How to Prepare a Car for Shipping: Car Shipping Checklist

Moving from one house to another opens up a highly transitional period which will definitely put your decision-making abilities to the test.

While nobody knows or can predict with noteworthy accuracy what exactly will happen during the busy moving preparations or on moving day itself, one thing is crystal clear whenever there’s a house move – there will be an overwhelming number of decisions to be made when moving across the country.

Undoubtedly, one of these decisions will be how you and your family will reach your new home. And in case your informed decision is to fly to the new residence instead of having a long road trip with your family car, then the question How should I prepare my car for shipping? will surely be looking for a good answer.

The following detailed vehicle shipping checklist will teach you what you should do to prepare your car for shipping.

What To Know Before Shipping Your Car Within The USA

The decision to have your car shipped to your new residence should only be made after weighing carefully the options that lie ahead of you.

All in all, you have to choose between two relocation scenarios and should pick the one that will work best in your specific moving case.

Scenario 1: You drive to your new home with your own vehicle

This is a very common relocation scenario where you choose to have your household items and personal possessions packed as an additional moving service, taken out of your current home, loaded, transported, and delivered to your new residence by a team of reliable movers.

After you wave your movers goodbye, you:

1. load your pre-packed essentials boxes and valuables into your car,
2. call your family members /pets included/ to take their pre-designated places inside the family vehicle, and
3. sit behind the vehicle and buckle up your car seat belt, impatient to initiate the long relocation trip to your new home and find out what your new life has in store for you there.

15 Tips for Driving a Moving Truck Cross Country

Scenario 2: You fly to your new home while your car is being shipped

The other standard moving day scenario is to hire the services of a reputable auto shipping company to transport your vehicle to another state while you and your family members take advantage of the fastest transportation mode available and catch a plane to your destination to save valuable time.

After you wave your household movers goodbye, you:

1. take the required steps to prepare your car for shipping /described in detail below/,
2. take your carry-on bags containing your most valuable and essential items and head to the airport, and
3. sit down on your plane seat and buckle up your safety belt, impatient to initiate the short relocation flight to your new home and find out what your new life has in store for you there.

Relocation scenario 1 vs. Relocation scenario 2

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that both relocation scenarios mentioned above have their clear advantages and disadvantages, and therefore the decision to select one over the other must be an informed one – that is, to be made after taking into account all the pluses and minuses of each case.

Whether you realize it or not, embarking on a fun road trip in your family car has a number of pros that are likely to tip the scale in favor of this transportation mode.

First of all, a road trip for the whole family is generally less expensive than a flight across the country although that is not always the case.

Secondly, a cross-country drive gives the unique opportunity to pass through amazing cities and visit amusing local attractions and awe-inspiring historical places that you wouldn’t normally get the chance to see and experience.

And thirdly, a long car journey like that can often end up bringing the family members closer than ever before.

However, if time is ticking away mercilessly or if your new residence is located on the other end of the vast American continent, your better option is probably to board a plane and arrive at your destination in a few hours.

Precious time will surely be saved when flying to your new home but besides paying for your plane tickets, you will also need to dig deeper into your pockets to cover your vehicle transportation costs as well.

As it turns out, convenience has its proverbial price tag too.

Driving vs. Shipping Car: Ship a Car or Drive It When Moving Across Country

How To Prepare Your Car For Shipping Across the Country

If you have reached the conclusion that flying to your new city will be the better relocation option after having consulted your moving budget /money/ and your moving checklist /time/, then you’re going to need to familiarize yourself with the required consecutive steps to prepare your car for shipping.

Knowing what steps to take to prepare your car for shipping will go a long way toward securing your automobile while in transit.

So, take advantage of our detailed step-by-step car shipping checklist to be 100% ready when your car shipping company shows up to load your car into their moving truck.

