DIY
Towing a car behind a moving truck: loading the dolly, the checks, and the rules
Tow a car behind a moving truck on a dolly or a carrier the brand allows with that truck, and match the car's drivetrain to the gear. Load forward on level ground, strap and chain the car, then recheck after about 100 feet, after the first five miles, and every 50 miles.
Anthony BaleMoving industry professional, author and writerReviewed 29 September 2026
Tow dollies and car carriers as each brand prints them, read 28 Sep 2026. Max load is the car's weight.
| Brand | Device | Max load | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| U-Haul | Tow dolly | 4,080 lb | Front wheels up. Most front-wheel drive cars; rear-wheel drive needs the driveshaft disconnected. 55 mph max. |
| U-Haul | Auto transport | 5,290 lb | All four wheels up; for rear and all-wheel drive. Own brakes. 55 mph max. |
| Penske | Tow dolly | Not printed | Front-wheel drive as is. Rear, four or all-wheel drive: driveshaft disconnected and removed. Not for mid or rear-engine cars. |
| Penske | Car carrier | 4,055 behind a 16'; 5,000 behind a 22' or 26' lb | Only with a Penske truck. |
| Budget | Tow dolly | 3,300 (car weight) lb | Front-wheel drive only; car no wider than 76 in at the front tyres. Cannot be backed up. |
| Budget | Car carrier | Not printed | For all-wheel and rear-wheel drive. Only with a 16' or 26' truck. |
Dolly or carrier first
A dolly cannot take mid or rear-engine cars.
Match the car to the gear before you book. A tow dolly carries the front wheels and leaves the rear on the road, so the car must have lockable steering. Rear, four or all-wheel drive cars need the driveshaft disconnected and removed for a dolly, or the transmission will be damaged even in neutral. Otherwise use a car carrier. A dolly cannot take mid or rear-engine cars.
Towing gear is only rented with a truck. Penske staff show you how to hook up but do not do it for you. Penske's 16 ft is its smallest truck that tows, and Budget tows only with its 16 and 26 ft trucks. Published limits differ by brand and by truck: see the towing rules and which truck sizes can pull a car. Haulest is not a truck rental company and earns nothing from any brand.
Loading the car
Never back a car onto a dolly.
Line the truck and dolly up straight on level ground. Drive the car forward slowly onto the dolly with someone guiding, until the front tyres rest against the wheel stops. Never back a car onto a dolly. Center the car so the weight sits evenly, then lock the platform before you touch the straps. A helper on the ground beats a confident driver who cannot see the wheel stops.
Tighten the tyre straps with no slack. Keep the inside strap clear of brake and suspension parts so it cannot rub a line or a joint once you are moving. Chain the platform to the car frame with a little slack, enough for the chain to move and not so much that the car can walk sideways. If the straps still have play, stop and redo them before anyone talks about leaving.
Before you drive off
Nothing and no one rides in the towed car.
Release the car's parking brake before you travel. Lock the steering straight so the front wheels stay true on the dolly. Take the keys and lock the car. Nothing and no one rides in the towed car. Do not leave a passenger, a pet, or a loose load in the seat as a shortcut. If the steering will not lock, this setup is wrong for that car.
Check the published weight and width limits. U-Haul lists a dolly at 4,080 lb and an auto transport at 5,290 lb. Penske lists a carrier at 4,055 lb behind a 16 ft truck and 5,000 lb behind a 22 or 26 ft truck. Budget lists a dolly at 3,300 lb and 76 inches wide at the front tyres. If the car is over the figure for your truck, that combination sits outside what the brand published.
On the road
Budget's dolly cannot be backed up.
Check everything after about 100 feet. Stop again after the first five miles, and then every 50 miles, and look at the straps, chains, coupler and ramps, as Penske's checklist says. If a strap has slack or a chain is dragging, fix it in a safe place before you continue. Read how to drive a moving truck with a car in tow.
U-Haul prints a 55 mph maximum with a dolly or auto transport. Treat that as the ceiling for that brand's gear, and leave more room to brake than the truck needs alone. Budget's dolly cannot be backed up. Plan every arrival so you can pull through or unhook. If the only way into the driveway is in reverse, unhook the dolly first and move the truck by itself.
Where it goes wrong
The transmission is the expensive failure.
The transmission is the expensive failure. Rear, four or all-wheel drive cars need the driveshaft disconnected and removed for a dolly, or the transmission will be damaged even in neutral. Leaving it connected and hoping neutral is enough is how a tow ends in a repair. A carrier is the other published option when the driveshaft has to stay on the car.
Small misses cause the rest of the trouble. Never back a car onto a dolly. Slack in the tyre straps, an inside strap on a brake line, or a chain with no slack can all move the car on the platform. Skipping the stop after about 100 feet means you find those problems at highway speed instead of in the lot. Insurance questions sit in moving truck rental insurance, and rental pricing sits in truck rental costs.
Before you hire
Four checks before a deposit
Written estimate after a look
Interstate movers must give the booklet and a written estimate after a survey or a full description. A $499 ad is not an estimate.
FMCSA Protect Your MoveLegal name matches SAFER
USDOT on the paper, the truck doors, and the census. A different name is the walk.
USDOT / Companies House lookupWalk from cash and blank paper
FTC: unregistered interstate, huge deposit, cash only, or a blank contract. Photograph and leave.
FTC: hiring a mover110% on a COD non-binding job
Pay up to 110% plus agreed extras and they must hand over the load. Not a cap on extras you signed.
US interstate rules
Reviewed 29 September 2026 by Anthony Bale. Numbers on this page carry their own dates.
Ask out loud
Questions people ask
- Can you back a car onto a tow dolly?
- No. Drive the car forward slowly onto the dolly with someone guiding, until the front tyres rest against the wheel stops. Never back a car onto a dolly.
- Can you tow an all-wheel drive car on a dolly?
- Rear, four or all-wheel drive cars need the driveshaft disconnected and removed for a dolly, or the transmission will be damaged even in neutral. Otherwise use a car carrier. A dolly cannot take mid or rear-engine cars, and the car must have lockable steering.
- Will the rental staff hook up the dolly for you?
- Penske staff show you how to hook up but do not do it for you. Towing gear is only rented with a truck at Penske and at Budget. You still load, strap, and chain the car yourself.
- How often should you stop to check the tow?
- Check everything after about 100 feet, again after the first five miles, and then every 50 miles. Look at the straps, chains, coupler and ramps. U-Haul also prints a 55 mph maximum with a dolly or auto transport.
- What weight can the dolly or carrier take?
- U-Haul lists a dolly at 4,080 lb and an auto transport at 5,290 lb. Penske lists a carrier at 4,055 lb behind a 16 ft truck and 5,000 lb behind a 22 or 26 ft truck. Budget lists a dolly at 3,300 lb and 76 inches wide at the front tyres.
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About Anthony Bale
A moving industry professional, author and writer. Anthony has been at different positions in the industry for the last 10 years, gaining significant knowledge on the relocation process. He himself has moved 6 times already, which helped him explore the other side of the moving process.
At Haulest he writes the US cost, hiring, and rights pages, reading the licensed review file every week so the numbers on the page are the numbers people reported.
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