which functions are affected and whether the problem involves the tractor, headrack, trailer, or more than one component.
You can submit the truck without attempting potentially unsafe repairs or demonstrations.
Non-Running or Accident-Damaged Car Carriers
A non-running rig may have engine failure, drivetrain damage, collision damage, or another condition preventing normal movement.
For an initial evaluation, explain whether the truck starts, steers, rolls, and has functioning brakes. If a trailer is attached, describe whether its condition may prevent safe movement or separation.
Visible structural damage, raised or stuck decks, missing wheels, and significant access problems should be disclosed.
Submitting a non-running truck does not guarantee that a purchase or collection arrangement will be possible.
What Affects a Car Carrier Truck’s Potential Value?
A car carrier’s potential purchase value depends partly on its chassis and mechanical condition, but its specialized equipment is also important.
Two tractors of similar age and mileage can represent very different sale situations when one has a functioning headrack and matching carrier trailer while the other has missing equipment or substantial damage.
Complete Rig Versus Tractor Only
The first question is what the seller owns and wants to include.
A complete tractor, headrack, and trailer combination is different from a tractor-only sale or a straight truck with an integrated carrier body.
The equipment manufacturer, model, completeness, and condition help identify what is being offered.
Including additional equipment does not automatically mean EasyTruckBuyer will agree to buy every component or make a higher offer.
Mechanical and Loading-System Condition
Relevant considerations include engine and transmission condition, mileage, axle and suspension condition, structural integrity, and known repair needs.
For a car hauler, the condition of the headrack, loading decks, hydraulic system, trailer chassis, and securing equipment may also affect the evaluation.
A working tractor with a damaged loading system and a non-running tractor with intact carrier equipment should not be described as though they are the same type of defect.
Equipment Specifications and Maintenance Records
Manufacturer and model information can help identify specialized components and distinguish one carrier design from another.
The actual rated capacity, loading arrangement, power system, and installed options should be taken from equipment documentation when available.
Maintenance invoices and repair records can provide context, but they do not guarantee current condition.
Ownership and Transportation Considerations
The vehicle’s current location, title status, liens, included equipment, and transportation requirements may also affect whether a transaction is practical.
A complete rig in an accessible commercial yard can present different collection requirements from a damaged transporter with an immobile trailer or obstructed access.
No fixed valuation formula, purchase-price range, or guaranteed offer is represented by this guidance.
What to Prepare Before Requesting an Evaluation
You do not need professional photographs or complete maintenance records to begin.
The most useful preparation is to identify the equipment accurately and disclose its known condition.
Identify Each Vehicle and Component
Gather the tractor or straight truck’s year, make, model, VIN if available, mileage, and current location.
For a combination, also identify the trailer’s make, model, year, and VIN when available. If the headrack or carrier body has a manufacturer plate or serial number, include those details if accessible.
A headrack and tractor do not necessarily share a manufacturer or model year.
You can use the NHTSA VIN Decoder to help identify a vehicle, but the decoded information does not replace ownership documents.
Take Photographs That Show the Actual Equipment
Useful photographs include:
- The entire truck or tractor from both sides.
- The cab, dashboard, and odometer.
- The headrack and its mounting structure.
- Upper and lower loading decks, where visible.
- Ramps and hydraulic components.
- The trailer, its wheels, axles, and visible identification plate.
- Damage, leaks, missing parts, or unusual modifications.
Use current photographs. If an area is unsafe to access, describe the problem rather than climbing onto or operating damaged equipment.
Photographs are helpful but are not required to begin the initial inquiry.
Describe Operating and Loading Condition
State whether the truck starts, drives, steers, and rolls.
Describe the carrier equipment separately. Include known hydraulic faults, damaged decks, missing hardware, or loading systems that no longer operate.
If you do not know the cause of a problem, say that it has not been diagnosed.
A clear description of a known fault is more useful than an unsupported claim that the equipment is fully operational.
Gather Available Maintenance and Inspection Records
If available, collect service invoices, inspection records, major repair information, and manufacturer documentation.
Truck records and trailer records may be maintained separately.
Applicable federal periodic inspection requirements concern commercial vehicle operation. They are not a universal requirement for beginning a purchase inquiry.
FMCSA guidance explains that periodic inspection documentation for a combination may identify each unit separately or clearly identify all units on a single document.
