How to Tow a Car With a Truck When Moving

When you’re moving across the country and you have a car, then the most logical option is to hire professional movers to transport your belongings while you drive the car yourself together with your family members – including any pets, of course.

However, if you cannot drive your car for some reason – you’re flying to a new home, the car is not in working condition, or you have an extra vehicle, then you should consider hiring an auto shipping company to transport the car to wherever you need it to go.

Things can get really interesting though when you’ve rented a moving truck as part of your bold plan to move by yourself AND you have a car that also has to reach the new home.

In such a case, the easiest option is to use, once more, professional car moving services… but that’s rarely the cheapest option. When moving on a budget, then an alternative low-cost option is to tow your car behind the moving truck.

Here’s everything you need to know when towing a car with a moving truck – from understanding the difference between the available towing equipment (tow dolly vs. car transport trailer) to the cost of towing a vehicle with a moving truck.

Car shipping vs. car towing

To make the right decision in your particular case, you just have to know the major differences between car shipping and car towing in terms of cost, safety, and convenience.

Once you’re able to compare the two car transportation options, you’ll know which method should be the best way to transport your car without actually driving it to the final destination.

Cost

As you can expect, shipping your car with a car transportation company will be the more expensive option of the two.

Depending on major factors such as move distance, car size, vehicle weight, shipping method, insurance, and season, the average car shipping cost will start from around $500 for short hauls and will go to about $1,500 for long-distance trips, and sometimes even more.

Professional car shipping services are not as expensive as household moving services, but shipping your vehicle with a professional car shipper will still eat up a big chunk of your overall moving budget.

How much does it cost to tow a car?

Towing a car with a moving truck will cost you much less than using professional car shipping services. In most cases, car towing will cost less than half of what shipping a car costs.

For example, renting a tow dolly for a move distance of 500 miles will cost roughly $90, while for a move distance of 1,000 miles, it should cost around $230.

Renting a vehicle trailer will cost about $120 for a 500-mile trip and roughly $460 for a distance of around 1,000 miles.

Auto tow protection can be purchased for an additional $60-$150. Also, budget more money for gas since you’ll be refueling more often when towing your car. The thing is that moving trucks will get worse gas mileage when they’re towing a vehicle.

Safety

Without a doubt, towing a car behind a moving truck is far riskier and much more dangerous than trusting one of the best car shipping companies in the country. And here’s why:

• Maneuverability. Moving trucks are long enough even without anything else attached to them. Therefore, the moment you add the length of a vehicle trailer onto the back of the truck, the overall maneuverability of the two connected vehicles will suffer – turns will be much more difficult to make while backing up and parking will be almost impossible to pull off. Also, the moving truck will need more time to come to a complete stop due to the extra weight and the momentum that the additional load creates.
• Swaying. Swaying can be a serious problem when two vehicles are towing each other. It usually happens when the truck driver swerves abruptly to miss a pothole on the road, resulting in the trailer or tow dolly starting to swerve seriously and often uncontrollably, thus creating a potentially dangerous situation for everyone on the road.
  To minimize the effect of swaying, you should load your car as close to the front of the trailer as you can.
• Road debris. Whether you’re using a tow dolly or a trailer, your car will be riding in the open, meaning that it will be exposed to potential damage from various road debris such as flying pebbles, rocks, or trash thrown from other passing vehicles. As a result, your car could suffer chips, scratches, dents, or any other type of damage.
  If you want the best protection for your vehicle, then you should choose enclosed shipping offered by a top-rated long-distance car shipper.

Convenience

Towing your car behind a rental truck is not easy at all and the whole car towing experience may prove to be much more stressful and inconvenient than you thought.

Hiring an auto shipper to transport your car is relatively easy and stress-free while towing a car with a moving truck involves plenty of preparation even before you hit the road:

• Installing a tow hitch, if necessary;
• Locking safely the trailer or car dolly to the rental truck;
• Hooking up the electric connections;
• Loading the car onto the dolly or trailer; and
• Securing the car onto the dolly or trailer.

It’s important to note that failure to follow any of the rental company’s rules and requirements may void the warranty, so you should read the fine print carefully and stick to the regulations.

Speed of delivery

Unless you pay a car shipping company more money for expedited car shipping (aka express auto transport), it’s safe to assume that towing your car with a moving truck will be the faster vehicle transportation option.

The reason for this is that auto transport companies make multiple pick-ups and deliveries between cities with the purpose of keeping their trucks as full as possible. This is all part of their goal of maintaining high efficiency and offering competitive prices to their customers. The downside is that deliveries on long-distance moves can sometimes take weeks.

