How to prepare your vehicle for shipping
Even if you transport your vehicle quickly, safely, and professionally through licensed, insured and bonded auto transporters or vehicle shipping companies, preparing your vehicle before shipment is very important. The auto transport companies or vehicle shipping companies also require that you do some preparation in advance to the vehicle shipping it. If you don’t properly prepare your vehicle for the shipping process, it may end up in some problems. But how do you prepare you prepare your vehicle? Preparing your vehicle properly before shipment ensures for a smooth and hassle-free shipping. Make an inspection of the vehicle before shipment either personally or through a designated person, and report the vehicle condition to the shipping company. Make sure to receive a copy of the original inspection report which contains information such as pick-up and delivery dates, current mileage as well as the current condition of the vehicle. Inspect the vehicle both at the point of origin and the destination. The vehicle needs to be in operable condition. Some shipping companies charge extra for shipping inoperable vehicles. Wash and clean your vehicle thoroughly before it’s picked up for shipment. Ensure that both the interior and exterior of your vehicle is clean. You may also leave your vehicle for servicing before shipping it. Check the fluids, tire pressure and battery charge in the car before the shipping date. See to that the vehicle is free from any fluid leaks. Prepare to have less than half tank of gas in your car on the day of shipping. The tires must be inflated to the optimal pressure range before shipping, to ensure that no damage is done to the tires during loading and unloading of the vehicle. Remove all personal belongings from the vehicle prior to shipping. Remove the vehicle accessories such as car cover or spare tire, hazardous materials, spoilers, fog lights or ground effects, roof racks or other non-permanent items. Disabled or disconnect the alarm system in your vehicle. Remove or fully retract all the antennas in the vehicle and fold back vehicle’s mirrors. Removing the essential objects in the car ensures that nothing shifts during shipping and damages the interior.Repair any chips and/or cracks in your windows. If there are any open seams or holes in the vehicle, seal them to prevent moisture getting into the interior of the vehicle. If you cannot shield the top of the vehicle, ask your shipping company about closed container shipping.Make sure your vehicle is prepared for the changing weather conditions. In case of severe weather conditions, it is wise to regulate the anti-freeze levels of the car radiator.Ensure that your vehicle is personally insured. The shipping companies will not repair damages due to normal road conditions. But if the vehicle was damaged directly by the shipping company driver, then the company would be responsible. Ensure to handle the full set of keys of the vehicle to the driver on the shipping day and ensure to receive it from the driver on the delivery day. Get the mobile number of the driver of the auto shipping truck either from them or from the shipping company before you ship your vehicle, so that you can contact him in case you want to enquire about the vehicle during the shipping process. When your vehicle is picked up at the point of origin and delivered at the destination, you and the driver of the shipping company should carefully review the condition of the vehicle.
