How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping
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Written by Richard Avery, President of Smart Auto Move · USDOT 2887232 · MC 969368
How do I prepare my car for shipping?
Wash it, take off anything bolted to the outside, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, turn off the alarm and the toll tag, and have the keys ready. Then walk the car with the driver and go through the Bill of Lading condition report together before it loads. The whole thing takes about half an hour, and that last step is the one that matters most.
Rather talk it through? Call 888-709-9078.
The fifteen-minute version
If the truck is coming tomorrow and you have not started, do these five. Everything else below is refinement.
- Wash it. Existing marks are invisible on a dirty car, and you want them recorded.
- Photograph it. All four corners, both sides, close-ups of any damage, in good light.
- Take off the racks. Bike racks, roof boxes, cargo baskets, hitch carriers.
- Quarter tank, and check for leaks. Enough to drive on and off, not enough to add weight.
- Turn off the alarm and the toll tag. Have the keys ready, including any wheel lock key.
That is genuinely it. The rest of this page is why each one matters and what happens when the driver arrives.
Preparing your car, in the order that matters
Five steps, roughly thirty minutes, none of it complicated.
Wash it and walk around it
This is not about presentation. A clean car is the only way you and the driver can both see what is already there. Small scratches, stone chips and door-edge dings disappear under a week of road grime, and if they are not on the condition report before the car loads, nobody can tell later when they happened.
After washing, walk around it slowly in daylight. Look at bumpers, door edges, wheels and the lower third of the car, which is where most existing damage lives. In winter or on a muddy road, even a quick rinse is worth doing.
Photograph and film it
Take photos from all four corners, both sides, and the roof if you can reach it, plus close-ups of anything already damaged. Then walk around it once with your phone recording. Include wheels, lower bumpers, mirrors and the windshield.
Do it in good light with the car dry, and make sure your phone has the date on. This takes three minutes and is the single most useful thing you can do. It is also the step people skip.
Take off anything bolted to the outside
Bike racks, roof racks and boxes, cargo baskets, hitch carriers, detachable spoilers and tall aftermarket antennas all come off. Anything that changes the height of the car or sticks out past its body can catch on the deck above it, and a loaded trailer has less clearance than you would think.
If something genuinely cannot come off, say so at booking rather than on the day. The carrier can plan which position on the trailer the car goes in, which is a five minute conversation in advance and a real problem at the curb.
Decide what stays in the car
You can leave things in it, within reason. Most drivers will take a few things as a courtesy. Keep it under about 100 pounds, pack it neatly, and keep it out of sight from outside the car. Think a few boxes in the trunk rather than a carload.
The one thing to know is that you are paying to move the vehicle, so the carrier's insurance covers the car itself. Keep anything you would hate to lose with you. Loose items rolling around the cabin are worth clearing regardless, because they can mark interior surfaces on a long run.
Sort the mechanical bits and the payment
Leave about a quarter tank of fuel, enough to drive on and off the trailer without adding weight for 2,000 miles. Check underneath for fresh leaks and tell us if you find one. Make sure the battery holds a charge, especially if the car has been parked a while, and put air in soft tires, because a flat one makes loading considerably harder.
Turn off the alarm, or write down how to stop it. Remove or bag the toll tag so it does not clock up charges crossing three states on a truck. Have at least one working key. On payment, a deposit is taken at booking and the balance is due at delivery, commonly by cashier's check, money order or cash. You can also put the full amount on a card, but only at the time of booking.
Cars that need something extra
Non-running cars
Say so at booking, not at the curb. It needs a truck with a winch. What matters is whether it rolls, steers and brakes, so check all three and tell us. There is no flat fee, but expect $200 or more above the same car running.
Classics and collector cars
Note any starting quirks in writing for the driver: a hidden kill switch, a choke, a battery cut-off, a manual fuel pump prime. A driver who cannot start your car cannot load it. This is also the category where enclosed transport usually earns its cost.
EVs and hybrids
Leave enough charge to drive on and off, around 20 percent is plenty. Turn off sentry or guard modes, which drain the battery over several days on a truck. Note how to put it in neutral without power, since some models hide that.
Lifted trucks and lowered cars
Both change which trailer position works. Give us the modified height, not the factory spec. A lowered car may need a low-clearance ramp, and a lifted truck may not fit on a top deck at all.
Cars that have been parked a while
Check the battery, the tires and whether the brakes have seized. A car that has not moved in six months often cannot roll, which changes it from a running car to a winch job on the day and costs you time.
Cars going to an auction or a shop
Confirm the receiving end is open when the truck arrives and can accept the car. A body shop that closes at noon on Friday is the most common delivery problem nobody anticipates.
What actually happens when the driver arrives
Plan on fifteen to thirty minutes. The driver walks the car with you and records its condition on the Bill of Lading, the document that governs everything afterward. Existing scratches, dents and chips get marked before the car moves.
Read it before you sign. If something is on the car and not on the form, say so then. Once you sign, that form is the agreed starting condition, and your photos support it rather than replace it.
Then it loads and goes. At the other end you do the same walk against the same form, compare it with your photos, and sign again. Balance is due at that point.
You do not have to be there yourself. A friend, family member, neighbor or shop can hand over the keys as long as they are over 18 and reachable. Name them at booking, and make sure they know to go through the Bill of Lading properly, because that is the part that matters.
Car shipping preparation questions
The ten questions people search before their first shipment, answered for pickup day.
How do I prepare my car for shipping?
Can I leave personal items in the car?
How much fuel should be in the tank?
Do I really need to wash my car first?
Can I ship a car with a roof rack or bike rack on it?
Is my car insured during transport?
Is door-to-door really door-to-door, and can a truck reach my street?
How much does it cost to ship a car?
How long does it take, and how far ahead should I book?
How do I know a car shipping company is legitimate?
More questions are answered on the full auto transport FAQ.
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