Preparing a vehicle for transport is very important and a little preparation goes a long way. Always inspect your car before shipping and document any pre-existing damage. After washing the vehicle, write down a description of and photograph any scratches, dinks, or anything else you notice. Prepping an antique car might require a few more steps than getting another vehicle ready to ship. Ask the transporter for any tips to ensure a damage-free delivery. Clear the car (including the trunk) of any personal items, since the transporter's insurance will not cover their loss. Is your car in good working order? Do a routine check (batter, tires, fluids) before shipping it, even though it will be mostly idle during the ride. One recommendation is to leave the tank a quarter to an eighth full, since that will lower the overall weight of the car for transport. Let the car transporter know if there are any leaks so that the car won't be placed on the top rack and leak onto the cars below. Make sure to notify your driver of any specific instructions to operate your car or any problems or quirks. Different cars require different types of preparation. A convertible, for example, should have its top well-secured or tied-down with a strong tarp. Flip in mirrors and close the antennae and tie-down or remove add-ons such as fog lights or spoilers. Always turn off or disable the car alarm or tell the driver how to disable it in case it goes off.
When shipping your car, you might want to have ready is a bill of lading (click here to learn more about a "bill of lading"). After that you should keep any miscellaneous documentation that you may need, this varies from country to country so you should check what these are with your destination country.
We are a new website which enables you to post your car shipment for free and get bids by transporters on shipping your car, click here to sign up. It is worth posting your car shipment and finding the lowest priced bid from a car transporter - you can save money this way.
