How to Haul a Car You Bought Out of State Home to Sarasota
You found the car in Macon, or Greenville, or a barn outside Charlotte, and the seller wants it gone by the weekend. Now it has to get to Sarasota without a scratch, on your schedule, not somebody else's.
Transporters make sense when you ship cars all the time or cannot make the trip yourself. For a single car, renting an enclosed car hauler and driving up puts the dates, the loading, and the total in your own hands.
Our 20-footer carries a 10,000 lb winch for cars that do not run, and the two 16-footers cover sports cars, small classics, and bikes. Here is how to plan the run, from picking the trailer to pulling out of the yard at 5 AM.
Pick the trailer, then count the days
All three trailers are 8.5 ft wide with 7 ft of interior height, a rear ramp door, electric brakes, a 2-5/16 inch ball coupler, and a round 7-pin plug. Each carries a spare, tire aid, an impact gun for a roadside tire change, and LED lighting inside and out. Our enclosed car hauler guide covers show and race cars in more detail.
Know your truck's numbers before you book
A half-ton pickup with a tow package handles the 16-footers and most cars in the 20-footer. A three-quarter-ton is more comfortable with a heavy classic on a long interstate run. Electric trailer brakes are run by a brake controller in the tow vehicle, so make sure yours has one that works before you commit to the 20-footer. The tow guide covers the ratings.
What the 20-footer weighs loaded
- Empty weight: about 3,600 lb
- GVWR: 10,000 lb
- Payload: roughly 6,400 lb
- With a 3,500 lb car aboard: over 7,000 lb behind your hitch
| Trailer | Rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Diamond Cargo 8.5 x 20 ft | $165/day, $1,000/week | Full-size cars, race cars, non-runners. 10,000 lb winch, E-track with four straps, low-profile racing ramps or a dolly on request. |
| 2025 Hook & Line 8.5 x 16 ft V-nose | $125/day, $750/week | Smaller classics, sports cars, motorcycles. 5,000 lb axles, 16 ft of flat floor before the V-nose. |
| 2024 Haulmark Transport 8.5 x 16 ft | $125/day, $750/week | Compact cars, motorcycles, side-by-sides. |
Atlanta is a long day each way and the Carolinas are longer. Map the trip before you book: drive up, load, sleep, drive home. For most of Georgia that is three days at the daily rate. If an auction release or a slow seller stretches the trip to a week, book the weekly rate instead of seven daily days. Monthly rates exist too.
If the seller runs late, extend from your phone, as long as the trailer is free behind you. Booking takes about a minute online. The total with sales tax shows before you pay, paying in full locks the dates, and you sign the agreement on your phone. A valid driver's license and proof of auto insurance are required for every rental. An optional damage protection plan caps what you would owe for accidental trailer damage at a set copay.
Bringing home a car that will not run
Book the 20-footer. Its winch is rated at 10,000 lb, which is what you want for a car that cannot move under its own power. Ask for the low-profile racing ramps when you book if the car sits low, and ask for the dolly if a wheel is seized. Bring what the seller will not have:
- A helper: one on the winch, one steering.
- A 12V compressor; tires that held air last month may not today.
- Wheel chocks, gloves, and a headlamp.
- A recovery strap or shackle rated well above the car's weight.
- The key. A locked steering column turns a winch job into a drag job.
Aim for roughly 60% of the car's weight ahead of the trailer axles, which on most front-engine cars means the front bumper well past the middle of the floor. Too far back and the trailer sways at speed.
Strapping a car that will not roll
A dead car cannot be nudged forward to settle the straps. Chock the wheels, then cross the straps front and rear on the frame or through the wheels, never on suspension arms or bumper covers. Snug each strap, then go around again, because tightening one loosens its neighbor. Leave the winch cable hooked as a backup, never as the only restraint. Re-tighten after the first mile, and if a seized wheel rode in on the dolly, strap the dolly down too.
Paperwork to get from the seller before you load
Do not touch the winch until the paper is in your hand. A seller two states away is hard to chase once you are home. Florida's title rules are on the FLHSMV site; read them before you leave, then ask the seller for:
- The original title, signed and dated in the seller section, with no cross-outs.
- A bill of sale with the VIN, price, date, and both signatures.
- A lien release if the title shows a lender, even a paid-off one.
- A photo of the seller's ID beside the title. Names should match.
Match the VIN on the dash to the title and photograph both. Photograph the odometer, all four corners of the car, and anything already scratched or dented, so there is no argument later about what left the seller's driveway. Ask your insurer how they want a car in transit covered.
At the yard at 5 AM: hookup, then north
Our yard is at 3180 Arapaho Street in south Sarasota, a few minutes off US-41 near Gulf Gate. Hours are 8 AM to 7 PM every day, but contactless pickup runs around the clock. Your access code is texted when the rental starts, so set the start time to when you actually plan to leave. Want to see the trailer in person first? Pick up during hours instead.
Before you pull out:
- Coupler seated on the 2-5/16 inch ball, latched and pinned, and every connection between tongue and truck hooked up.
- 7-pin plugged in; a helper confirms running lights, brakes, and both signals.
- Tire pressure checked cold on trailer and truck.
- Towing mirrors on and brake controller gain set, then set again once loaded.
Plan fuel stops with room to pull through; an 8.5 ft wide trailer is no fun to back out of a tight lot. At every stop, touch each hub with the back of your hand. Warm is fine; too hot to hold means a bearing or a dragging brake. Check the straps at the same time. Coming from Bradenton or Venice? Ask us about delivery.
Book the trailer before you send the deposit
Cars sell fast, so lock in the trailer as soon as the seller says yes. See real-time availability and book online, or call 941-893-0444 with questions about your truck or the route. Whether you are in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch, or North Port, the trailer is here and the code comes to your phone when the rental starts.