Everything ready before the truck arrives.
A dealer trade that goes wrong almost never goes wrong on the road. It goes wrong in the ten minutes at the lot, and it is nearly always one of the same five things. This is the list we would like every store to have taped inside the used-car office door.
What does a dealership need ready for a car hauler?
Keys for every unit, the stock or VIN list matching what is actually on the lot, a signed condition report or photographs, someone with authority present, and clear access with room to turn a nine-car rig. Missing keys and blocked access are the two most common causes of a failed pickup.
Five minutes on the phone saves a wasted morning.
- Confirm every unit runs, or say that it does not'It has been sitting' is not the same as 'it starts'. A dead battery on a unit nobody checked turns a nine-car load into an eight-car load and a two-hour delay.
- Count the keysOne key per unit, present at the lot, in a labelled envelope. A missing key means a locked steering column, and a locked steering column means the unit does not load.
- Check the accessA nine-car stinger is about eighty feet long and needs somewhere to turn around. A back lot behind a service drive with cars parked on both sides is not that place. Tell us at booking and we will send the wedge instead.
- Name a personSomebody at the store who can hand over keys, sign the bill of lading and make a decision. Not 'whoever is on the desk'.
- Give the delivery contact tooThe receiving store needs to know it is coming and who to call. Half of the delivery delays we see are a receiving store nobody told.
What the driver will do, and what you should watch.
- 01
Walk-around and photographs
The driver photographs every unit from all four corners plus the roof and any existing damage, onto the electronic bill of lading. This is the document that settles any claim later. Watch it happen.
- 02
Condition noted, both parties
Existing chips, scratches, cracked glass and missing trim get noted at pickup. Anything not noted at pickup is presumed to have happened in transit — which protects you, so make sure the notes are accurate rather than generous.
- 03
Keys and paperwork exchanged
Keys collected, bill of lading signed by your person, copy left with you.
- 04
Loading order set by the driver
The driver decides which unit goes where, because weight distribution and axle limits are legal requirements, not preferences. A low car goes on top; a heavy truck goes over an axle.
In our experience, in order.
| Problem | What it costs | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| No key for one unit | That unit does not load; the load is rebuilt | Labelled envelope, counted before the truck is called |
| Lot access too tight for the rig | The truck leaves empty or shuttles units out one at a time | Say at booking; we send the wedge or arrange a nearby staging point |
| Unit is not where the stock list says | Twenty minutes of walking the lot per unit | A stock or VIN list that matches reality, sent with the request |
Photographs are the whole claim process. A dealership that lets a driver load without documenting condition has surrendered the only evidence that matters. It takes four minutes. Insist on it, from us and from anybody else.
Straight answers
How many cars fit on one truck?
Up to nine on an open high-rail stinger, three on a wedge. Bigger vehicles reduce the count because a trailer is limited by axle weight, not by slots — nine full-size trucks will not ride where nine sedans would.
How much notice do you need for a dealer trade?
Inside the Upstate, often same day. For a full stinger load or a multi-store run, a day is comfortable. For a scheduled weekly run, put it on a standing dealer-vendor agreement and it stops being a phone call at all.
Who signs the bill of lading?
Somebody at the store with authority to confirm the condition of the vehicles. It is a legal document that decides who pays for damage, so the person signing should have walked around the cars.
What if a vehicle is damaged in transit?
Note it on the delivery bill of lading before the driver leaves, photograph it, and report it within twenty-four hours. The pickup photographs and the delivery photographs are compared side by side, which is why both sets matter.
Read next
Dealer groups
A standing dealer-vendor agreement, one call for trades, auction-to-frontline and customer deliveries, and photos at both ends.
Read onAuto transport
Open car hauling across the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee with photo-documented eBOLs, winch capability and same-day dispatch.
Read onAuctions & fleet
Manheim, Copart, IAA, ADESA and CarMax runs; rental de-fleet and in-fleet moves; remarketing subcontract capacity.
Read onStill want a person to answer it?
We would rather talk you out of the wrong service than sell you one. Tell us what you are moving.