Car hauling careers
Updated September 28, 2026
To become a car hauler, earn a Class A CDL, build time driving a tractor-trailer, then learn to load and secure vehicles on a car-haul rig until you have experience a carrier can verify. There is no separate car hauler license.
At Accelerated, we contract with drivers who have 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience.
We are a car-haul carrier, and we have hauled for the automakers since 1999. This guide walks the path step by step: the license, the experience, the credentials that help, and what the work is like.
What a Car Hauler Does
A car hauler moves finished vehicles on a trailer built to carry them. At Accelerated, that means OEM plant, port and rail freight, plus rental cars and used vehicles, delivered to dealers and other customers.
Our rigs carry up to nine cars. Most also have a truck package, the rack that lets you load cars over the tractor as well as on the trailer.
The skill is in the loading. You load each car in order, run the ramps and decks, and strap every vehicle down. Federal rules say a car or light truck of 10,000 pounds or less must be held at the front and rear with at least two tiedowns. Then you unload at each stop, often in a different order than you loaded. Our guide to what a car hauler is covers the rig itself.
How to Become a Car Hauler in 5 Steps
Here is the whole path at a glance. Each step is explained below.
- Class A CDL Permit first, then the skills test
- Tractor-trailer time 3 years of CDL-A driving
- Car-haul loading Learned on car-haul equipment
- 9-car experience 1 year a carrier can verify
- Apply A few minutes from your phone Destination
Step 1: Get Your Class A CDL
You first get a commercial learner’s permit, and you must hold it at least 14 days before you can take the skills test. Before your first Class A skills test, you also finish entry-level driver training with a provider on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.
The skills test has three parts: a vehicle inspection, basic control skills and a road test. To drive across state lines you must be at least 21 and hold a current DOT medical certificate. See how to become a truck driver for every requirement, and how long a CDL takes for the timeline.
Step 2: Build Tractor-Trailer Experience
Accelerated asks for 3 years of CDL-A driving. Those years teach what a car-haul load will test: backing in tight spaces, planning around hours of service, and handling wind, ice and mountain grades.
Drive over the road if you can. Our car haulers run OTR and follow the freight, so long trips are part of the job.
Step 3: Learn Car-Haul Loading
Car hauling is a specialty. You learn it on car-haul equipment, not in a classroom: reading a load plan, clearing height limits, working the decks and strapping each car so it cannot shift.
Before you sign on anywhere, ask the carrier how it teaches loading and who rides with you at first. Get the answer in writing.
Step 4: Build Verifiable 9-Car Experience
Accelerated asks for 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience, on top of 3 years of CDL-A driving. Verifiable means the carriers on your work history can confirm your dates.
- Keep your record clean. Carriers check your driving record and your safety history with past employers.
- Write down your dates. Keep the start and end month for every carrier, even one that closed.
- Know your rig. Note how many cars each rig carried, so your years on a 9-car rig are easy to show.
Not there yet? Our no-experience FAQ explains how carriers verify experience, and our truck driver resume guide shows how to list it.
Step 5: Apply to a Car-Haul Carrier
Once your experience is verifiable, apply. Our application takes a few minutes from your phone, and you do not create an account. Have your CDL, your DOT medical certificate and proof you can work in the US ready. We run your MVR, so you do not need it in hand.
Have your 3 years and your 9-car year? A recruiter reaches out after you apply.
Endorsements and Credentials That Help
A clean Class A CDL and verifiable car-haul time are the core. These help around them:
- DOT medical certificate. Required. You must be medically certified and carry a current certificate on duty. Our DOT physical guide covers the exam.
- TWIC card. TSA issues it after a security threat assessment. It is required for access to secure areas of ports. At Accelerated it is useful, but you do not need one to apply. See our TWIC card guide.
- Hazmat endorsement. Not needed to haul cars. It takes an extra knowledge test and a background check. Our CDL endorsements guide lists the rest.
How Long It Takes
The CDL is the short part. You hold a learner’s permit at least 14 days before the skills test. Truck driving school programs at private schools or community colleges last 3 to 6 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Experience is the long part. To meet Accelerated’s bar you need 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience, so plan in years, not months. School costs vary, and we do not quote them.
What the Job Is Really Like
A car-haul day is physical and exact. Here is how a load runs:
- Check the rig. Before driving, be sure the truck is safe and review the last inspection report.
- Load in order. Follow the load plan, run each car up the ramps and set the decks.
- Secure every car. Strap each one front and rear, then check the load again within the first 50 miles.
- Deliver. Unload at each stop and close out the delivery. Every Accelerated load runs with GPS tracking and Electronic Proof of Delivery.
Our drivers operate over the road and follow the freight, so plan on time away from home. For pay and settlements, talk to a recruiter when you apply. Our truck driver job description lists the duties the rules put on every driver.
Becoming a Car Hauler Dispatcher
Not everyone who likes car hauling wants to drive for a whole career. A car hauler dispatcher matches loads to trucks, sets pickup and delivery times, and keeps drivers, plants and dealers in touch.
Dispatch does not take a CDL. Knowing how a rig loads helps you plan loads that work on the road. Ask carriers directly about dispatch and operations roles.
How to Become a Car Hauler: FAQs
How long does it take to become a car hauler?
Plan in years. The CDL comes first: at least 14 days on a learner’s permit, and school programs of 3 to 6 months. Then experience: Accelerated asks for 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience.
Do you need a special license to haul cars?
No. There is no separate car hauler license. You need a Class A CDL and a current DOT medical certificate. Car-haul carriers look for verifiable experience because loading and securing vehicles is a specialty.
Can you become a car hauler with no experience?
You can start the path with no experience by earning your Class A CDL and driving a tractor-trailer. Accelerated is not a first job: we ask for 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience.
What endorsements does a car hauler need?
None beyond a Class A CDL. A TWIC card helps for secure port areas, but you do not need one to apply at Accelerated. Hazmat is not needed to haul cars.
Is car hauling hard to learn?
Loading takes practice. Loading order, deck work and strapping matter on every load, and you learn them on car-haul equipment. That is why car-haul carriers ask for verifiable experience.
How do you become a car hauler dispatcher?
Dispatch does not take a CDL. It takes planning and clear communication with drivers, plants and dealers. Knowing how a rig loads helps, so driving time is useful. Ask carriers directly about dispatch roles.
Already Have Your 9-Car Year?
With 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience, contract with Accelerated. We run OEM plant, port and rail freight with contract drivers, new and used equipment is available, and we have hauled for the automakers since 1999.
Want to see the rigs first? See the trucks you would run.
Sources
Last checked September 28, 2026. Requirements, freight and equipment are from our careers and equipment pages on that date.
- 49 CFR 383.25, commercial learner’s permit
- 49 CFR 383.71, driver application and training
- 49 CFR 383.113, required skills
- 49 CFR 391.11, driver qualifications
- 49 CFR 391.41, physical qualifications
- 49 CFR 393.128, securing automobiles
- 49 CFR 392.9, inspecting cargo
- 49 CFR 396.13, driver inspection
- TSA, Transportation Worker Identification Credential
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Accelerated, car hauler jobs and requirements
- Accelerated, equipment guide