Therefore, if you need the car as soon as you reach the destination, your best option seems to be to tow your own car behind the moving truck. After all, the vehicle will be ready to use right after you unload it from the car dolly or the car trailer.

How to Ship a Car to Another State

Car trailer vs. car dolly

When you’re leaning toward towing your car behind the truck you’ve rented from one of the best truck rental companies in the country, then the next big decision to make is whether you should use a car trailer or a car dolly to tow your car.

Both towing options are used primarily to move cars over a long distance but there are some major differences between them – differences which you should know well in order to pick the right car towing device in your case.

Car trailer

A vehicle trailer has four wheels and the towed car rests comfortably on it, entirely off the ground.

Auto transport trailers have a maximum weight capacity of 5,300 lbs. which makes them suitable for towing larger and heavier vehicles such as SUVs and 4×4 trucks.

Vehicle trailers are more secure than car dollies because they are equipped with an extra safety feature – automatic brakes. With a car trailer, the towed vehicle does not get into contact with the road, meaning there won’t be any wear and tear on your car in the long run.

Car dolly

A car dolly is a two-wheel trailer that will only support the two front wheels of a vehicle while the rear wheels will remain on the ground and will keep on turning during the entire relocation trip.

Renting a car dolly is usually less expensive than renting a car trailer, but the dolly has a number of limitations too: it is only suitable for front-wheel drive vehicles, it cannot support vehicles that are too heavy (the weight capacity of a car dolly is 3,500-3,900 lbs.), and it is less secure than an auto transport trailer.

If your car has a low ground clearance, it cannot be towed with a car dolly due to the high risk of damage to its body, bumper, or undercarriage parts.

So, should you rent a car trailer or a car dolly when you wish to tow your car with a moving truck?

• Cost. Car dollies are generally cheaper to rent but, as explained above, they come with a number of limitations and inconveniences. In most cases, the principle that you get what you pay for applies when towing a car with a truck.
• Design. Car dollies will keep your car’s rear wheels on the ground, meaning that you will still put serious mileage on those tires, thus wearing them out faster. If you wish to keep those hundreds of miles off the rear tires of your vehicle, then rent a trailer instead.
• Safety. Car trailers are much safer than car dollies, there won’t be any wear and tear of the wheels and the risk of possible damage on the road will be minimal. Trailers also come with automatic brakes, so if safety is a concern, as it should be, you’d be better off towing your car inside an auto transport trailer.
• Maximum load capacity. For smaller and lighter cars, a tow dolly may be enough to do the trick. However, if you own an SUV or a pick-up truck, then you’ll need to get a trailer.

Even though you’ll pay a bit more, the recommended way to tow your car with a moving truck is to rent a car trailer since the investment should be well worth it in the end.  

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Moving Truck?

How to load your car onto an auto transport trailer: 16 steps

By now you should have already made up your mind whether a car trailer or a car dolly is the right choice for your car towing needs.

If you’re still not sure which way to go, then do consult the truck rental company you’ll be renting the truck from – the specialists there will surely point you in the right direction depending on the vehicle you want to tow behind their truck and the total distance to the final destination.

When using a vehicle trailer to tow your car (it’s the recommended towing option except you’re moving on a really tight budget), you’ll definitely want to know how to load your car onto an auto transport trailer. Here are the detailed steps to do just that.

• Step 1. Attach the trailer to the hitch on the back of the truck. Use the instructions provided to you by the truck rental company. Make sure the coupler hand wheel is tight and the ball clamp is below the coupler, over the hitch ball.
• Step 2. Make sure the safety chains are secured through the S-hooks and rubber retainers. Those safety chains should not touch the ground.
• Step 3. Check whether the trailer wiring lead is properly connected so that the trailer lights work as they should.
• Step 4. Park your car and the car trailer in line with each other to facilitate the vehicle loading process. Do this on level ground.
• Step 5. Disengage both straps – located at the back of the car trailer – from the ratchet spool. Do this by pulling the release lever and lifting up the handle until the straps are freed.
• Step 6. Lay the disengaged straps flat along the trailer deck.
• Step 7. Lower the trailer fender that’s located at the driver’s side of the car. The idea here is to be able to get out of your vehicle safely once you park it onto the auto transport trailer. To lower the fender, release the two side latches that hold it in place, then rotate the fender and pull it down.
• Step 8. Disengage the loading ramps by releasing the latches, then pull out those ramps all the way until they are fully extended and touch the ground firmly.
• Step 9. Center your car behind the vehicle transport and drive slowly up the ramps until the front tires reach the stoppers at the end of the trailer.
• Step 10. Stop the engine, place the gear stick in Parking, and engage the parking brake, then exit your car carefully while watching your step to avoid an accidental slip.
• Step 11. Raise the fender and secure it in place using the two latches.
• Step 12. Lift the ramps and slide them back into the car trailer until they click in place.
• Step 13. Align the ratchet with the center of the right front tire. Wrap the tire straps up and over the front wheel – make sure the straps are centered and in good contact with the tire. Insert the strap through the slot on the ratchet spool, then tighten the ratchet, then fold the handle when the strap is well tightened.
• Step 14. Repeat the above step for the left front tire to secure it as described.
• Step 15. Fasten the security chains to the frame of the car but avoid getting in contact with any wiring, hoses, or brake lines. Secure the chains using the S-hooks and rubber retainers.
• Step 16. Do one final check that everything looks optimal and that you haven’t forgotten to complete an important step.

