After you have finally chosen a shipping company to do the transporting of your car and have signed a contract for such service you must start your preparations for vehicle shipping pick-up.
You would want your car to have a bath before it leaves your home. Washing it before vehicle shipping pick-up would make its existing condition more noticeable to you – as well as exposing existing nicks, chips, dents and other visual defects. You need to document this, prior to shipping, so as to capture the existing condition of your car while still in your possession. If you can, take a picture of your vehicle with dates posted on it. This will make it easier for you to check for its post shipping condition, when the time comes, when you or a representative finally receives it on the final destination. This procedure is usually part of the policy of the shipping company, as they don’t want to be held liable for any damages which were already there,before they picked up the vehicle from the owner.
Prior to vehicle shipping, it is also a must that you check for leaks in the car, may it be oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, or whatever. This should be done so as to consider any measures that must be taken, such as not placing it on top of another deck on an open trailer. Risk may include damaging the paint of vehicles below.
Keep your tank’s fuel level low, as this can save some weight on the vessel together with the other vehicles for shipping. Around 1/8th to 1/4th level of the tank is acceptable.
In case you have a simple alarm system that will not pose any problems to the shipping company, you may leave it as is. Otherwise, make sure you disable it.
You should not leave any personal belongings inside the car. Take out all unnecessary items from your car.
It is always important for the owner to be conscious of the pre-shipping conditions of his car, taking note of all necessary details and declare it on a formal paper. Any unfortunate event or damage should have a clause in the contract that handles such situations. Insurance should cover it as well. What you do in your preparations prior to vehicle shipping pick-up could very well define your chances in succeeding in your claims, if an untoward incident should find its way on your car.
