Whether you are moving to a new city or buying a vehicle online, car shipping companies can safely and easily transport your vehicle to any location. Car shipping is the perfect solution for conveniently transporting your car a long distance without adding additional mileage, wear, and tear. You can even have your car picked up directly from your home and shipped right to your doorstep at your new location. In order to ensure a safe and pleasant shipping experience, there are a few things you should do to prepare your car for transport.
1.Gather Your Vehicle’s Documents
Before you hand your car over to the auto transporter, they will need proof that the car belongs to you. In order to avoid delays and last-minute searches for important documents, you should gather the necessary paperwork in advance.
-Vehicle registration information
-Proof of insurance
-Bill of sale or other proof of ownership
-Original vehicle title
-Driver’s license
2.Wash Your Car
It may seem counterintuitive to wash your car before shipping it, but it’s actually a very important step. That’s because dirt, mud, and dust can make it difficult to see dings and scratches and you will want to make note of any imperfections prior to shipment. This will help you to catch any new damage that could occur during shipment.
3. Take Pictures of Your Car
In addition to noting any existing damage in your own records, you also want to take time-stamped photographs of your vehicle’s entire exterior. Be sure to look for any pre-existing dents, scratches, or dings. These images may be used in the event that you notice new damage upon delivery of your vehicle and the transport company denies such damage.
4. Take Care of General Maintenance
Prior to transporting your vehicle, you want to take care of any general maintenance issues such as an oil change, tire rotation, or checking fluid levels. You also want to make sure the battery is fully charged and check the tire pressure to make sure they are not over or under inflated.
5. Ensure Low Fuel
You want to make sure you have no more than ¼ tank of gas in your car prior to transport. More fuel can add an additional safety hazard and can also make your vehicle heavier. Additional weight can add to the cost of shipping, so always leave less fuel in your tank when preparing to ship it.
6. Remove Personal Items
Clean out the interior of your vehicle, including the trunk and remove all personal items. This includes things like air fresheners, spare change, phone chargers, jewelry, GPS systems, and anything else you may have in your vehicle. You don’t want items to get damaged or stolen during transport, so it’s best to take everything out of your vehicle.
7. Remove Custom Accessories
Things like custom spoilers, rims, additional lights, luggage racks, bike racks, or other accessories could break during transport due to their odd size. Be sure to remove these custom parts before loading your vehicle onto the truck.
8. Lock Your Car
Your car will be driven onto the trailer for loading but then you are free to lock the vehicle. Don’t forget this step, as this provides additional protection against theft.
9. Sign the Bill of Lading
Once your car is prepped and ready to go, it’s time to take care of the legal documentation. You or another responsible adult must be present at pick-up to complete a vehicle inspection and sign the Bill of Lading. This serves as a legal contract between you and the auto transport company and acts as a receipt for both parties.
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