Preparing a Car for Shipping and Transportation
Finding the perfect (or closest to perfect) car transport company is often just half the battle. Even after you’ve signed all the necessary papers and have the schedule all planned out, you’ve still got a lot of things to do. Remember that car transport isn’t just between you and the transport company. Your car has to be prepared for transit as well. Below are some good tips to sufficiently readying your vehicle for the transporting process.
Get Rid of the Small Stuff Literally
This tip simply has to be done, and it becomes even more important when you’re having your car transported on an open truck. Since the transport truck – and consequently, your car – will be going over long distances, expect a fairly bumpy ride. Small items left within the car could bounce and fly around, causing damage to the car’s interior. Chemicals inside could also react to the bumps or to the changes in temperature caused by the exposure to the elements, so it’s a good idea to strip the inside of the car of any loose or small items. This is one case where it’s certainly better to be safe than sorry.
Check Your Hardware
This is already part of the usual pre-transit procedure of many companies. They often ask customers to conduct an inspection and give a written statement regarding the condition of the vehicle. What this tip is suggesting is to take it a step further by checking out your car parts as well and ensuring that your car is in good working order. Companies charge extra when they suddenly find that they’re bringing along a non-running car, and they handle running and non-running cars differently. This is to minimize mishandling and to help make sure that your car gets to the destination without a hitch.
Drain It All Out
Your car naturally operates with the help of fluids like coolants and oils. Prior to sending your car out, make sure these liquids are drained to the level that is just necessary for your car to run. That’s because cars in transit are almost always arranged in multiple levels. Given that, liquids from the car on an upper level (such as yours) could leak down and spoil the outside of the cars below. If that happens, you’ll be held liable for the damage, so this step is very important.
The traveling time of your car during car transport is fairly long, which increases the number of things that could go wrong. You can do your part in keeping that number down by properly preparing your car for the long trip.
Posted in Car Shipping