Lot and transport positions
3 positions, each with what the role does, when a store needs it, what it pays and one flat fee per hire.
Inventory has to be in the right place, staged and accounted for. Porters move it, lot managers keep it organized, and transport drivers move it between rooftops and auctions without outside haulers.
How to pick the right level
- Porters fit every store.
- A lot manager pays off when inventory is spread across several lots or counts often come up short.
- A transport driver fits groups that move many vehicles between stores and auctions.
Every level, what it pays and the fee
Porter
$500 per hireLot and service porters who stage inventory, move vehicles and shuttle customers.
When a store needs it: Every store. Pay: $30,880 to $38,460 a year.
Transport Driver
$1,500 per hireDrives a car hauler to move inventory between rooftops, auctions and customers.
When a store needs it: Dealer groups. Pay: $31,990 to $59,870 a year.
Lot Manager
$2,500 per hireKeeps the lot organized, inventory accounted for and porters productive.
When a store needs it: Large stores. Pay: $45,410 to $76,340 a year.
About store size and pay
Store size guidance reflects how dealerships typically staff as they grow, drawn from our 25 years inside dealerships and recruiting for them since 2012. Every store is different, so we confirm the right level on your intake call.
- Every store: Any franchised or independent dealership
- Mid-size stores: About 100 or more new and used retail units a month, or 50 or more employees
- Large stores: About 250 or more units a month, or 150 or more employees
- Dealer groups: About 3 to 10 rooftops
- Large dealer groups: 10 or more rooftops
- Stores with a body shop, stores with in-house financing and specialty dealers: roles that depend on the business, not its size
Pay bands are what people in each role earn at automobile dealers, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), including commissions and bonuses. Most bands run from the 25th to the 75th percentile; senior levels use the upper range of the same occupation. A band marked * uses all-industry figures because BLS does not report that role for auto dealers.
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