Spiderman Truck: A Real-Life Hero on the Road

By George L. Nitti Carl Thompson has been in the towing industry for 32 years, but his latest truck is turning more heads than ever. Nicknamed the "Spider-Man Truck," this custom-designed, four-car carrier is a workhorse and a rolling tribute to one of the most iconic superheroes of all time.

Thompson’s rig is a 2023 Freightliner equipped with a Century aluminum bed that can haul up to four vehicles at a time. The lower deck stretches 30 feet, while the upper deck adds another 10 feet. Thanks to its hydraulic-powered tilting mechanism, loading and unloading vehicles is seamless, particularly when handling total-loss cars destined for auctions at IA and Copart.

“I pick up total-loss cars from body shops, mechanical yards—anywhere they need to be moved,” says Thompson. “Insurance companies pay out for these cars, and they need them transported to auction so salvage yards can bid on them. I do that every single day.”

While some in the industry use smaller two-car carriers, Thompson’s four-car setup gives him a financial advantage. “If I’m getting paid $150 per car, that’s $600 per trip. A regular rollback driver only makes $300 in that same time,” he explains. “It’s all about volume.”

Despite his expertise, Thompson has faced his fair share of risks. The biggest danger? Loading on the side of the road.

“I almost got hit more times than I can count. ‘Slow Down, Move Over’ laws are there for a reason, but not everyone obeys them,” he says. “The scariest moment, though, was when I fell off the top deck. My hand slipped, and I went down hard—broke both my forearms.”

Remarkably, he was back at work the next day, maneuvering his truck with casts covering his hands up to his elbows. “It was painful,” he admits. “But the truck’s automatic, so at least I didn’t have to shift.”

The truck’s eye-catching design was Thompson’s vision. When he joined Body Works Towing, located in Leesburg, Virginia, the vehicle was a plain red truck. Not satisfied with its look, he pitched an idea to the company’s owner, who allowed him to create a custom wrap. The result? A vibrant Spider-Man theme featuring webs reimagined as tow chains.

“We already had another truck with an Iron Man wrap, so I thought, why not Spider-Man?” Thompson explains. “I spent about two weeks designing it, working with the wrap shop’s design team to make sure every detail fit perfectly. Two days later, the wrap was done.”

Though the Spider-Man truck gets plenty of attention, it’s a tool of the trade. Thompson takes pride in his work, sometimes mentoring new drivers. “I’ve trained people to operate these trucks. After about three days, they get the hang of it,” he says. “It’s really just like playing Tetris—figuring out which cars fit where.” His wife, who frequently rides along, had to adjust to the truck’s sway, which Thompson describes as being "like a boat."

From a custom design to a smart business strategy, this Spider-Man truck is a real-life hero on the road.