There are some things that you should do as well as things you should avoid doing as you are preparing your car to be shipped. If this is your first time shipping your vehicle, you should considers these helpful tips in order to make this process run as smoothly as possible.
Please do this:
There are some things that you should definitely consider before moving your vehicle.One of the first things that you need to do is make sure you carefully research the car shipping company that you are about to trust with your vehicle. Do not always look for the lowest price, this might cause you problems in the future. Give the car shipping company you have chosen a phone call. If that car shipping company does not pick up the phone, it is also highly likely that it will not pick it up when your vehicle is in their possession and you are calling to get an estimated time of arrival.
Car haulers are not allowed to ship vehicles with personal items left inside. Please remove your cell phone, luggage, or any other personal belongings from your car before it is picked up by the carrier. If for some reason you forgot to take something out of your vehicle before it was picked up, you should know that insurance does not cover personal items left inside the vehicle.
If your vehicle has been modified you should tell the car shipping company when placing your order with them. If you do not tell them, they might send a car hauler that is not able to pick up your vehicle, which means that they will need to send another driver with different equipment causing a delay of the entire transportation process. Some examples of vehicle modifications include lift kits and lower vehicle clearance.
Please avoid doing this:
Your vehicle does not need to have a full gas tank when it is being transported. Please do not fill up your gas tank when getting your vehicle ready for shipping. A full gas tank will only add to the weight of the car hauler. Car haulers have weight requirements that they need to meet and if everyone of the vehicles they transport has a full gas tank they will be overweight. The law is extremely strict and being overweight causes car haulers a great deal of problems. If you have an alarm please make sure you disarm it before shipping your vehicle. A sounding alarm may cause problems for the truck driver and it may delay the shipping of your vehicle. When your vehicle is on a car hauler it is in safe hands and the alarm will not be needed during the transportation process.
Please do not forget to give the car hauler the keys for your vehicle. Reputable car shipping companies need your keys only to drive your vehicle onto a car hauler and drive it off at the delivery point. Your vehicle will not be driven at any point during the transportation process.
One common mistake that you should avoid doing is to wash your vehicle before it is picked up. Washing your car when it is about to be transported to another state is not a good idea. Your vehicle will be exposed to different weather during transit, so it will most likely not be as clean as it was when you washed it before it was picked up. If you want your vehicle to be clean, the smartest thing to do would be to wash it after it is delivered by the car hauler.
Shipping your vehicle for the first time can be a stressful process. If you pick the right shipping company and follow these car shipping tips the car shipping process can be extremely easy and hassle-free.