Any time that you are going to ship a vehicle with a car shipping company, you need to get the vehicle ready for the trip. While some companies dictate what specific steps you need to take, here are five important things to remember. Keep these things in mind, and you will easily be able to make it through the transport process, no matter why you need the vehicle shipped.

  1. Consider the personal items that you will be transporting inside of the vehicle. It is important to realize that shipping insurance will not cover these items if they are lost or stolen, and most companies will limit the weight of anything you decide to transport in this manner. Knowing this, make sure that you keep anything of value or importance out of the vehicle when you are transporting it.
  2. Make sure to have the vehicle inspected by both yourself as well as the auto hauling company. You need to document any current damage, as well as any special upgrades or other unique points about the vehicle. This is vital, as you can only file an insurance claim if you know and document existing damage and can prove that something damaged the vehicle in transit.
  3. Be prepared to pay extra fees for extra services. If you want the vehicle transported in an enclosed carrier, then you should be ready to pay a fee. Be advised that car shipping companies generally charge extra for a wide variety of things such as specific pick up and drop of dates as well as the loading of inoperable vehicles.
  4. Make sure that you have a set of keys made just for you before the vehicle is handed over to the company. Also, it is probably a good idea to document any license and VIN numbers and keep them in a secure location. Deliver the vehicle to the shipping company only after it has been serviced and inspected by a mechanic and has a low, but not totally empty fuel tank. This will help prevent problems with leaks, as well as keeping the extra weight of the vehicle to a minimum.
  5. Finally, one of the most important things that you need to remember about using car moving companies to move one or more vehicles is the insurance involved. You need to make sure that you have enough coverage to cover the total loss of the vehicle should something bad happen while it is in transit. You can often find coverage through both the shipping companies as well as the company that you purchase your auto coverage through.

While there are a variety of different reasons for shipping a vehicle from one place to another, there are always a few very specific steps to take in order to make sure that the vehicle reaches the other side in one piece. Keeping these tips in mind will put you on the right track to a simple and easy experience with auto transport, and the companies that offer this service.