How to start a car hauling business?

To start a car-hauling business, you must purchase equipment and insurance, fulfill legal requirements, train staff, and sign up for the load board. These steps help you avoid legal issues and start your car-hauling business on the right foot.

How To Become A Hauler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hauler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A hauler operates large and heavy motor vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, to transport goods and materials. Typically, the haulage is sand, cars, building materials, or bulk merchandise for various clients. A hauler ensures the timely pickup and delivery of the load and freight while observing safety procedures and regulations.

Conducting routine maintenance checks before and after trips is also part of a hauler's responsibilities. They keep their vehicles and equipment in check, making sure that everything is in working and safe condition. In case of vehicle problems, they may also perform roadside repairs. Since a hauler spends most of the work hours on the road, they must be familiar with the geography of their place of assignment. They must also know and understand transportation-related local rules and ordinances. Problem-solving and social skills are essential qualities to work efficiently in this position.

Pursuing a career as a hauler requires a valid license and a clean driving record. The minimum education requirement is a high school diploma. Obtaining certifications and completing driving programs are considered a great advantage for this job. Some companies may ask candidates to undergo drug screening and physical examinations.

ScoreHaulerUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,903

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.84%

Asian 3.92%

Black or African American 12.48%

Hispanic or Latino 20.06%

Unknown 4.83%

White 57.88%

Gender

female 9.85%

male 90.15%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.4

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hauler

Explore hauler education requirements

Most common hauler degrees

High School Diploma

49.7 %

Associate

15.6 %

Diploma

13.7 %

Start to develop specific hauler skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	35.10%
Tractor Trailer	25.91%
OTR	11.27%
Work Ethic	7.09%
DOT	4.66%

Complete relevant hauler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New haulers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hauler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hauler resumes.

Research hauler duties and responsibilities

Manage and execute standard operations of a semi-tractor trailer for OTR drop and hook services.
Haul, BMW, Porche, Mercedes OTR
Maintain CDL-B license with HAZMAT and tanker endorsements.
Maintain current training and comply with all PPE requirements.

Prepare your hauler resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hauler resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hauler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hauler resume templates

Build a professional hauler resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hauler resume.

Apply for hauler jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a hauler job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do haulers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Hauler reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023

Pros

Flexible hours, you can kind of control your income, even travel to high demand areas (while traveling) to make bigger money. It’s just nice to be able to go almost anywhere and have an opportunity to make money.

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021

Cons

i need 8 hours sleep but if i did not like to sleep how i can get fresh for driving

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020