Car hauler load profit calculator
Enter the cars on the load, the rate per car, miles, fuel and costs. You get the trip's profit and what each car really earns after everything.
By Gustavo · Updated October 2026
PROFIT THIS TRIP
- Gross
- $1,350
- Fuel
- -$193
- Dispatch fee
- -$95
- Profit per car
- $279
$279 per car. An empty spot costs you a full car's pay; we fill spots before you roll.
How it is calculated
- Gross = cars x rate per car.
- Fuel = (loaded + deadhead miles) / mpg x diesel price.
- Other costs = miles driven x other cost per mile.
- Dispatch fee = gross x fee %.
- Profit = gross - fuel - other costs - fee. Per car = profit / cars.
Worked example
EXAMPLE
- 3 cars x $450
- $1,350
- Fuel, 500 mi at 10 mpg, $3.85
- -$193
- Other, $0.45 x 500
- -$225
- Dispatch fee 7%
- -$95
- Per car
- $279
Fill only two spots on the same run and gross drops to $900. Profit falls to about $514, and per car to about $257. Drop to one car and the trip barely covers fuel and costs. That's why the first question on any car hauling offer is what else is going the same way.
Car hauling rates: what changes the number
- Spots filled. The biggest lever. Every car you add on the same route is mostly profit.
- Non-running vehicles. Need a winch and more time; charge for it.
- Size. Pickups and large SUVs take more weight and space than sedans.
- Pickup and delivery points. Dealers and auctions load fast; homes may need a meetup spot.
- Route. Busy corridors fill backhauls; dead ends don't.
Wedge vs semi car haulers
A hotshot with a 3-car wedge trailer can often run non-CDL if the combined rating stays at 26,000 lb or under. See 3-car hauler trailer non-CDL. It costs less to run but carries fewer cars. Semi car haulers carry more cars per trip and need a CDL. Wedge setups are pickup-based, so their dispatch works a lot like hotshot dispatch: payload and deck first. Use your own mpg and costs for your rig.
Damage and paperwork
Car hauling has costs the calculator doesn't show: inspections at pickup and delivery, photos of every panel, and the time to do them. A damage claim can wipe out a week's profit, so document each vehicle's condition on the bill of lading before you load it. Check your cargo coverage covers the vehicles you haul, especially higher-value ones.
Good and bad results
A healthy profit per car with all spots full is the goal. Thin profit with empty spots means the next job is filling the trailer, not finding a higher rate. Negative profit at full load means the rate per car or the route needs work.
Loads matched to your trailer
We look for loads that fill your spots in the same direction, and plan the next pickup near the last drop. You approve every load, and the rate confirmation comes straight to you. See car hauler dispatch, or run any other load in the load profitability calculator.
Questions about this calculator
Q01Is car hauling profitable?
It can be, when the trailer runs full and the empty miles stay short. An empty spot costs you a full car's pay, and long deadhead to the first pickup eats margin fast. Run the numbers on each trip.
Q02How are car hauling rates set?
Usually per car, set by the distance, the route, the type of vehicle (running or not, size), open or enclosed, and the season. Dealer and auction moves, private moves and rental fleets all price differently.
Q03What are car hauling rates per mile?
Divide the total for all cars by the miles driven, deadhead included. Short runs often pay more per mile than long ones, and the per-mile number swings with how full the trailer is.
Q04What is the car hauling cost per trip?
Fuel, tolls, repairs and tires, insurance, your truck payment spread per mile, and the dispatch fee. Put the running costs in the other cost per mile line.
Q05Why does the dispatch fee default to 7%?
That's our rate for hotshot wedge car haulers. Semi car haulers with 6+ months of authority are 5%, and fleets of two or more trucks are 4%. Change it to your rate.