7 NECESSARY STEPS TO TAKE ONCE YOU PICK YOUR CAR TRANSPORT COMPANY

Auto-shipping is by far the best option when it comes to interstate migration or general interstate car moving. Most people want to get the show on the road once they book a carrier. But your job isn’t done until you follow these seven steps!

Evaluate your vehicle

Shipping companies will normally check your car for damages before loading it onto the truck. You should do the walk-around eval with your assessor and personally inspect your car before agreeing to his report. For extra security, take photos of your car – especially of preexisting damage. Date the photos and present them to your service provider. 

Make sure your car is in its tip “ship” shape

Check your roof racks and the car’s bumper bar to ensure neither is loose. Issues like that can bring about problems/delays when you come to drop-ff at the freight depot. A routine maintenance check at your local mechanic should be enough to ensure your shipment goes off without a hitch. 

If you have stuff in your car, make sure it’s packed tightly. Remember, the company won’t accept any responsibility if it goes missing. And the additional weight will cost you. (Our advice: don’t ship a packed car.)

Have a conversation with the truck driver

If you can’t get to fixing a mechanical issue on your car before shipment, you need to let the freight driver know. You should get this down in writing as proof the company was made aware of your car’s condition before shipment. There’s a chance if the issue is bad enough – i.e. if it violates occupational health and safety procedures – your car won’t be taking a ride that day.

Run out of fuel… in a good way

Fuel, believe it or not, is very heavy. This means having a full tank of gas can add a fair amount of heaviness at the weight station before shipment. If an auto shipper is overweight, every vehicle on the truck is pulled and searched until assessors locate the extra weight. So, make sure you have minimal petrol in your tank (1/3-1/4 of a tank is standard) when you show up to the freight depot.

Battery boost

If a car cannot be driven on or off the carrier trailer, companies charge what’s called a “non-run” fee. Lesson: charge your battery before shipment, or you’ll get charged and delayed.

Test your tires

The last thing you want is an accidental perforation of one of your tires. This would cause major delays at pick-up. And, of course, it would cost (a lot… tires are expensive). 

Avoid punctures by checking for foreign objects in your tire treads and topping them up with air before drop-off.

Empty the car

Personal items aren’t covered by your auto shipper. We mentioned this in item #2. Make sure you remove anything valuable to avoid damage to your items and your car’s interior.