Related: United Road No. 2 Auto Transporter After Waggoners Buy
Carlyle Group Acquires United Road Vehicle Transporter
Private equity investors The Carlyle Group have acquired United Road Services, a vehicle logistics company based in Romulus, Mich., from Charlesbank Capital Partners, the firm has announced.

Photo of United Road transporter courtesy of Charlesbank.
Private equity investors The Carlyle Group have acquired United Road Services, a vehicle logistics company based in Romulus, Mich., from Charlesbank Capital Partners, the firm has announced.
United Road serves a client base of about 10,000 customers, including manufacturers, retailers, finance and leasing companies, rental agencies, auctions, web-based logistics firms and individuals.
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Funds for the transaction came from the Carlyle Equity Fund II, a $2.4 billion fund that invests in middle-market companies.
Kathleen McCann will remain chief executive and chairman of United Road, while Mark Anderson will remain president and chief operating officer. The rest of the current management team will remain in place, according to the firm.
United Road expects to move 3.5 million vehicles this year compared to the 1.5 million the company moved in 2012, when the company was acquired by Charlesbank, McCann said.
"Our strategic growth platform was really turbocharged in late 2012 when we were acquired by Charlesbank," McCann said. "They provided the capital, support and encouragement to expand our reach and capabilities — both organically and through the acquisition of a major competitor, which gave us a deeper presence in the southeast and southwest U.S."
In late 2013, United Road acquired the auto transport division of Waggoners Trucking, which made the company the second-largest car hauler in the North America.
Mary Petrovich, a Carlyle operating executive and chairwoman of AxleTech International, will join the United Road board.
United Road and Charlesbank were represented by RBC Capital Markets and William Blair in this transaction. Carlyle was advised by Kirkland & Ellis as legal counsel and Ernst & Young as financial advisor.
More Operations

Used EVs Strengthen Overall Electric Vehicle Market
The latest sales data point to several reasons for the divergent trends in new and used EVs that can factor into fleet cycling decisions.
Read More →
The Data-Driven Haul: 5 Ways AI is Leveling the Playing Field in Auto Transport
Large and small transport fleets are becoming more competitive as predictive analytics and real-time data inform the logistics decision chain.
Read More →
How to Speak the Same Language on Fleet Safety
Drivers, supervisors, and data often speak different safety “languages.” Getting on the same page will drive better results.
Read More →
2026 CAR Awards Celebrate Industry Excellence
CAR’s annual Fleet Remarketing Awards opened a reimagined 2026 conference designed to bridge the worlds of fleet management and automotive remarketing.
Read More →
The Predictive Pivot: How AI and Data Are Redefining Auto Logistics in 2026
AI is no longer a luxury but the baseline for profitability in 2026. Auto haulers that adopt these tools now will quickly outpace those using manual workflows and taking a wait-and-see approach.
Read More →
The Predictive Pivot: How AI and Data Are Redefining Auto Logistics in 2026
AI is no longer a luxury but the baseline for profitability in 2026. Auto haulers that adopt these tools now will quickly outpace those that use manual workflows or take a wait-and-see approach.
Read More →
CAR 2026 Recap Part 2: Closing the Gap Between Data & Remarketing Value
The second half of CAR 2026 examined how fleets can translate lifecycle strategy, vehicle data, and market shifts into higher real-world results.
Read More →
CAR2026 in Two Words: Velocity, Value (Part 1)
The 2026 Conference of Automotive Remarketing convened with a mandate to involve a new constituency — fleet managers — and an updated mission to demonstrate unrealized value in de-fleeted vehicles.
Read More →
CAR 2026: Get the Wall Street Update on the Key Players in Remarketing
From a Wall Street analyst's take on remarketing's key players to whether fleets need their own version of Carfax, CAR 2026's afternoon roundtables will answer key operational and industry questions.
Read More →
CAR 2026 Session to Uncover the Missing Data That's Costing Fleets at Disposal
Work trucks lose value at remarketing, not because they aren't worth more, but because the data to prove it rarely makes it to the auction.
Read More →