Getting Your Vehicle Ready for Direct Auto Transport

Posted on February 13, 2012 by heather

We all know the advantages of direct auto transport – convenience, reliability, peace of mind, etc. We know that hiring a top-notch automotive transport company is going to produce the best results when moving your classic sports car across country or having that import shipped from the dealership in Florida to your home in Colorado. But, one thing we haven’t really covered in the past, at least not in detail here on this blog is how to ensure your automobile, whether it is car or truck, is ready for transport in the first place.

Before you turn your vehicle over to the trusted hands of your hauler, it’s important to ensure you have a few things in a row and a few items prepared. First and foremost, you should know the exact condition of your vehicle, both inside and out. This is wise advise for anyone using an auto transport service, whether you’re having a new car shipped to you or having a current one shipped to a new location, be it for a move or any other reason you may have.

The best way to go about doing this is to take pictures on the day of shipping. Even more so, the vehicle should be decently washed and cleaned, both inside and out, before the pictures are taken as to allow any nicks, dings, or dents to be clearly visible in the photographs. Be sure to get pictures of the car from nearly every angle, including the hood, roof, driver and passenger side doors, tires and rims, and trunk. It’s also a good idea to get a picture of the hauling vehicle itself, as well as a few pictures of your vehicle on the back. This will give you, and the automotive transport company, the images they need should any damage arise during the transport process.

It’s also important to ensure that both you, and the automotive transport company, are fully aware of any special needs or circumstances your vehicle may have. For instance, if your imported sports car has low ground clearance, or your truck has a high roof height, it’s important that you make sure your auto transport specialist is aware prior to sending off your vehicle. It’s also important to make sure you are upfront with the transport company regarding any mechanical issues the vehicle may have. While there are thousands of vehicles shipped everyday that suffer from mechanical issues, not all transport companies take mechanically challenged cars and trucks, so it’s important to make sure any issues are discussed at the beginning of the process.

This last bit may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to take any and all personal possessions before the pick-up date. You’d be surprised how many people leave keys, cell phones, address books, backpacks, and so on in their vehicles when they ship them cross country. Automotive transport companies are typically only responsible for the vehicles themselves, and not any personal property left within. While most of the time any personal possessions left within vehicles will remain untouched, there is no guarantee.

There’s a plethora of benefits to automotive transportation companies, but there are things that we all need to do on our end first to help ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible.