Stinger & High-Mount Car Hauler Straps

A stinger car hauler is a highly specialized tractor-trailer setup designed specifically for multi-car transport. On a stinger setup, the trailer connects to a low-mounted fifth wheel located behind the tractor’s rear axle rather than in the traditional position above it. This low connection point allows the trailer deck to sit lower and creates space for a vehicle to be carried above the tractor cab in the “head rack” position. The low, protruding fifth wheel makes the truck-tractor resemble an insect with a tail, which is where the term “stinger” comes from.

A high-mount car hauler uses a more conventional fifth wheel position mounted above the tractor’s rear axle, similar to standard semi-trailer configurations. Because the trailer sits higher relative to the tractor, high-mount setups generally cannot use a true head rack position over the cab like a stinger can. However, the traditional fifth wheel location gives operators more flexibility, since the tractor can typically be used with other trailer types beyond dedicated car-hauling equipment.

In practice, both trailer types are used in professional auto transport and often use similar vehicle securement equipment. The primary difference is the tractor-trailer architecture and fifth wheel placement rather than the tiedown system itself.

Several manufacturers specialize in multi-level car hauling equipment for commercial auto transport. Manufacturers known for their production of high-capacity (8–11 car) stinger and high-mount car haulers include: Cottrell Trailers; Boydstun Equipment Manufacturing; LOHR, N.A.; Wally-Mo, Inc.; and Sun Valley Trailers. The following manufacturers are known for producing medium-capacity (4-7 car) multi-level high-mount car haulers: Sun Country Trailers; Kaufman Trailers; Take 3 Trailers; Infinity Trailers.

Trailer architecture varies significantly between manufacturers and trailer models, and those differences directly affect tiedown selection. In practice, securement compatibility is primarily influenced by four factors:

(1) whether the trailer includes built-in ratchet boxes;
(2) what type of securement system those ratchet boxes were designed to accommodate;
(3) the strength and design of the trailer decking; and
(4) the position and movement of sliding decks relative to tiedown attachment points.

Some car hauler trailers include integrated ratcheting systems built into the trailer itself. On trailers without built-in ratchet boxes, the tiedown assembly must include its own ratchet tensioning system. However, many older trailer designs were originally intended for use with cluster chain securement systems rather than wheel straps. As a result, operators using wheel straps on these trailers may require complete ratchet wheel strap assemblies or retrofit hardware that allows existing chain ratchet boxes to accommodate strap-based tiedowns.

Trailer decking also plays a major role in securement compatibility. Wheel strap assemblies typically attach to the trailer by inserting hooks through perforations in the trailer deck plating. To safely secure a vehicle, the decking itself must be capable of supporting the required working load limit (WLL) of the tiedown system.

Even when the trailer deck is structurally sufficient, the size and shape of deck perforations often vary substantially between trailer manufacturers and models. These variations determine which hook styles can physically engage the trailer deck. Smaller or narrower deck holes require narrower hooks, which can limit both the working load limit and the types of tiedown assemblies that can be safely used on that trailer.

Sliding deck design can also affect tiedown selection. On some multi-level car haulers, moving decks or closely positioned ramps may interfere with certain ratchets, hooks, chain tails, or wheel strap routing configurations. In these situations, operators may need to modify the trailer, change tiedown attachment locations, or use a different securement configuration altogether.

For this reason, experienced operators select tiedown equipment not only based on the vehicle being transported, but also on the loading geometry and operational constraints of the trailer itself.