When you ship a vehicle one of the most important things that you can do is make sure that the vehicle is actually in running and working condition and that your carrier can easily drive it onto or off of their transportation truck. Obviously, anyone that is trying to ship a vehicle that they plan on driving wants to keep it in top shape. But there’s a lot of maintenance that goes into keeping a vehicle running, maintenance that may not mean all that much to you right now but that can have an impact on services down the road. And when it comes to shipping a vehicle, not only should you do everything you can to keep your car running, but you should probably do a pre-pickup inspection of your vehicle to note anything out of the ordinary.
Take a look at the battery – how new or old is it? If you’ve had your car a few years, it may not be a bad idea to make sure that the battery is in good working condition. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes, between booking an order and getting a vehicle picked up, mechanical issues can cause a vehicle to no longer start, which can cause problems because cars are typically driven onto and off of a transport truck, and if it can’t start or drive it has to be loaded via a winch, which not all carriers have. Winches are optional equipment on auto transport trucks, and if your vehicle isn’t running when your carrier shows up, and the carrier doesn’t have a winch on their truck, the carrier will likely have to cancel the order, which can cost you money and obviously a lot of time.
Also check fluid levels. This is important as bad fluid levels can cause problems both during loading, unloading and while the vehicle is in transit. This pertains more to vehicles that have been sitting a while – coolant, oil, and other fluids can go bad after a time if they’ve been sitting in a vehicle that has not seen the road in a long time. Make sure to check the fluids and, if possible, replace or top them off. Also check your spark plugs and your starter to ensure that they are all in good enough condition to be shipped. On the whole, your vehicle should be fine – these tips are meant more for customers with less reliable vehicles. You likely know that your 2010 Toyota Corolla is running just fine, but the guy shipping that 1968 MG B that’s been in his garage gathering dust may not think to check his oil levels or spark plugs.
If you are interested in shipping a vehicle, regardless of its condition, take a moment or two to fill out our free online auto transport quote request form. It takes only a minute and nets you multiple free quotes in your email inbox from top-rated, licensed, bonded and insured car transportation companies. We also make sure that all those companies are top-rated. Once you have your quotes, which come in starting within minutes of submitting the form, you’ll be able to compare those different companies to one another and find the right shipper for your needs. If you have questions about our services, or need some help getting your free quotes, give us a call any time at 855-411-4746 to speak to one of our own live agents any time.