Car Transport – Steps to Do Before Pickup

                      Once you have hired a professional car transporter, certain preparations should be done before your vehicle is being shipped. You may be transporting your car in enclosed or open trailers, but still it is important to wash your vehicle thoroughly. By doing so, you will be able to notice any chips, dings or scratches on the vehicle accurately. There may be many personal items in the car and for the safety of such items, it is better to remove them. Moreover, the vehicle transport company would not be licensed to legally carry the personal items on board. The personal items on the car would not be covered under the insurance too.

                       Most of the vehicles would be equipped with the burglar alarm and it is impossible to be well versed in all of the alarm systems available today. People handling the car delivery may not want to waste their time disabling the alarm if it goes off during the transit. So better shut off or disable the alarm before the automobile is transported. The weight of the car can be reduced if the gas tank is kept low. The auto transport company would appreciate it if the gas tank is kept in between 1/8th to 1/4th of a tank.

             It is always wise to secure or remove the loose parts or specialty items from your car like the spoilers, fog light, ground effects etc. The wide mirrors should be folded back and lowered. Also remember to remove or retract the antenna if possible. Ship the convertibles with the top and secured properly if possible. If air or moisture enters, it can cause damage. Hence seal any holes or open seams in the top and make it air tight. Sometimes you may not be able to raise the tops; then you should attempt to cover it with a secure fitting tarp which is capable of resisting high winds.

                         The battery should be charged and the tires should have proper inflation before the car is transported. The fluids on the vehicle should be checked and do let the car delivery people know if there are any leaks. If your car has oil leakage especially brake or transmission fluid leakage, make sure that your vehicle is not on the top part of a two deck carrier. Thus you can prevent the leaks from falling on the vehicle below. You are the one who is most acquainted with your car. So you need to let the auto transport company people know of any operational problems or steps necessary to start, stop or drive the vehicle on and of the trailer.

                       Before the vehicle transporters pick up your vehicle, make a complete report of any pre existing damage that your vehicle may have. This would help to ensure that any claims of vehicle damage are accurate and enforceable. You can even go to the extent of taking photos of the car before it is shipped. This can be considered as proof of the car’s condition prior to shipping.
Abigael Madison is presently working on the site courier services. He has written many articles in various topics. For more information about car transporters visit our site motorcycle transport.