1. Thoroughly Inspect Your Vehicle: The best way to thoroughly inspect your vehicle is to wash the exterior of your vehicle prior to departure. This way you see the surfaces of your car and any current damage. Be sure to note this damage and even take pictures. Also, make sure that you can inspect your vehicle upon arrival to the destination. Some transporters, like Steel Horse Transport, provide a small window of time to do this. Keep in mind that your vehicle will have traveled just as if you drove it yourself. It will face the same road debris, dust, rain, snow, etc. Less than 5% of the vehicles transported sustain any measurable damage and most transporters have a better track record than that. Upon completion of inspection, you or someone you have assigned to accept and inspect the vehicle upon your behalf, will be asked to sign a bill of lading, which makes the inspection final.
Inspection

2. Remove Custom and After Market Products: The inspection process for the shipment companies is generally limited to the exterior of the vehicle. Therefore, what happens to the inside of the vehicle will not be covered. It is best to remove custom stereos, after-market video and DVD player systems, GPS Systems and detachable CD players. Ship these items separately. Also, remember to remove any personal items from the interior of your car, including the trunk. An automotive transporter’s insurance will not cover personal items inside your vehicle. In addition, any items left in your car will add to the weight of the vehicle and can cause damage that will not be covered.

3. Ensure Car is in Best Working Condition: Perform a maintenance check before shipping your car. Check for any mechanical problems to ensure it can transported safely. While the car will be driven very little during the process, it should be in good driving condition. Cars with mechanical issues can cause unforeseen delays and damages. Taking your car for regular check-up at a mechanic will work just fine. Make sure the battery has a full charge and the tires are properly inflated. Top off all of the fluids, but the gas tank should only be a quarter or eighth full to save weight and keep your shipment moving quickly. A gallon of gas can weigh up to 6.42 pounds. Document mechanical problems and write down any special steps needed to drive your car on and off the trailer (including problems starting or stopping your car). Give these instructions to the driver.

4. Remove Toll Tags and Other Devices: Remove or deactivate any toll tags or parking passes on your car. These items could not only be charged on the way to the destination, but are valuable and could be targeted for theft. Just imagine how much it might cost if a toll tag was charged at every toll station between your current location and your new destination!

5. Photograph the Car: After thoroughly inspecting your car and ensuring it is in good working condition, photograph your car. Each photograph should be dated and should note what the image is.

6. Do Not Pack Your Car: If you pack personal belongings in your car, you are taking a huge risk! Vehicles are usually left unlocked during transit due to all of the inspections, loading and unloading of vehicles throughout transport. In addition, vehicle transporters are not licensed to transfer goods, so doing so could result in penalties. Another issue of having items in your vehicle during transport can cause safety concerns. An item could exit your vehicle and damage another vehicle or the transport truck, and you could be held liable. Basically, it’s just not worth it to ship your belongings in your car! Ensure they get to your destination safely and ship them separately.

7. Crack the Windows: By leaving your windows open slightly, you will relieve the pressure inside the car. Due to temperature and elevation changes throughout travel, it is extremely important to crack the windows to prevent your windows from blowing out!

8. Prepare for Loading and Offloading: Protect your car from interior and exterior damage by preparing the car to be loaded on and off the trailer. For example, if you have a convertible, make sure the top is secured properly. To avoid damage from air, debris or moisture, seal the top as thoroughly as possible. If you cannot secure the convertible top, add extra protection with a wind-resistant tarp. In addition, fold back your mirrors and retract the antennae. Any special items, like fog lights, ground effects or spoilers should be secured or removed.

9. Disable Car Alarm: Finally, turn off or disable your car alarm. If you cannot disable the alarm, provide detailed, written instructions for the driver on how to turn off the alarm in case it is triggered.

10. Upon Delivery: Once the vehicle is delivered, there are some final steps you can take to ensure everything has gone smoothly and your vehicle has arrived undamaged. Check out What to Expect when Your Auto Transporter Arrives, http://www.uship.com/vehicles/articles/what-to-expect-upon-arrival/.