Preparing Your Car For Auto Transport
Even when hiring a company to transport a vehicle for you, there are still some steps you’ll need to take to ensure that it’s ready to be picked up, shipped, and unloaded. There’s not a lot of work involved, but there are some basic steps that almost every auto carrier will ask of you before they pick up your car.
Clean, Wash &
Document Damages
Cleaning your car, both inside and out, may seem like an unnecessary chore, but it actually serves an important purpose when shipping a car. The condition of your vehicle is documented both before and after shipping and having the interior and exterior clean makes this process much easier. If there are any damages during shipment the before and after condition reports are compared to determine what happened. Having a clean vehicle makes this process much easier, especially when it concerns damage to the body of the car.
For the same reasons mentioned above, it’s a good idea to document the condition of the vehicle yourself as well (the shipper will document condition before and after loading). It’s advisable to take pictures of any existing damages, which will allow you to make a firmer claim if anything should happen during the shipping process.
Don’t Fill Up
Car shipping companies will request that you have no more than ¼ of a tank of fuel when the pick up your vehicle. If you have more than that, it’s advised that you run it until the level suitable. The reason for this is that transporters usually haul multiple vehicles at once and the extra fuel adds up to extra weight.
Remove Accessories
Anything that is nonstandard on the vehicle should be removed before pick up. This includes things like spoilers or other modifications, luggage or bike racks, specialized antennas, and anything else that extends beyond the dimensions of the car. When cars are shipped together, they tend to be in tightly confined spaces so anything that stretches beyond those dimensions could be broken during shipping.
Disable Car Alarm Or
Anti-theft Devices
This step makes some people nervous but it’s a very common aspect of shipping a car. Even though your vehicle won’t be driven per se, it may have to be moved on the transport carrier as other cars are loaded and unloaded. Since the driver has to shuffle the cars during the transport process, it’s much easier if he doesn’t have to contend with several car alarms going off or individually disabling them all.
Check Fluids & Examine For Leaks
It’s a good idea to check your fluids and tire pressure, if only so that your car is ready to be driven when it’s dropped off. A secondary benefit of checking fluids is that it allows you (or your mechanic) to check for any leaks before shipment. Since cars are sometimes placed on two different levels on a carrier, preventing leakage is important so as to protect the other vehicles.
Contact Shipper For Other Requirements
Finally, you should contact the shipper you’re using to see if they have any additional requirements beyond what’s listed here. Ultimately, you’ll want to follow the steps suggested by the company you use, which may even be specific to the type of vehicle you’re shipping.
Comments
Post a Comment