Digital Guide • Instant Download

✓ Direct links to official resources
✓ Less time searching
✓ Avoid unnecessary paid setup services
✓ Built from real towing experience

FROM: I’m interested in getting started with towing or vehicle transport, but I’m overwhelmed by trucks, trailers, weight limits, licensing, equipment, and what I actually need to do first.

TO: I understand the basics of a non-CDL towing setup, what requirements and equipment I need to research, and the next steps to take toward getting started safely and confidently.

A Beginner's Guide to Getting Started, Staying Legal & Knowing Where to Go

Starting a towing or auto transport business can get overwhelming fast.

What kind of truck do you need? What can you tow without a CDL? How do weight ratings work? Do you need a DOT number? What about an MC number, insurance, business registration, apportioned plates, permits, equipment, or state-specific requirements?

And sometimes the hardest part isn't even knowing what you need.

It's figuring out where to go to get it.

We've already done a lot of the research for you.

One of the most valuable parts of this guide is the collection of direct links and resources we've already researched and organized to help you find the official information you need to get started.

When you're new to this industry, an internet search can lead you through page after page of third-party websites, advertisements, paid filing services, and companies offering to handle basic registrations and setup steps for a fee.

Some services can certainly be useful. But there are also many things you may be able to research, file, or set up yourself without paying someone else simply to point you in the right direction.

This guide helps point you toward the source.

We've gathered the starting points and official resources in one place so you can spend less time trying to figure out which website you need, what you're looking for, and where to begin.

That alone can save you hours of research, unnecessary frustration, and potentially money spent on services you may not need.

What You'll Find Inside

This guide walks through the major things a beginner should understand and research before getting started, including:

• Non-CDL towing and what it actually means

• GVWR, GCWR, weight ratings, and why they matter

• Choosing a truck and understanding your setup

• Business and licensing considerations

• DOT and operating-authority basics

• Insurance considerations

• Registration and other setup requirements

• Equipment and safety considerations

• Questions to ask before spending money

• Direct links and resources to help you find official information and requirements

• Real-world lessons we've learned from years of working in towing and auto transport

Built From Real Experience

We're Brenda and Wayne, the husband-and-wife team behind Durrett Recovery and Axles & Acres.

We've spent years in towing and auto transport, hauling thousands of vehicles and learning plenty of lessons along the way.

We didn't create this guide because there's only one right way to build a towing business.

We created it because starting is a whole lot easier when you know what questions to ask, what you need to research, and where to go to find reliable answers.

There are things we know now that would have saved us time, money, wrong turns, and frustration when we were figuring it out ourselves.

This guide is our way of passing some of that along.

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is especially helpful if you're:

• Considering starting a towing or auto transport business

• Trying to understand whether a Non-CDL setup could work for you

• Researching trucks, trailers, licensing, insurance, or DOT requirements

• Overwhelmed by conflicting information online

• Unsure which websites or resources to trust

• Trying to avoid paying for unnecessary setup services

• Looking for a practical starting point before investing significant money

What This Guide Won't Do

This isn't a promise of overnight success, a substitute for legal or regulatory advice, or a one-size-fits-all checklist that can tell every operator exactly what they need.

Requirements can vary based on your state, locality, equipment, weight, type of operation, and where you travel.

You are still responsible for verifying the current requirements that apply to your specific business.

What this guide will do is give you a clearer starting point, help you understand what you need to investigate, and provide direct resources that can make that research much easier.

Start Smarter

You don't have to figure out every part of this business from scattered internet searches.

We've already done a lot of the digging.

Use the guide. Follow the resources. Go directly to the source. Ask better questions. And make your decisions with a little more confidence.

If what we've learned can save you a few hours, a wrong turn, or money you didn't need to spend, then this guide has done exactly what we created it to do.

Axles & Acres
Built from Durrett Recovery

One acre and one mile at a time.

Information is based on our personal experience in the towing and auto transport industry. Requirements, regulations, and business needs may vary by location. Always verify current federal, state, and local requirements.