Step-By-Step Car Shipping Checklist

• Step 1. REQUEST a car shipping quote from top-rated car shipping companies near you. This way, you’ll know how much it’ll cost to have your car shipped to another part of the country by a highly reputable and experienced car transportation company.
• Step 2. BE SURE to access our database of car movers reviews. What former customers of vehicle shippers have said about the quality of their services does matter and will enable you to locate the car relocation partner that will fit your allocated budget and meet your specific requirements.
• Step 2.5. So far, so good. Soon enough, you will realize how important the above two steps have been for the smooth cross-country transportation of your car. Now it’s time to turn your sole attention to your vehicle and make sure it is more than ready for safe transport.
• Step 3. BEGIN the necessary vehicle shipping preparations by washing well the exterior of your car. If you have enough time, you can clean its interior space as well although it makes more sense to leave this task after the transportation of your vehicle is over.
• Step 4. DO a thorough visual inspection to register any damage your car may have suffered until that very moment. It’s easier to do so once you have removed any dirt, dust, and other filth from your favorite four-wheeler. Look for signs of scratches, paint chips, dents, rust, and any other minor and not-that-minor defects along its surface.
• Step 5. PHOTOGRAPH any signs of damage, if present. Do it by using your smartphone camera or dedicated camera and make sure that the close-up photos show the imperfections clearly. Don’t forget to turn on the date imprinting function of your photographing device too.
• Step 6. DOCUMENT any minor or major signs of damage on your car by taking additional broader photos of your vehicle to be able to prove later, if necessary, that any damage not visible on the photographs was done while your car was in the car shipper’s custody. You can include these photos as evidence in the inspection report you are expected to receive and sign before and after the actual transportation.
• Step 7. INSPECT visually your car for fluid leaks – the engine compartment and underneath the car chassis – while paying special attention to any noticeable leakage around the fuel tank. If you do notice any leaks no matter how small they may seem, have them fixed at all costs before your auto transportation company is scheduled to arrive.
• Step 8. REMEMBER that the gas tank of your vehicle must be left to only 1/4 of its capacity to avoid adding extra weight to the shipment. In reality, there’s no need for more fuel than the above-stated amount simply because your beloved car will, for a change, be in the passenger seat this time around.
• Step 9. MAKE SURE your car battery is completely charged and secured in its bracket against undesirable shifts and movements while on the road.
• Step 10. CHECK whether the tires are in good condition and fully inflated.
• Step 11. DOUBLE-CHECK whether the emergency brake of your vehicle is functioning properly as this is an important requirement when preparing your car for shipping.
• Step 12. SECURE your car’s exterior as yet another important step in our auto transport checklist. The best way to protect your removable parts from the exterior of your car /for example, non-permanent racks for bikes, skis, or baggage/ is to take them down before your vehicle is loaded onto the moving truck. Also, retract fully or remove your car’s antenna(s) if possible.
• Step 13. SAFEGUARD the exterior car parts that cannot be removed /spoilers, additional lights, side-view mirrors, etc./ with protective sheets of bubble wrap taped in place or special protective coverings.
• Step 14. REMOVE any personal effects such as electronic devices, important documents, expensive jewelry pieces, etc. from the interior of your vehicle as the insurance of your car shipping company won’t cover such possessions in case they go missing during transportation. Definitely don’t leave any dangerous items or hazardous substances in your vehicle either. You are allowed to leave a child seat if you want.
• Step 15. DISABLE or even remove, if possible, the alarm system of your vehicle. Keep in mind that the car carrier driver may be authorized to stop an untimely activated car alarm system by any means possible.
• Step 16. SECURE well the top of your convertible, if applicable, to avoid possible damage from inclement weather on the road.
• Step 17. PAY attention to this: if your car is equipped with automatic parking passes or toll tags, make sure you deactivate them before your auto shipper arrives.
• Step 18. KEEP in mind that there is no reason why your standard car equipment shouldn’t stay intact in your vehicle. Your spare tire, emergency kit, jack, hand tools, etc. can be safely left as they are. The license plates must not be removed.
• Step 19. CHECK with your auto insurer whether the primary insurance for your car is and will remain active until your four-wheeler is safely delivered to your new address.
• Step 20. WRITE DOWN the digits of your car odometer and keep the readings in a secure place simply because you never know what may happen
• Step 21. ARRANGE for an extra set of car keys to hand over to the truck driver and keep the original one with you. Our tips on how to prepare a car for shipping are closing to an end. There are just a few more steps to complete so that your car is completely ready to be shipped to another state.
• Step 22. TELL the truck driver about any mechanical problems that your automobile exhibits regardless of how minor they may be. If necessary, prepare written car handling instructions and give them to that same driver.
• Step 23. BE mindful that during the periods of pick-up and delivery of your vehicle, careful inspections will be performed by your car shipping company. You or another person you designate as a representative must be present at those vehicle inspections in order to sign the Bill of lading and the condition report both at the origin and destination.
• Step 24. CONFIRM your car’s condition and duly note down any transportation damage on the Bill of lading when your vehicle is delivered to your new home. You have to do this before the truck driver leaves your new residence.
• Step 25. WELL DONE! You have successfully prepared your car for transport.

What To Do After Shipping Your Car To Another State

The very first thing you should do after your vehicle has been delivered to your new home without problems of any sort is to open a bottle of champagne or special vintage wine and celebrate the occasion.

After the celebration party is over, you should know that there are a few post-relocation tasks regarding your vehicle that you are expected to complete without delay.

• Post-move task 1: Once again, this is the perfect time to wash thoroughly your freshly delivered car. It’s a good idea to devote more time to cleaning its interior, especially if you skipped this step while preparing your car for transport.
• Post-move task 2: If you just performed a move to another state, you are required to register your car in that new state within a specific time frame unless you are willing to pay a penalty. Keep in mind that some states give 10 days for vehicle registration /Florida/ while others go as far as 30 days /New York/. Visit your new state’s local DMV office in person to take care of this task. Also, you’re going to have to transfer your out-of-state driver’s license, so take the opportunity to do it while at the local office of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Post-move task 3: In order to complete your car registration successfully, you will be asked to present a vehicle title in your name and have your car pass a safety inspection and an emissions check. Moreover, you will also be asked for proof of auto insurance. Interestingly enough, even though your car insurance is valid in any U.S. state you cross with your vehicle, moving to a new state requires you to purchase insurance from that same state in order to register your vehicle.

Car shipping within the U.S.A. can be a smooth relocation experience from start to finish only if you know what steps to take to prepare your car for shipping.

Follow the car shipping steps above so that you and your car both reach your new residence in perfect health.

How to Register a Car in Another State After Moving