The Big Rentals Guide to Towing a Car Hauler Trailer in and around Dallas, TX

DFW is enormous, and moving a car in the area is a long haul. The dealers, the auctions and the private sales are spread across a flat, fast metro with no grades to slow you, so a car haul in DFW is about distance and speed rather than hills.

A strap that's a little loose works itself looser over 40 highway miles. A tire runs hot under a car in Texas heat. Drift into the HOV lane and you find out a trailer isn't allowed in it. This guide covers the car haulers that match real Dallas loads, the Texas rules that apply the second you couple up, and the distance, heat and traffic that make a car hauler trailer rental in Dallas its own particular job.

Why Dallas Renters Choose Car Haulers

DFW is one of the largest metros in the country, with a huge dealer, auction and private-sale market. Cars move constantly across the metroplex to new owners, shops and lots, and a car hauler is how they get there when they can't or shouldn't be driven. Read more about how open and enclosed car haulers compare.

Texas runs on trucks, project vehicles and classics, and the show and swap scene keeps cars moving on trailers all year. Plenty of those are project cars and auction buys that don't run under their own power yet. Read more about how to tow a non-running vehicle with a rented car hauler.

The metro's size is its own factor: a "local" car haul in DFW can be 40 miles or more each way. Wherever the car is headed, you'll find trailer rentals across the Dallas area from local owners near you.

Texas Towing Laws Every Car Hauler Renter Should Know

A loaded car hauler usually needs brakes

Texas requires trailer brakes once the loaded trailer exceeds 4,500 lb (Transp. Code § 547.401), the highest single threshold in this series. A car hauler runs roughly 2,000 to 2,800 lb empty, so add a 3,300 lb car and you're over 4,500 lb — a very light car on a light open hauler can sit under it, but most car hauls clear it. Assume you need working brakes and a breakaway, and confirm the trailer's brakes, the breakaway and your tow vehicle's brake controller. Check the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) before you book. Read more about what GVWR means and how to read it.

Securing the car

Texas requires the load fastened so nothing shifts or falls (Transp. Code § 545.410). For a car that means four rated tie-downs to the car's designated points — not to suspension components — with the parking brake set and the car in gear. A car that shifts on the deck wasn't tied down tightly enough, and it's the most common thing that goes wrong on a car haul, so recheck the tie-downs after the first few miles. Read more about how to load and tie down a car on a rental trailer.

Speed, and the length that sets it

Texas ties towing speed to trailer length. A passenger car or light truck towing a trailer under 20 ft runs at the posted limit, as high as 75 mph on some Texas highways, while longer or heavier combinations can be held to 60 mph. Most car haulers behind a pickup are around 18 to 20 ft, so know your trailer's length and watch the posted signs rather than assuming the car's speed limit is yours.

The HOV lane and the tollways

A trailer can't use the North Texas HOV lanes, regardless of how many people are in the cab, so stay in the general lanes. And the NTTA tollways charge by axle, so a car hauler bumps you into a higher toll class than your truck alone. Plan your route and your lane knowing both. Read more about what hitch and tow vehicle you need to pull a car hauler.

Matching a Car Hauler to Your Vehicle and the Car

Deck length and the car

Car haulers commonly run 16 to 20 ft of deck. Measure the car rather than trusting the category, because a long sedan, a classic with overhang or a full-size truck uses more deck than people assume. Check the trailer's payload against the car's curb weight too: a midsize car runs 3,000 to 4,000 lb, and a full-size truck or SUV climbs past that quickly.

Ramps, clearance and the winch

A lowered or low-clearance car drags on a steep ramp, so match the ramp angle and deck height to the car. If the car doesn't run — a project or an auction buy — you need a winch and a plan, so confirm the trailer has a working winch before you go get it.

Open or enclosed

Texas sun and hail are hard on a nice car over a long haul, so an enclosed trailer earns its cost for a classic, a show car or a fresh paint job. For a daily driver or a project shell, an open deck is fine and simpler.

Hitch, brake controller and where the car sits

Match the coupler to your ball size, confirm the receiver is rated for the loaded trailer and confirm the brake controller works. Put the car forward on the deck for 10% to 15% tongue weight, because too far back and the trailer sways. Use four rated tie-downs and recheck them after the first few miles.

The Long Haul, the Heat and the Traffic

Distance at speed

A DFW car haul is long and fast, so secure the car for the speed you'll actually run and recheck the tie-downs at your first stop, because miles and vibration are what loosen a strap. A car creeps forward under repeated braking, and a little movement, repeated, is how a tie-down goes slack.

Heat and tires

Texas heat plus a car's weight is hard on trailer tires, so check pressure when the tires are cold, watch the sidewalls and don't run past the date code. A blowout at 70 mph with a car on the deck is exactly the failure to prevent.

The HOV lane you can't use, and the tolls

It's worth repeating, because DFW traffic tempts you toward the fast lane: a trailer stays in the general lanes, not the HOV lane, and the tollways bill by axle. Neither is a reason to rush.

Metroplex traffic

I-635, I-35 and the tollways run heavy for most of the day, so give yourself long, planned merges and lane changes with a car on behind you. A loaded car hauler doesn't accelerate or stop like your truck alone, so leave room and don't count on squeezing into a gap.

Insurance and Damage Protection

What about insurance and damage protection?

Before towing a rented trailer, contact your auto insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability and towing-related damage claims.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions, and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

One thing worth being clear about: that protection applies to the trailer. The car riding on it is a separate conversation, and for a valuable car it's one to have with your own insurer before pickup day.

Ready To Book?

Size the deck to the car, confirm brakes and a winch, secure the car at four points, and remember the trailer stays out of the HOV lane. Do that and a car hauler is the most reliable way to move a car across a metro this size. When you're ready, browse car hauler trailer rentals in Dallas from local owners near you.

The Short Version

• Car haulers move DFW's huge dealer, auction and private-sale market across a flat, fast, sprawling metro, plus the state's deep truck and enthusiast culture.
• A loaded car hauler is generally over Texas's 4,500 lb brake threshold, so assume brakes and a breakaway (Transp. Code § 547.401).
• Secure the car with four rated tie-downs to its designated points, parking brake set and in gear. A car that shifts wasn't tied down tightly enough.
• Texas ties towing speed to trailer length — posted speed up to 75 mph under 20 ft, 60 mph for longer or heavier combinations, so know your trailer's length.
• A trailer can't use the North Texas HOV lanes even with a full cab, and the tollways charge by axle.
• Match the deck and payload to the car, choose enclosed for sun and hail, and keep 10% to 15% of the weight on the tongue.