Titles, Liens, and Ownership of Car-Hauling Equipment
Before completing an agreed sale, the seller and buyer must establish who owns the equipment and what documents are needed to transfer it.
A tractor and semitrailer may have separate VINs, ownership records, titles, and liens.
If you want to sell both, identify whether the same person or business owns each unit.
If either vehicle is financed, leased, or subject to a lien, disclose that situation. Additional documentation, authorization, or lien resolution may be necessary.
For a business-owned truck, confirm who is authorized to approve the transaction and sign any required documents.
Trailer titling and transfer rules vary by state and equipment. A missing title, registration record, or other ownership document should not be treated as automatically acceptable or automatically disqualifying without reviewing the applicable requirements.
The initial inquiry can begin with the information you have. Completing a transaction may require further ownership verification.
Selling an automobile transporter also does not automatically transfer a transportation business, USDOT registration, or operating authority.
How to Sell Your Car Carrier Truck to EasyTruckBuyer
The process begins with an evaluation request. A submitted truck is not automatically accepted for purchase.
- Submit your truck information. Provide the year, make, model, location, current condition, and car-hauling configuration. Identify any included headrack or trailer.
- Individual evaluation. EasyTruckBuyer reviews the available details to determine whether an offer may be appropriate.
- Additional verification if needed. Further photographs, specifications, documents, or an inspection may be requested to clarify the truck’s condition and included equipment.
- Review a possible offer. If an offer can be made, review the proposed terms and which components are included. You decide whether to proceed.
- Confirm paperwork and payment arrangements. For an agreed purchase, the ownership documents, liens, any remaining conditions, and payment arrangements must be addressed.
- Coordinate collection. If the purchase is accepted and the transaction requirements are satisfied, transportation can be arranged based on the vehicle’s condition, location, and accessibility.
EasyTruckBuyer provides free towing with accepted truck purchases. No universal offer, payment, or pickup deadline is promised.
For more about the general process, visit How It Works.
Transportation and Collection of a Car Hauler
A car carrier may require specialized planning because its dimensions, loading structures, and trailer arrangement differ from those of an ordinary truck.
Is the Tractor and Trailer Combination Movable?
Explain whether the tractor starts, steers, rolls, and has functioning brakes.
If a trailer is attached, describe its tires, brakes, coupling, and whether the combination can be separated safely.
A tractor that cannot start is different from a trailer with locked brakes, missing wheels, or damaged coupling equipment. Both conditions can affect transportation planning.
Are the Loading Decks and Ramps Secured?
Provide the current positions of the headrack decks, ramps, and other movable equipment.
Mention any damaged or stuck hydraulic components, raised decks, missing locks, or other conditions that could prevent safe transportation.
Do not attempt to lower, retract, or secure unsafe equipment yourself simply to prepare for collection.
Is There Enough Access Around the Truck?
Car haulers may require additional clearance because of their length, height, ramps, and other installed structures.
Describe any restricted gates, tight turning areas, overhead obstructions, unstable ground, or other access limitations.
If the carrier is parked at a repair shop, terminal, storage facility, or other controlled property, explain who can authorize access.
If passenger vehicles are still loaded on the carrier, disclose that information. Those vehicles are not automatically included in a truck purchase and may need to be removed or otherwise addressed under separately agreed arrangements.
What Does Free Towing Cover?
Free towing is provided with accepted EasyTruckBuyer truck purchases.
For a specialized car-hauling combination, the equipment included in the purchase and the necessary transportation arrangements must be confirmed for the individual transaction.
Free towing is not a standalone vehicle recovery or car-shipping service. It is not guaranteed for an unsuccessful inquiry, a trailer-only submission, or unrelated equipment.
No collection date or ability to access every location is guaranteed.
Other Ways to Sell a Car Carrier Truck
Different selling options may suit different vehicles and seller priorities.
Private Buyer or Specialist Marketplace
Listing a car hauler privately may help you reach operators looking for a particular truck, headrack, or trailer combination.
You control the description and can negotiate with interested buyers. However, you may need to manage inquiries, inspections, payment verification, documentation, and transportation yourself.
Commercial Truck Dealer or Trade-In
A commercial truck dealer may be useful when replacing an auto hauler or considering another piece of equipment.
