Auto Transport - Buyers Guide

Auto Transport Checklist

Preparing your vehicle for transportation is not something that will take very long, but it will make it much easier and safer. By taking a half-hour to make sure that your car is properly prepped for transport, you can rest assured that you have done your part to ensure the safe delivery of your vehicle to its final destination. The following is a quick checklist to help you ensure the proper steps have been taken.

· The day before your car is scheduled for pick-up wash it thoroughly – both inside and out. There is a very simple reason for this – a clean car will better show any nicks, dings or scratches that might occur during transport. Cleaning out the interior of the car is also necessary so that you neither lose any valuables that you might be driving around with nor can any lose objects fly around during the shipping process and damage the interior of your car.
· Once your car is clean, take a few pictures of it from different angles and date them so that you have a record of what it looked like before transport. In case something should go wrong during the shipping process you will be able to prove to any insurance adjuster that you do have cause for claim.
· Ensure that you only have the minimum amount of gas in the tank. Since fuel can added unnecessary weight to a vehicle, many shipping companies prefer that you only have a quarter tank of gas in the vehicle so that their transport truck is able to get better mileage.
· Either taking the car for a tune-up or doing the work yourself is also a very good idea. Topping up any fluids, filling the tires with air, checking the battery, etc… the purpose for this is that the transport company can charge you extra if your car does not start and cannot be driven for any reason during the shipping.
· If you have an alarm, make sure that it is disabled.
· Same goes for any kill-switch you might have on your car – the transport truck driver will need to start your car, so any active kill switch should be disabled.
· If your car is fully “tricked-out” either secure or remove the extras to make sure that nothing gets lost or damaged.
· Protect protruding parts such as mirrors and antennas by folding or retracting them.
· If your car is a convertible, make sure that the roof is up. You can add an extra layer of protection by covering the roof with a tarp.
· Lastly, if possible, get the name and cell phone number of the driver of the transport truck on which your car will be travelling.

All of these tips are pretty straightforward and common sense suggestions that, nonetheless, will give you greater peace-of-mind and security when preparing to transport your car from one place to the next.

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We needed to outsource some pre-sales work to a telemarketing company and I dreaded the search process. I knew it could take days to find companies, and then repeat my basic needs to each and every one. Filling out your form and having them come to me was a huge time saver. I hired a company in a week and so far we've been very pleased with the results.

Stephen, Buyer
New York, USA