What does 'carrying a vehicle' mean?

[DanteFitz]

Carrying a vehicle is a practice aimed at saving costs such as toll fees, fuel expenses, and tire wear. It refers to long-distance drivers placing one vehicle on the cargo bed of another vehicle, making it appear as if they are carrying a car. While this method is effective and cost-saving, it is highly dangerous and can lead to severe traffic accidents. It has been deemed illegal by some traffic authorities and is now prohibited. The main reasons for not transferring ownership after a vehicle transaction include: the license plate registration location being too far away, making the transfer process costly; vehicles used as debt collateral, where the car may have been involved in multiple debt cycles; deceased owners with unregistered vehicles; transferring both the license plate and the car in areas with purchase restrictions; out-of-town vehicles unable to be registered locally due to migration restrictions; and some scammers selling converted commercial vehicles as low-priced 'carrier vehicles'.

[JosephLynn]

A car carrier is when one vehicle transports another, typically a large flatbed truck carrying a sedan over long distances. Over my years driving heavy trucks, I've frequently taken on car carrier jobs—mainly hauling new cars for 4S dealerships or transporting used cars across regions for ownership transfers. This prevents new cars from accumulating mileage during factory delivery and spares owners the worry of highway scratches or dents. When choosing a car carrier company, three things matter: check if they have special permits for oversized loads, verify that the transport insurance covers the full vehicle value, and ensure the wheel-securing anti-slip chains are sturdy. Some illegal carriers overload with five or six cars, making rollovers likely during sudden brakes.

[LeviMarie]

Last time I moved across provinces, I used car hauling service to transport my old SUV directly from Beijing to Guangzhou by trailer. This option offers great cost performance—driving 2,000 kilometers myself would consume four tanks of gas plus two nights of hotel stays, totaling expenses comparable to professional car hauling fees. Nowadays, placing orders via mobile apps is very convenient—just input the vehicle model and pickup/drop-off locations to get instant quotes. However, beware of low-price traps. My neighbor once used an unlicensed hauling service, and the side mirror got shattered by tree branches with no compensation offered. Reputable companies provide real-time GPS tracking and progress updates via WeChat groups, plus joint pre-loading/unloading inspections with video documentation of vehicle conditions.

[WalterFitz]

Car hauling is quite common in the car enthusiast circle, and the modified cars in our club all rely on hauling services. Especially for cars with air suspension that sit extremely low, they can easily scrape the chassis when loading onto regular tow trucks. Professional car hauling companies use hydraulic lift platforms to gradually adjust the angle, and workers even place anti-slip wooden blocks under the tires. I remember one time during a track event when there was heavy rain, my friend's high-performance tires had poor water drainage and he didn't dare drive on the highway, so he called for a hauling service to transport the car directly to the track entrance. Those who drive performance cars understand—hauling fees are much cheaper than buying a new set of tires.