15 Tips for Driving a Moving Truck Cross Country

How to load your car onto a tow dolly: 13 steps

In case you’re moving on a tight budget, you’re towing a front-wheel drive car, and the vehicle is not too big or too heavy, then you may choose to tow your car on a tow dolly instead of on an auto transport trailer.

Here’s how to load a car onto a tow dolly:

• Step 1. Attach the tow dolly to the hitch on the back of the rental truck. Use the instructions provided by the truck rental company. Make sure the coupler hand wheel is tight and the ball clamp is below the coupler, over the hitch ball.
• Step 2. Make sure the safety chains are secured through the S-hooks and rubber retainers. Those safety chains should not touch the ground.
• Step 3. Check whether the trailer wiring lead is well connected so that the tow dolly lights work properly.
• Step 4. Release the latch pins and pull out completely both loading ramps.
• Step 5. Disengage both straps from the ratchet spool. Do this by pulling the release lever and lifting up the handle until the straps are freed.
• Step 6. Lay the disengaged straps flat along the tow dolly deck.
• Step 7. Center your car behind the tow dolly and drive slowly up the ramps until the front tires come to rest against the stoppers.
• Step 8. Secure the steering wheel using the seat belt. Make sure the parking brake is NOT engaged as you exit your car.
• Step 9. Align the ratchet with the center of the right front tire. Wrap the tire straps up and over the front tire, making sure the straps are centered and in good contact with the tire. Insert the strap through the slot on the ratchet spool, then tighten the ratchet, then fold the handle when the strap is well tightened.
• Step 10. Repeat the above step for the left front tire to secure it as described.
• Step 11. Fasten the security chains to the frame of the car but avoid getting in contact with any wiring, hoses, or brake lines. Secure the chains using the S-hooks and rubber retainers.
• Step 12. Lift the ramps and slide them back into the car trailer until the latch pins reengage.
• Step 13. Do one final check that everything looks optimal and that you haven’t forgotten to complete an important step.

How to Move by Yourself (DIY Moving)

How to tow your car behind a moving truck

Now that you’ve secured your car onto the car trailer or car dolly, it’s time to drive the truck to the new home. However, you’re about to tow your car behind the moving truck, so there will be some extra dangers on the road for you.

Here are some crucial things you have to remember while towing a car with a moving truck:

• Be ready to experience limited maneuverability when driving the rental vehicle due to the combined length of the moving truck and the trailer or dolly. Making sharp turns and parking will be tough while backing up will be almost impossible to do.
• Give yourself more braking time – when you’re towing a car behind a moving truck, the truck will take longer to stop completely due to the extra weight. That’s why it’s important that you go easy on the brake and start slowing down early to avoid sudden braking.  
• Avoid swerving suddenly or accelerating too abruptly to avoid a phenomenon known as swaying. As explained above, a case of sudden swerving may lead to the trailer or dolly swaying from side to side uncontrollably, thus creating a really dangerous situation on the road.
• Stay in the slow lane for as long as you can as changing lanes with a loaded moving truck and a car attached to it is a difficult maneuver to pull off. Whenever possible, avoid overtaking other vehicles on the road. For example, U-Haul recommends that you don’t drive faster than 55 miles per hour when you’re towing a car with a rental truck.
• Stop fairly frequently to check whether everything looks fine with the auto transport trailer or car dolly. Check the hitch and the coupler, as well as the tire straps and safety chains. If needed, tighten the tire straps a bit more as they are likely to get slightly loose during the haul.

Driving a large moving truck on a long-distance move is a tough job, especially if you’ve never done something like that before.

But driving a rental truck while towing your car behind it is a much more challenging task that hides plenty of potential dangers for you and other drivers on the road.

To save plenty of time in preparation, avoid a crazy amount of stress on the road, and eliminate the possibility of having an accident while towing your car with a moving truck, do yourself a favor and trust one of the best auto shippers in the country.