If you’re moving house and plan to get your car over to your new location through an auto transport company, there are certain steps you should take to ensure that the move goes as smoothly as possible. While damage sustained during transportation is relatively rare, particularly when you use a reputable company, taking the necessary preparation steps will serve to minimise any chances of accidental damage even further.
Conduct a thorough inspection. Before you bring your vehicle to be transported by car freight, carry out a full inspection. Check for any damage and take careful notes of anything you find, including any dents, chips in the paint, scratches, or even minor damage to the vehicle. Take pictures of any areas of the car that have incurred damage, including close-up images, and make sure the photos are officially dated so you have a record of exactly how the car looked before it was transported. Official documentation will ensure that, should anything happen to your vehicle, you’ll know where to lay the responsibility.
1. Get cleaning. Aside from ensuring that your vehicle arrives at your destination looking shiny and new rather than dusty and covered in dirt, a clean car will also allow you to see all of the dents and scratches that could be hidden by dirt when you do your pre-transport inspection. You should also clean the inside of the vehicle.
2. Remove everything from the car. Take out any CD players, electronics, personal items and accessories from your vehicle before you take it to be transported. There’s always a chance that your car could be unlocked at certain points in the journey because it may need to be moved from time to time, so reduce any chance of theft happening along the way by taking everything out of the vehicle. The transport company may also not licensed or liable for personal goods besides the car itself, so you could be responsible for any losses or damage to the items inside.
3. Don’t fill up the tank. A full tank of petrol adds extra weight to the vehicle and can contribute to weighing the transport truck down. Save yourself some money and the transport company extra hassle by leaving only a small amount of petrol in the tank.
4. Switch off your alarms. If your alarm is left on during the transportation process then it’s likely to go off frequently throughout the journey, so remember to disable all alarms before you drop your car off.
5. Inflate the tires. Just as deflated tires can cause big problems when you’re driving on the road, they can also be an issue when travelling with a car carrier. Pump up your tires shortly before you bring your vehicle to be transported to reduce the risk of damage. Under or over inflated tires will increase the chance of your tires being damaged during the unloading part of the transport process.
6. Ask the company what their system entails. All auto transport companies differ in the routines and systems they use, so ask the company you’ve chosen to transport your car exactly what you can expect from them. Some of the steps listed above may be covered in the cost of your transport, so it never hurts to save some time by checking first.