How to Load and Tie Down a Car on a Rental Trailer

You've booked a car hauler trailer rental and now you're looking at an open deck wondering exactly how this is supposed to go. The ramps are down, the car is running and no one has explained the actual sequence.

Drive on at the wrong angle and a low-clearance bumper contacts the ramp. Attach the tie-down straps in the wrong place and you've secured the car by a body panel that wasn't designed to hold a vehicle at highway speeds. Skip the post-loading check and you find out something shifted 40 miles down the road. None of these are hard problems — but they all happen on first rentals where no one walked through the steps in advance.

Here's the complete sequence: positioning the trailer, loading the car, attaching the tie-downs correctly and confirming everything is right before you pull out of the driveway.

Before You Load: Trailer Position and Ramp Setup

Position the trailer on level, firm ground

The trailer should be on flat, firm ground before the car approaches the ramp. Soft ground, a cross-slope or a front-to-back grade all affect how the car loads and how the trailer sits once the vehicle's weight is on the deck. Load with the trailer still connected to the tow vehicle — an unhitched trailer can tip under the shifting weight of the car as it drives on. Before the car approaches, chock the tow vehicle's rear wheels so it can't roll forward under load.

• Keep the trailer connected to the tow vehicle during loading — don't unhitch to load
• Flat, firm ground only — grass, soft gravel or sloped surfaces create instability
• Chock the tow vehicle's wheels before the car approaches the ramp

Deploy the ramps and check clearance

Fold-down ramps should be fully extended and resting flat on the ground before the car moves toward them. Check that both ramps are locked or seated in their deployed position — a ramp that shifts while the car is halfway on it is a tip hazard. For vehicles with low front-end clearance, walk the approach angle before loading and measure how much room the front air dam or bumper cover has at the transition point. Contact at the approach is far better discovered on foot than with the car already committed to the ramp.

• Both ramps fully deployed and resting flat on the ground before the car approaches
• Engage ramp locking pins or retaining clips if the trailer has them
• Low-clearance vehicles: walk the ramp and check front-end clearance before loading

If the car cannot be driven onto the trailer — dead battery, mechanical failure or damage — the loading approach changes significantly. A non-running vehicle requires a winch and a different weight distribution plan. Confirm the specific trailer has a winch before booking for a non-running load.

Loading the Car

Line up the car directly behind the trailer, centered on the ramps, before beginning the approach. A crooked approach puts one wheel at or near the ramp edge — the car needs to be straight before it moves forward.

Have a spotter stand to the side of the trailer — not behind it — to watch wheel tracking on both ramps and call a stop if anything looks wrong. The driver has limited visibility of the ramp edges from the seat, and a spotter catches drift before a wheel goes off the edge.

Drive slowly and steadily up the ramps without stopping partway up. A vehicle that stops with its drive wheels on the ramp can spin in place and dig into the ramp surface. Steady, controlled momentum carries the car onto the deck cleanly.

Stop with the front wheels at or just past the front of the deck — weight should sit roughly 60% forward of the trailer's axle. Confirm both front wheels are on the deck surface, not hanging past the front edge. Apply the parking brake and put the transmission in park (automatic) or in gear (manual) before getting out to rig the tie-downs.

Attaching Tie-Down Straps Correctly

Attach to the wheels or frame — not the body

Knowing how to tie down a car on a trailer starts with knowing where to attach the straps. The straps must connect to structural points — parts of the vehicle designed to hold its weight under load. For passenger cars, two methods work reliably: wheel straps, which loop around the tire and through the wheel opening, and frame hooks, which attach to dedicated tie-down points under the vehicle's frame or subframe.

Bumper covers, body panels, suspension arms and exhaust components are not structural tie-down points. A strap hooked to a plastic bumper cover may hold for the first few miles and release on the highway — or it will pull the cover off entirely. If the frame tie-down points aren't obvious on the specific vehicle, use wheel straps. They work on any car without requiring knowledge of the particular frame layout.

• Wheel straps: loop around the tire and through the wheel — reliable on any vehicle
• Frame tie-down points: dedicated hooks or loops on the vehicle's underside near the wheels — consult the owner's manual if their location isn't clear
• Never attach to: bumper covers, body panels, exhaust components, suspension arms or underhood hooks not rated for transport

Four straps, front and rear, pulling in opposing directions

Four straps minimum — one at each wheel position. Front straps angle forward toward the trailer's nose; rear straps angle backward toward the trailer's tail. This opposing tension resists the car moving forward under hard braking and rearward under acceleration. Two straps are not sufficient for highway transport regardless of their individual rating.

Straps should be taut with minimal slack — tight enough that pushing on the car produces no visible movement, but not so tight the tire is compressed under the wheel strap. Ratchet straps are standard for vehicle transport. Cam buckle straps are not rated for vehicle tie-down at highway speeds and should not be substituted.

• Four straps minimum — one per wheel
• Front straps: angle forward; rear straps: angle toward the trailer's tail
• Ratchet straps only — not cam buckle straps
• Taut with no slack — test by pushing on each corner of the car after rigging

Check the trailer's anchor points before rigging

Before attaching any strap, inspect each D-ring or anchor point on the trailer deck. Look for bending, cracking or movement at the weld. A D-ring that flexes or rotates at its base when pressure is applied is not a safe attachment point. If any anchor point is damaged or insufficient, do not load — contact the rental partner before proceeding.

• Inspect each D-ring before use — look for bending, cracking or movement at the weld
• Four anchor points minimum — one near each wheel position
• Damaged or loose anchor points: flag to the rental partner before loading

For the complete tie-down framework — working load limits, strap ratings and DOT requirements for commercial transport — see our flatbed load securing guide.

Pre-Drive Check

Before leaving the loading site, run through these five items in order.

All four straps are taut. Push on each corner of the car — there should be no visible movement in any direction. If a strap has slack, ratchet it down before moving.

Parking brake is off. Apply it during loading to keep the car stationary while rigging straps, then release it before the trailer moves. Transporting a car with the parking brake engaged on a long haul can damage the rear brake components or drums.

Ramps are fully stowed. Fold-down ramps must be raised and secured before the trailer moves. A ramp dragging on the road surface damages the ramp and creates a hazard for other vehicles.

Trailer lights are functioning. Walk around with someone watching the brake lights and turn signals before pulling onto the road. A burned bulb or disconnected plug is easier to fix in a parking lot than on the side of a highway.

Check straps again at the first stop. Straps settle under load during the first 15–20 miles. Pull off at the first opportunity and re-tighten any that have developed slack before continuing.

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, including coverage for the vehicle being transported.

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.

The Short Version

Level ground, centered approach, four structural tie-down points and a pre-drive check before leaving. That sequence covers the steps that get skipped on a first rental and create problems on the road. If you're still deciding between a car hauler trailer and an auto dolly, see our comparison of car trailer vs. auto dolly before booking.

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