When moving abroad or overseas, you need to get your car shipped. To do this you will need to work with an auto transport company. But there are certain things you need to do by yourself in order to ship your car to your new home without it getting damaged. These car shipping preparation guidelines that we have prepared for you will help you do just that.
What is an auto transport company?
If you need your car moved from one place to another without having to drive it, you call an auto transport company. Their work is to get your vehicle from point A to point B the safest way possible. If you are shipping it across the land, your car will be moved by truck. But if you need it shipped across the ocean, it will be traveling on a huge ship with hundreds of other cars.
When you make an agreement with the company, they will send over a truck to pick up your car and the next time you see it will be at the location you requested. You have to work with a trusted company if you want everything to go the way you planned. Because when you don’t, you can expect a smooth, hassle-free process. If you want to learn about everything you need to know before moving your car long-distance, you came to the right place.
Preparing your car
The next important step after hiring a reliable auto transport company is to prepare your car for shipping. Many people don’t know this but you can’t ship your car just like that. There are some things you need to do before your car can be shipped.
Wash your car
In order to ship your car, it has to be clean. This is not the auto transport company’s rule but it is something you want to do to keep your car safe. Wash it properly and wax it. Dirt and dust can easily hide scratches and dents. But when your car is clean and shiny, you will be able to see its every flaw. This is important because if your car is clean, you will be able to notice any damage that might have happened during the shipping process. This is why you also need to check your car thoroughly after you wash it. Make sure you take a photo of every bigger scratch or dent that already exists on your car. It is best to photograph your whole car from every side just in case.
Clean the inside too
Not only the outside has to be clean, but the inside too. This is important because your car will be traveling for days, sometimes even weeks. The air can get stale even if you choose the right season for moving. You don’t want to drive a smelly car for days. You also want to take out everything outside of your car. Your car has to be empty and clean. As your car will be in movement, if you leave something inside that can move around it might cause some damage.
Disable the alarm
This is a step you can’t forget. Leaving your alarm on can make a lot of people mad. This might result in them not caring about your car as much even though you paid a big price to have your car moved. There will be a lot of people around your car and as it will be in movement, the alarm would be on all the time.
Don’t leave your tank full
As your car won’t be driven, there is no need to leave your tank full. And having a full tank of gasoline makes your car heavier. The heavier the car, the more chances of damage. Leave as little fuel in the tank as possible when you are doing your car shipping preparation. You only need enough to drive it to the nearest gas station after you pick up your car.
Check your car for any leaks
Check the undercarriage of your car for any noticeable leaks. You can do this on your own or have a professional do it. Either way, it has to be done. You have to do this before your car gets loaded onto the truck because the car shipping company may refuse service if your vehicle has an aggressive leak. This can be very dangerous and it can also damage other cars in the process of transport. So if your car has any leaks make sure to get it repaired prior to moving day. Nobody wants the vehicle above theirs to be dripping oil or transmission fluid all over their car.
Check tire pressure
It is also very important to check the tire pressure on your car. Under-inflated or over-inflated tires are risky in transport the same way they are on the road. If the pressure is not right, you could be increasing the risk of damage to the tire. This is the most common type of damage to occur during car transportation because of loading and unloading. That’s why this is one of the most important steps when it comes to car shipping preparation.
Remove custom parts
If you happened to put some custom parts on your car you should definitely take them down. These parts are usually the things that suffer the most damage. Car spoilers and other special accessories are much easier to break as they aren’t factory-built. Having these things broken can be very stressful, and international relocation is stressful enough on its own.
Lock the car
Now that you have everything ready, lock your car and your car is good to go. All these things will help to keep your car safe and away from damage but you never know what can happen. That is why it is always a good idea to have insurance even if you do car shipping preparation the right way.