NASCAR, or the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, operates the most popular racing series in the United States, with 26 races a season in the Cup Series, 26 races in the Xfinity Series, 15 races in the Camping World Truck Series, and a wide variety of international and regional series. With so many races a year, it takes an extreme amount of coordination to make sure all the cars, the tools, the parts, and the support equipment make it to each race location on time and in good condition. Here is an overview of how the shipping logistics work for NASCAR, one of the largest and most popular sporting events in the nation.
NASCAR Home Base
NASCAR is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is also the location of the home track, the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Many of the 16 full-time teams that compete in the races are based in Charlotte or nearby, and each team operates at least one semi-truck or tractor-trailer to transport their cars and equipment from race to race. Many teams operate two or more semi-trucks for redundancy, especially on long trips to the West Coast, and teams that have more than one car entered in the race may operate three or more semi-trucks.
The Transporters
The transporters, or the trucks that carry the cars and equipment to the races, are not the typical semi-trucks that we rely on for everyday interstate commerce. Each transporter is fully decorated with the logos of the NASCAR team’s sponsors, including the truck and trailer, and each trailer hauls two cars plus the tools, supplies, food, and equipment required for the race. Each truck typically has a driver and a codriver for long, uninterrupted trips, and the trucks feature sleepers and offices to stay rested and connected on the road.
The Racing Schedule
The NASCAR season lasts 38 weeks, with races typically happening on Sundays. There are 23 tracks on the NASCAR circuit, with 15 on the East Coast, 4 in the Midwest, and 4 on the West Coast. The transporters handle the bulk of moving cars, equipment, and supplies from race to race, typically arriving at the destination track on the Thursday or Friday prior to the race. The driver and codriver are hired directly by each racing team, and they are some of the most important members of the organization.
Most other staff, including the race drivers, fly from race to race. With such a busy schedule, teams often alternate divers and trucks from week to week to provide plenty of time for transport, and they may use multiple transporters for distant races on the West Coast.
Third-Party Shipping and Logistics
For all the other equipment that is not handled by the teams and their transporters, NASCAR relies on a third-party shipping and logistics firm to arrange shipments for critical parts and equipment. This shipper may use air freight, ground freight, FTL truck shipping, or LTL truck shipping as necessary to get the goods to the race on time, or sea freight and air freight for international race destinations.
Reliable Shipping & Logistics for Your Las Vegas Business
Most businesses do not need the complex shipping solutions that a NASCAR team requires, but they do need cost-effective, dependable shipping and logistics that ensure their products make it to their customers on time. That’s where AMR Group comes in. We provide Las Vegas businesses with reliable shipping and logistics, both nationwide and worldwide. We feature a large international network, and we ship to 60 countries globally. Whether you need domestic FTL and LTL shipping, or international sea freight and air freight, we can help.
Give AMR Group a call today at 702-800-6385 or contact us online to request your custom shipping quote in the Las Vegas area.
