How To Prepare A Car For Transport?

Are you puzzled about how to prepare a car for transport? Cars are our most precious possessions. We need to take great care to protect them from damage or other hazards during relocation. Shifting home or office from one place to another is tiring, and car shifting is the most nerve-wracking. Nowadays, we have professional car transportation services across the country. Yet, it’s still a hard task to prepare a car for shipping with packers and movers. If you are looking to shift your car from one city or state to another, please read on. Here, we are going to share our experienced tips with you.

1. Wash the car properly:

First, wash the car thoroughly. When you appoint a professional car transport company, they will send a driver to you. The driver will check the car and produce a vehicle condition report for the company. During this period, the driver will check for previous scratches, dents, discolouration, and other damages.

We always suggest customers clean the car and note such kinds of damages. It will save time for both you and the driver. Above all, after relocation, a clean car will give you a gust of freshness.

2. Take snaps of your car:

• After cleaning, take photos of your vehicle from different angles.
• Ensure the pictures are of good quality, high resolution, and have proper brightness.
• Include the date and time on these photos.

Don’t just take photos of damaged areas of your vehicle. You should take pictures of the entire car from different angles. It will help you identify small scratches or dents hidden by dust or mud.

To make a better version of these photos, you may walk around the car and take a video of it.

Bonus tips: Most drivers from car transportation companies take photos of the car before the shipping process. Still, it’s better to preserve your own copies. It will be helpful to claim insurance or other compensation if you find any damages after shipping.

3. Take a picture of the odometer:

It’s crucial to take a snapshot of the odometer before handing the car over to the driver. Professional car transportation companies provide identity card verified drivers, but taking pictures of the odometer can give you peace of mind. Many people worry about whether the driver is taking the car to the company directly or anywhere else. Your odometer picture and mileage will help you gauge the driver’s activity.

4. Clean your car interior thoroughly:

Cleaning the outside of the car is the first step, but don’t forget to clean the interior of your car. We often have items like DVD players, pens, car fresheners, spare change, and GPS devices inside our cars. Remember, car transportation companies use large car trailers. During transportation, car trailers may go up and down on the way. If we forget to remove small items inside the car, they may detach and move around, causing frictional scratches on the inner walls.

Sometimes small but costly devices get damaged, lost, or stolen if we forget to remove them while preparing the car for shipping.

During the car interior cleaning period, clean the car drawer and boxes. Many of us keep documents and car-related expenditure receipts in the car drawer. Clean this part and keep all documents safe.

5. Remove car accessories:

We often beautify our cars with various accessories such as luggage racks and music players. Disconnect and remove these accessories to avoid damage. Many of us have antennas on the car. Remove it and place it on the back side of the car.

While preparing your car for shipping, fold the side mirrors to avoid any kind of damage.

6. Perform a maintenance check:

We should get the car serviced and check its mechanical condition. If the car has mechanical issues, the driver may face technical problems, leading to unwanted delivery delays.

Car mechanics will check if the car can roll, brake, and steer smoothly.

If you find any problems during this check, inform the car transportation company before shipping. Professional car transportation companies have special equipment to handle inoperable cars.

During the mechanical check, ensure the following:

• Battery charge
• Coolant level
• Tyre pressure
• Oil level

If you find any issues, repair them. Truckers may need to load and unload the car multiple times during shipping. Problems in these areas may cause hazardous situations. Ensure there is sufficient fuel, as loading and unloading may require some extra mileage.

Check that the radiator has enough anti-freeze, and the battery should be fully charged during the shipping process. Tyres should be properly inflated before handing over the car to the shipping company. Be cautious, as incorrect tyre pressure can cause damage during shipping.

7. Check for fuel leakage:

Check for any fuel leakage while preparing your car for shipping. If there is a major leakage, repair it. Otherwise, the driver may refuse to take your car. For minor leaks, consult with your mechanic for repairs.

Inform the driver about the fuel leakage as a safety measure. The driver will place your car at the lower portion of the car trailer to prevent problems. Ensure no other car at the top of the trailer has a fuel leak, as it may damage your car.

8. Inspect the gas level:

Ensure the gas level is between 1/8th and 1/4th of the total volume. The best measurement is 1/4th of the total gas amount. If it’s more, vacuum it out to avoid extra weight and costs.

9. Disable the alarm:

Before handing over the car for shipping, disable the car alarm. This will prevent any issues for the driver during shipping.

10. Remove automated toll tags or parking passes:

Remove toll tags from the car before shipping. Otherwise, whenever the car passes toll areas, charges will be added to your account. This will increase the cost of shipping. Remove parking tags for the same reason.

11. Keep important items in the car:

While removing interior items, keep some essential materials in the car. To ensure safe shipping, keep spare tyres, emergency kits, extra jacks, and a licence plate. A toolbox can also be helpful.

12. Prepare a key set:

Make a set of keys for the car. The driver will need it for loading and unloading the vehicle. If your car has separate keys for different compartments, combine all the keys into one set. Keep an extra key set with you. If you don’t have one, contact the car manufacturer. It’s best to have one set for you and another for the driver.

13. Secure car insurance before shipping:

If your car is already insured, it’s ready to be shipped. If not, get insurance from a provider. Car transport companies only provide shipping-related insurance. Ensure your car is insured for natural calamities and other events. This will give you peace of mind.

14. Provide special notes to the driver:

If your car has any special quirks or mechanical aspects, make a note for the driver. This will help the driver handle the car with confidence and care.

15. Ask your car transporter to add personal belongings:

You may want to put some personal belongings like blankets, clothes, or soft toys in the car. Professional car transport companies allow up to 5000 kg of weight with cars. Confirm with the company before adding personal items.

This long list may seem tough to implement during car shipping. Still, with our long-term experience, we have observed that all these steps allow customers to enjoy a hassle-free car shipping process. For more tips or guidance, please visit www.bookmyright.com. Here you will get plenty of ideas, reviews from our customers, and much more to make your car shipping smooth.