Interest in a trade-in depends on the dealer, the equipment, its condition, and the proposed transaction. A dealer may not be interested in every specialized or damaged carrier.
Equipment Auction
An equipment auction may be an option for a complete transporter, a fleet reduction, or equipment being disposed of through a business sale.
Compare the auction’s commissions, sale terms, buyer demand, reserve arrangements, and transportation responsibilities. The outcome and final proceeds are not guaranteed.
Direct Inquiry to EasyTruckBuyer
You can also submit the car carrier to EasyTruckBuyer for an individual purchase evaluation.
This lets you explain the truck’s current condition and specialized equipment before determining whether a direct sale is possible.
If an offer is made, compare the terms with other available selling options and decide which approach works for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Selling a Car Carrier Truck
Can I submit a complete stinger-steered tractor and trailer combination?
Yes. Identify the tractor, headrack, and trailer separately and explain which components are included in the proposed sale. EasyTruckBuyer will evaluate the information without guaranteeing an offer for the complete combination.
What if I am selling the car-hauling tractor without its trailer?
You can submit the tractor for evaluation. Explain whether it still has an installed headrack or other specialized equipment and state that the trailer is not included. The tractor’s configuration and condition will be evaluated individually.
Does EasyTruckBuyer buy standalone car carrier trailers?
A standalone trailer is outside the confirmed truck-purchasing scope of this page. You can contact EasyTruckBuyer to ask about a specific trailer, but do not assume that trailer-only purchases are offered.
Can I submit a car hauler if the upper deck or hydraulics do not work?
Yes. Describe the affected system, the current deck position, any visible leaks or damage, and whether the truck itself remains drivable. Do not operate unsafe equipment to demonstrate the fault. Submission does not guarantee an offer.
What if my car hauler runs but the headrack is damaged?
The truck can be submitted for evaluation. Identify whether the damage involves the headrack structure, mounting points, loading platforms, or hydraulic equipment. Those details help distinguish the truck’s mechanical condition from its carrier-equipment condition.
Can I sell a non-running auto-hauling truck?
You can submit a non-running car hauler. Describe whether it steers and rolls, whether its brakes are functioning, and whether a trailer is attached. These details may affect evaluation and possible transportation planning.
Is a high-mount car hauler the same as a stinger-steered car hauler?
No. The fifth-wheel location is a key distinction. A stinger-steered combination has its fifth wheel behind and below the tractor’s rearmost axle, while a conventional arrangement uses a fifth wheel mounted over the rear axle area. Their trailer designs and applicable length provisions can differ.
Does the truck’s mileage tell me the condition of the loading equipment?
No. Mileage helps describe the tractor, but it does not establish the condition of the headrack, hydraulic cylinders, decks, ramps, or trailer structure. Those components should be described separately.
Do I need separate ownership documents for the tractor and trailer?
The tractor and trailer are separately identifiable vehicles, and their applicable ownership and transfer requirements must be verified. They may have separate titles, liens, or other acceptable ownership documents. Requirements vary by state and vehicle circumstances.
Can I submit an enclosed auto-hauling tractor?
Yes. Describe the tractor and its installed equipment. If an enclosed trailer is part of the proposed sale, identify it separately. EasyTruckBuyer does not guarantee purchase of the trailer or every component in the combination.
Can I submit several car carrier trucks from a fleet?
Yes. EasyTruckBuyer considers fleet inquiries across all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
For each truck, identify its tractor configuration, included headrack or trailer, operating condition, ownership status, and location. Each vehicle remains subject to evaluation.
Will EasyTruckBuyer arrange free towing if my car hauler is purchased?
Free towing is included with accepted truck purchases. Describe the truck’s size, mobility, attached equipment, and location so the specific transportation requirements can be discussed. Towing is not guaranteed merely by submitting an inquiry.
Request an Evaluation for Your Car Carrier Truck
If you are considering selling a car carrier truck, start by identifying the equipment and describing its current condition.
Tell us whether you have a specialized auto-hauling tractor, a multi-car straight truck, or a complete carrier combination. Include what you know about the headrack, loading equipment, trailer, and any mechanical problems.
EasyTruckBuyer has been buying trucks since 2007. We evaluate commercial truck inquiries throughout the United States to determine whether an offer is possible.
You can also review our nationwide truck buying locations or contact EasyTruckBuyer with questions about your equipment.