Car transporters at a glance: articulated combination, truck with trailer and 3.5-tonner, capacity, dimensions under the German StVZO and StVO, technology, manufacturers and buying used.
A car transporter carries vehicles as cargo: new cars from the factory to the dealer, lease returns to auction, used vehicles for export. Two hydraulically adjustable loading levels allow low and tall vehicles to be nested into one another – all within 2.55 m of width and 4.00 m of height. Which types exist, how many cars fit on them, which length rules apply and what to look for when buying used.
In Germany, the legislator speaks of vehicle transporters: § 32 para. 7 StVZO (the German road vehicle licensing regulations) distinguishes “combinations of vehicles in the manner of road trains for the transport of vehicles” and “articulated vehicles for the transport of vehicles” – two designs, each with its own length rule.
Technically, the continuous load floor is missing. Instead, deck elements, i.e. narrow deck plates with wheel recesses, carry the vehicles individually. They hang from lifting devices and are adjustable in height and inclination; the vehicles drive on under their own power or are pulled up by winch.
A tractor unit pulls a double-deck semi-trailer. For this, § 32 para. 7 StVZO refers to para. 4 no. 2: 16.50 m, provided the semi-trailer observes the partial lengths of 12.00 m between the kingpin axis and the rear boundary and a front overhang radius of 2.04 m. It is manoeuvrable and quick to swap, but offers fewer loading spaces because the tractor unit does not carry any load.
A rigid truck with a transporter body pulls a likewise double-deck trailer; via para. 7, § 32 para. 4 no. 4 applies here, with 18.75 m. Depending on the type, the Kässbohrer metago pro body measures 11,270 mm or 12,300 mm at a width of 2,550 mm and weighs 4,450 kg to 5,350 kg unladen; the matching trailer measures 10,300 mm at 6,850 kg to 7,750 kg. Because the rigid truck carries load too, this is the highest-capacity variant.
For individual vehicles – recovery services, car dealers, motor racing – there are bodies on light chassis. The Algema BLITZ is marketed as a 3.5-tonner without truck toll and, depending on the chassis, offers up to 7 t gross vehicle weight, around 4,800 mm of loading length, about 2,100 mm of loading width and an approach angle of roughly 12°. A drive-over trailer such as the FIT-ZEL EURO-TRANS takes a second vehicle: up to 2,850 kg of payload at 3,500 kg gross vehicle weight.
Units for one to ten cars are usual; in heavy-duty haulage the common load is eight to ten vehicles. Loading is always in a double-deck system, for example four vehicles on top and four below. The number depends on vehicle size: a set of small cars fits in configurations that no longer work out with SUVs. The Kässbohrer supertrans states a clear passage height of 1,900 mm, the metago pro 1,900 mm or 2,050 mm depending on type.
In Germany, § 22 para. 1 StVO requires securing that holds even under full braking or sudden evasive action, in accordance with the recognised rules of technology. For vehicle transporters this is made concrete by the German VDI 2700 sheet 8 together with sheets 8.1 and 8.2. Two methods face each other: tie-down lashing increases the friction between tyre and deck plate by means of straps, while wheel chocks act positively and block the wheel. The guideline tests the two in combination and requires five individual tests: deck elements, wheel chocks, lashing equipment, strap controller and body. Manufacturers of deck plates must demonstrate a sliding friction coefficient of at least 0.4. The rules have applied since 1 September 2024 without a transition period.
Open transporters dominate the market because they offer more loading spaces and are lighter to build, but they expose the vehicles to the weather and stone chips. Closed units, known in the trade as enclosed carriers, carry exclusive saloons, prototypes and classic cars. The price is weight: the Kässbohrer capitan weighs from 12,500 kg unladen at 28,000 kg gross vehicle weight and measures 13,600 mm in length.
Lohr from Hangenbieten near Strasbourg describes itself as the world market leader in the car transporter business and generates about 80% of its revenue from exports; its series are called Eurolohr, Performer and Maxilohr. Kässbohrer Transport Technik offers the open series metago pro, supertrans, variotrans and modolan as a rigid-truck body and trailer, as well as the closed semi-trailers capitan and ecotrans. Rolfo from Bra in Italy builds EGO, FLX, SYSTEM, POWER and AURIGA R2, FVG Fahrzeugbau from Wildeshausen the CarLiner and the HeavyLiner with modular loading levels. In the light segment, ALGEMA FIT-ZEL with BLITZ and EURO-TRANS is the established name.
Articulated and drawbar combinations require category CE: a towing vehicle of category C, i.e. over 3,500 kg permissible gross mass, plus a trailer over 750 kg; minimum age 21 according to the German motoring club ADAC. Category C is sufficient for a rigid truck without a trailer. Vehicles between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg fall under C1, the combination of a C1 vehicle and a trailer over 750 kg under C1E, limited to 12,000 kg.
In the 3.5 t segment, category B is enough as long as vehicle and trailer together do not exceed 3,500 kg. The key number B96 raises the combination to 4,250 kg, BE permits a trailer over 750 kg up to 3,500 kg. Details are in the overview of the truck driving licence in Germany.
Car transporters are special-purpose equipment with a narrow circle of buyers: vehicle logistics companies, dealerships with a fleet, transfer services. The residual value therefore depends less on mileage than on the condition of the hydraulics, the number of loading spaces and whether the body reflects today’s vehicle sizes and the requirements for load securing. Units with adjustable levels and a documented inspection history hold their value better than rigid older designs. At the lower end, export stabilises prices, as the article on exporting used trucks shows. A concrete figure for your vehicle is provided by the free valuation; after that, verified dealers from 35+ countries make binding offers – sell your commercial vehicle with truckoo.
The articulated combination may measure 16.50 m, the combination of truck and trailer 18.75 m – in Germany, § 32 para. 7 StVZO refers to para. 4 no. 2 and no. 4 for this, and the same maxima appear in Annex I point 1.1 of EU Directive 96/53/EC. With projecting load, § 22 para. 4 StVO applies in Germany: a vehicle or combination including its load may not be longer than 20.75 m.
Units for one to ten cars are usual; in heavy-duty haulage the common load is eight to ten vehicles on two levels. The number depends on the length and height of the load.
Category CE for articulated and drawbar combinations, C for a rigid truck without a trailer. Vehicles from 3,500 kg to 7,500 kg fall under C1, the combination up to 12,000 kg under C1E; in the 3.5 t segment B is sufficient, with a trailer B96 or BE.
By wheel chocks, which block the wheel positively, and by tie-down lashing equipment. § 22 para. 1 StVO (Germany) requires securing that holds even under full braking; VDI 2700 sheet 8 calls for a sliding friction coefficient of at least 0.4 for deck plates.
4.00 m. In Germany, this limit applies to the vehicle under § 32 para. 2 StVZO and to vehicle and load together under § 22 para. 2 StVO; Annex I point 1.3 of Directive 96/53/EC gives the same 4.00 m.
Gabriel Böhm is Managing Director of truckoo GmbH, the digital platform that is redefining commercial vehicle trade in Europe. With a passion for innovation and efficiency, he shapes the strategic direction and drives operational excellence to connect sellers and buyers smarter, faster and more transparently.
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