Last Updated on October 27, 2022 by admin
Car haulers, or as I have always called them, “car carriers,” have a special appeal for vehicle loving two-year-olds. Care carriers ARE vehicles themselves, but they’re also CONTAINERS for vehicles. Woah.
My son really loved trucks of all types when he was 2, but there was something extra special about seeing those car carrier trucks live on the road carrying a bunch of shiny new cars.
If the 2-year-old in your life also loves car carrier trucks, you do have several options to choose from when it comes to toys.
Green Toys Car Carrier Truck
I have to start with the Green Toys suggestion first because these toys are made completely from recycled plastic and can even be put in the dishwasher. My kids had several vehicles from this line and they look great and even still get played with like six years later.
Wonder Wheels Car Carrier Truck
I’m not a toy industry insider, but it seems like the line Wonder Wheels came out to directly compete with Green Toys. It’s a line from Battat, which already had a line of toy vehicles for toddlers, and they look similar but aren’t from recycled material (it says you can recycle it, but I know my city recycling only takes plastic bottles). I haven’t tried these toys myself yet. This car carrier truck actually touts the fact that it has space for more cars than it comes with.
Melissa and Doug Car Carrier Truck
The big appeal of this car carrier truck is that it has a crane and a magnet with which kids can hoist the cars on and off. I also assume that these cars are compatible with Melissa and Doug wooden train set tracks, so they could be incorporated into that type of play. I haven’t had the best luck with Melissa and Doug toys lasting for the long-haul, but at least it will take less than 10K years for them to biodegrade. Also worth noting that unlike the other car carrier trucks listed above, this one is technically recommended for ages 3 and up, probably because of parts potentially coming loose, or perhaps because of the extra coordination required to work the crane thing.
Hot Wheels Monster Truck Hauler
This Hot Wheels car carrier can hold 12 Hot Wheels Monster Trucks or 32 Hot Wheels cars. This one is also technically for ages 3 and up, and features a few buttons that kind of shoot the cars on each level out, which might be frustrating for 2-year-olds. I had to include it, though, because it simply looks fun and it doubles as storage for smaller cars, which can be a perk.
Boley Car Carrier Truck
I’m not as familiar with this brand, but it looks like they sell at most major U.S. retailers and the Amazon reviews generally describe it as sturdy and loved by toddlers (even though the manufacturer suggestion is for 3 and up, maybe due to small parts.)
Expandable Hot Wheels Car Carrier Truck
I loved the idea of this hauler when I came across it since my kids had so many Hot Wheels. We still have this truck and it’s not broken, so that’s a point in its favor. But it was awkward to load and unload with little cars, and it was also awkward store cars when it was fully expanded. My kids still occasionally play with this toy even though they’re much older than 2 now, but they generally don’t ever bother loading it up with Hot Wheels.
