How to Tow a Car on a Flatbed Trailer: The Complete Guide

Learning to tow a car on a flatbed trailer is one of the most common — and most misunderstood — tasks in towing. Done right, it’s safe, predictable, and relatively straightforward. Done wrong, it can result in a vehicle that slides off during transit, a trailer that sways uncontrollably, or a hitch setup that’s completely overloaded. Whether you’re moving a non-runner, hauling a classic car to a show, or helping a friend after a breakdown, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

Not sure whether you need a full car trailer or just a dolly? See our comparison of a tow dolly vs car trailer.

What You’ll Need: Equipment Checklist

Before you load a single car, make sure you have the right equipment. Improvising on vehicle transport is how serious accidents happen.

Step 1: Set Up the Trailer

Position the trailer on a flat, level surface. If it’s a tilt-deck or dovetail trailer, confirm the deck is locked in the down (loading) position and is resting securely on the ground before you try to drive or push a vehicle onto it. Chock the trailer tires so it doesn’t roll during loading. Make sure the trailer is connected to your tow vehicle before loading begins — an unhitched trailer can tip backward under the weight of the car if the center of gravity shifts.

Level Ground, Chocks and Ramps

Load only on firm, level ground with the trailer tires chocked. Loading on a slope is one of the most common causes of loading accidents. On a tilt bed, release the tilt latch. With removable ramps, seat them firmly in their mounts, confirm they’re locked, and space them to match the car’s track width.

Step 2: Position the Car Correctly on the Trailer

Positioning matters enormously for tongue weight and sway prevention. The goal is to achieve proper tongue weight — approximately 10–15% of the total loaded trailer weight. On most flatbed trailers, loading the car as far forward as possible (within the deck space) creates better tongue weight. An imbalanced load with too much weight behind the axle will create dangerous sway conditions. For more on weight distribution principles, see our guide on Trailer Weight Distribution.

Driving vs. Winching the Car On

Drive up slowly and steadily in low gear with the wheels centered, using smooth throttle and keeping your foot ready on the brake. If the car doesn’t run, use a winch rated for the vehicle’s weight. Never let anyone stand behind or beside a car while it is being winched, and stay out of the strap’s path.

Step 3: Apply Wheel Straps or Axle Straps

Use four straps: two at the front and two at the rear. The straps should pull outward and downward at approximately a 45-degree angle — this creates compression force on the suspension, which helps keep the car planted on the trailer deck. Each strap should be rated for at least 3,333 lbs working load limit (WLL) if you’re using four straps on a 5,000 lb car.

Do not hook straps to suspension arms, brake lines, fuel lines, steering components, or any part of the underbody that wasn’t engineered for tie-down loads.

Step 4: Tension the Straps Correctly

Tighten each strap firmly with the ratchet mechanism. The tires should compress slightly under the strap tension — this is normal and desired. You should not be able to pull significant slack from any strap by hand. Engage the parking brake on the vehicle if possible. If the vehicle has an automatic transmission, leave it in Park. Manual transmissions can be left in gear.

Step 5: Do a Final Inspection Before Pulling Out

Walk around the entire rig and verify: all four straps are tensioned, no strap is riding on a sharp edge, wheel chocks are secured or removed, the trailer hitch is properly connected, safety chains are crossed and attached, and trailer lights are working. Review the full Pre-Trip Towing Checklist before every load.

On the Road: Driving Tips for Car-Loaded Flatbeds

A flatbed trailer loaded with a car handles differently than an empty trailer. The load raises the center of gravity significantly and adds momentum that affects braking and cornering. Reduce your highway speed by at least 10 mph from your normal towing speed. Allow significantly longer following distance — stopping a loaded flatbed takes much longer than stopping a car. Take turns and on-ramps slowly and smoothly.

Check your straps at every fuel stop, especially on the first stop after loading. Vibration and settling during the first 30–50 miles can cause strap tension to decrease. Re-tighten any straps that have loosened. This is a habit professional auto haulers never skip.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using too few straps is the most common error — four straps is the minimum for any passenger vehicle. Hooking straps to non-structural points on the vehicle’s underbody is the second most common mistake and can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Loading the car too far back on the trailer (creating rear-heavy weight distribution) is a frequent cause of dangerous sway on flatbed loads. And skipping the strap tension check mid-trip is how loads arrive shifted or damaged.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I load a car onto a flatbed trailer?

Center the car on the trailer with about 60% of the weight ahead of the axle, drive on slowly and straight, set the parking brake, and secure it with four wheel straps or frame tie-downs at the wheels.

How do you secure a car on a flatbed trailer?

Use properly rated four-point tie-downs, ideally wheel straps that ratchet the tires down to the deck, or rated chains to the frame. Never rely on the parking brake alone.

Where should the car sit on the trailer?

Position the car so roughly 60% of its weight is ahead of the trailer axle to maintain proper tongue weight and prevent sway. Adjust placement based on where the engine sits.

What size trailer do I need to tow a car?

Most cars need a car hauler rated well above the vehicle weight, commonly a 7,000-pound or greater tandem-axle flatbed. Confirm the trailer and your tow vehicle both exceed the loaded weight.

Which way should a car face on a flatbed trailer?

In most cases, load the car facing forward so the heavier engine end sits ahead of the trailer axle. Then confirm you have roughly 10–15% of the total trailer weight on the tongue.

Do you need to re-check the straps after loading?

Yes. Straps settle once you’re moving. Re-tension every tie-down after the first 10–15 miles and periodically on longer trips.

The Bottom Line

Towing a car on a flatbed trailer is straightforward when you follow the right sequence: set up the trailer correctly, load the car forward-biased for proper tongue weight, use four properly rated straps in a pull-down-and-out orientation, tension them firmly, and check them throughout the trip. The same principles of weight distribution, trailer sway prevention, and pre-trip inspection that apply to all towing apply here — just with a heavier, less forgiving load.

Want to build the full skill set for safe vehicle transport and beyond? TowPro Academy’s truck towing course covers weight distribution, hitch setup, sway control, and safe driving techniques in 51 structured video lessons for a one-time payment of $79.

Further Reading

• Trailer Weight Distribution: The Complete Guide for Beginners
• Towing Capacity vs. Payload Capacity: What Every Truck Owner Must Know
• The Pre-Trip Towing Checklist Every Driver Needs
• Trailer Sway Control: Why It Happens and How to Stop It

Read Next

• What Is GVWR?
• What Is Tongue Weight?
• Towing Glossary: A–Z Definitions for Every Tower
• New to Towing? Start Here
• Complete Beginner’s Guide to Trailer Towing

Want this in the right order, start to finish? TowPro Academy’s online trailer towing course covers hitching, loading, backing and emergencies in 51 short lessons for $79 through Oct 31 (regularly $99). Not sure yet? Read online towing course.