Are you moving? Or do you need to get your car from Point A to Point B, which just happens to be across the country?
You’re in luck since transporting vehicles across the country is possible!
However, there are a few things that you should know before you go ahead with finding an auto transport company to do the shipping for you. Keep reading to learn more about auto transportation!
1. Properly Prepare the Vehicle
If you are planning on shipping your vehicle across the country, you cannot just decide to do it and then pull the trigger. You need to make sure that the vehicle is ready for transport.
Wash the Vehicle
For starters, you’ll want to wash the vehicle first. Since there will be a vehicle condition report, you want to ensure that it is clean to be able to properly document any previous damage like scratches or dings.
Take Pictures of the Vehicle
Once it is clean, you don’t have to wait for the company to come out and assess the vehicle before you take pictures.
Taking pictures ensures that you have records in case damage occurs.
Take a Photo of the Odometer
Before you leave your car for auto transport, you should take a picture of the odometer to make sure that you have the correct mileage when you dropped it off. This way, you can tell if the car was driven in the process.
Clean the Interior
As you prepare the vehicle for shipment, you should also clean the interior of the vehicle. Remove trash, take out any food or drinks that you have been storing in the car, and check for any necessary items that you may have in your car that you will need.
The last thing you want to do is let food rot on its way across the country, or worse yet, leave something valuable in the car during the shipment process.
In addition to cleaning the interior, you will want to get rid of any accessories in the vehicle as well. If you have an added GPS, you will want to either take that out or put it in the trunk.
If you have a toll tag, you will also want to take that out and take it with you. If you don’t, you may be unnecessarily paying for tolls along the entire route! You definitely don’t want that to happen!
2. Go Through the Maintenance Steps
Before you ship your car, you want to make sure you have it prepared to do so. While a lot of that is cleaning it and taking pictures to have for your records, you also have a few steps for proper maintenance to take care of first.
Here are a few things that you need to ensure are ready for transport:
- Ensure there is antifreeze in the radiator
- Make sure the battery is full
- Inflate your tires to the proper inflation for your vehicle
- Check for fluid leaks (this is especially important since many companies won’t transport your vehicle if there is a bad leak)
- Make sure you have your vehicle’s routine maintenance done before transport
Once you do all of these maintenance steps, you should ensure that your gas levels are between 1/4 to 1/8 full for the shipment. There is no point in filling it since it is not being driven anywhere! If you have more, that’s no problem either.
3. Compare Prices for Auto Transport
If you need to transport your car, it’s not always the best choice to go with the first option that you find. You should look around at reviews, read testimonials, and understand how each company works before you choose one.
You will also want to learn more about pricing and get quotes from several companies so you can weigh your options.
4. Know Your Transport Options
There are several options for transporting your vehicle that you can choose from. If you don’t want your car out in the open exposed to the elements, then transporting your vehicle in an enclosed truck may be the option you want to go with.
While every company is different, you want to know where your car will be during transport. Will your car be straight or will it be on an angle? Will the car be on the top or the bottom of the racks?
For the most part, you can pay extra to have your car placed where you feel it will be taken care of best. To put it on the top of the racks, it is usually a bit more, but for an enclosed transport option, you are looking at spending quite a bit more.
5. Double Check Your Insurance
If your car is already insured, then you’re ready to ship your vehicle! However, if it is a new vehicle that you are shipping to you, you need to make sure that you get insurance in place before you transport it.
Your vehicle will be covered if something happens due to the auto transport company’s fault, but not if something were to happen from natural causes or natural issues like hail or lightning striking.
Tips for Transporting Vehicles
Now that you know these tips for transporting vehicles, you are all set to get started with the transport process!
At Luxury Transport, we want to take your vehicle where it needs to go!
You can request a quote from us today to see what it would cost you to get started!