For sure new car hauling business  is nothing like it was. In my 44 yr oil industry career when I started we supplied most of the big car haulers in the northeast- for Ford, Nu car, Automobile Transport, for GM, Anchor and for Mopar  M & G Convoy. All teamster for sure.   With the closure of so many regional assembly plants, the transport distance on completed vehicles all of a sudden led to the viability and growth of rail transport.  Now from the rail hubs you see all sorts of small outfits serving the regional market. And often the carriers are not using 10 car rigs but small class five "tractors"-F-550, 5500 Rams etc  pulling 3 car rigs.  Easy entry for the owner/operator.   Will not be a pretty scene at the plant gates for a while IMO.     

Most Civics are around $30,000, and the Accords are in the high $30s and low $40s. That is only "cheap" compared to $60,000 pickups and $75,000 large SUVs.    The Civic is a nice car - so nice that it appears to be taking a big bite out of Accord sales. 

There’s always somewhere to park completed vehicles. They lease huge swaths of land at a time for it when needed. 

Yea, HLDI said the following:   Two Dodge muscle cars, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Charger HEMI, once again top the Highway Loss Data Institute’s list of the most-stolen vehicles for model years 2020-22. Meanwhile, a viral trend targeting Hyundai-Kia vehicles propelled four Kia models into the top 20.   Theft claims for the Charger SRT Hellcat were more than 60 times more frequent than the average for all 2020-22 models, relative to their numbers on the road, while theft claims for the Charger HEMI were more than 20 times higher than average, HLDI’s latest whole-vehicle theft report shows.   Charger and Challenger models with large, powerful engines have featured among the top five most-stolen vehicles since model year 2011, but the frequency of claims has increased at a stunning rate. For 2020-22 Charger SRT Hellcat models, there were 25 whole-vehicle theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years, up from about 18 for 2019-21 models. For comparison, the most-stolen 2017-19 model, the Infiniti Q60, had only 2 thefts per 1,000 insured vehicle years.   “If you own a Hellcat, you better check your driveway,” said HLDI Senior Vice President Matt Moore. “These numbers are unbelievable.”

Retired Teamster here, I didn't work in Carhaul but got notice of an emergency Jack Cooper Teamsters meeting. I suspect Ford has decided to flirt with the "third rail" of U.S. automakers by going to non union carriers. That theoreticly could save a few $$$, but result in the Teamsters throwing up a picket line which the UAW will honor. At best, Ford's savings will be overwhelmed by inconsistent delivery times as there's a very limited supply of auto carrier trucks and qualified drivers- Heck, the plants may get shut down when they run out of places to park completed vehicles!

Many of these Japanese and Korean cars at dealers in my area are closer to $30k, particularly Honda Civic.  Basic Nissan Versa with steel wheels and 5-speed manual start at $17,190 MSRP.  That’s a different level of affordability. 😀

I dunno, going by social media I've seen of them, it seems like they appealed to the lower end of the credit market or stolen more often then not. 

A transport broker is a company that finds carriers for clients who want to transport a load from point A to point B. They have access to a wide network of carriers and connect the clients to the one nearest them.   Asset-based carriers are transportation companies that own and operate the equipment and facilities used to move goods   So take that as you will and I don't think Destination charges are going to change anytime soon-its expensive for everything now.   

Was curious what these brackets may look like; assuming of course they are the ones in question.  Do not see reference to 88 pounds (40 kg) but find mention of off-road use interesting in document below.  It’s a reinforcement but not sure under what conditions it’s needed based solely on this description.    

Kinda sounds like Elon Musk...