When we make the decision to have our car shipped, it’s easy to forget that there are some important steps along the way. Arguably, prepping for it is honestly more difficult than actually having it shipped. Luckily, there are ways that we can make it easier on ourselves.
One of the biggest ones is to go into the process with a checklist, which is what we’re here to do today. No need to worry if you’re still not sure what exactly to expect. This article will explain all of that and more.
One: Gather Up Your Documentation
Before you get to far into the car shipping process, you’ll probably want to make sure that you have all of the information necessary for your vehicle. This can include a lot of things, but some of the highlights are your proof of having insurance, your driver’s license and/or passport, and your registration information for the car in question. There’s a pretty good chance that the company transporting the vehicle is going to ask for all of that (and probably more).
So, having all of your ducks in a row there before you get any further into the process can help things go a lot more smoothly. This way, you won’t be scrambling through paperwork to find the specific pages in question while on the phone with someone or while filling out an online application.
Two: Look for any Pre-Existing Damage
No matter how excellent the shipping company that we opt to work with, there’s always going to be a bit of a risk of something going wrong. Because of this, it’s probably a good idea to look at your vehicle closely before you send it out for shipping. Take account of any damage that is already there (such as a dent on a door, or anything like that). Make sure that you document it.
Why go through this, though? It’s a lot of work. That being said, though, it’s certainly worth the effort. This way, if there is damage done to the car during transit, there won’t be any question of when it occurred. This sort of documentation can be a lifesaver, as you can see here: https://moving.tips/car-shipping/prepare-car-for-shipping/.
Three: Clean Inside and Outside
Cars get dirty. It’s sort of inevitable, really – no matter how hard we try to prevent it, there’s still going to be some dirt and grime both inside and outside. So, one of the things that you’ll probably want to do before you hand over your vehicle to the shipping company is give it a nice bath.
As you’re doing that, you’ll also want to remove any of your personal items from the inside of it. Thankfully, this process shouldn’t take too long. Most car washes have little vacuum cleaner stations along with the normal wash cycle stuff, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get both of these things done. It might not seem necessary, but the small details can make a pretty big difference in how smoothly the transaction works.
Four: Take Off any Accessories
These days, a lot of us have some sort of accessories on our car. There’s more about why this isn’t always great on this page, but it’s critical that you take them off before you drop your car off. Why is that? Well, there’s a few reasons.
The first is that you probably don’t want any of them lost, right? Bicycle racks and the like aren’t exactly cheap. Unfortunately, if you do end up leaving them off for the car transport, there’s a good chance that they’ll end up falling off or getting broken or something of the sort. Best just to remove them beforehand.
There’s also the fact that if they do remain intact, they’ll cause the cost of shipping to go up. More often than not, the company in charge of shipping will be weighing your car to help gauge the price that they’ll charge. Even the smallest things like having more than a quarter tank of gas can end up costing you more money, so try to remove anything that could add extra weight.
Five: Drop Off Your Car
The last step in terms of preparation is definitely the easiest – just drop your car off at the right location and know that you won’t have to worry about it during your move! Make sure that you remember to leave the keys, though, otherwise the workers will have a hard time moving it in and out of the depot.
Really, it’s not that hard to prepare a vehicle for this sort of process. It takes time, sure, but it’s not exactly difficult manual labor at least. So, make sure you don’t skip anything along the way to ensure an easy and quick process the whole way through!
