Tips to Prepare Your Car for Auto Transport

Dec 14, 2021 | Moving Blog, Services

Moving long distances doesn’t always mean packing the family in the car and following a moving truck cross-country. Many families would prefer to get their new life started as soon as possible and fly out to their new home, waiting for their belongings to catch up.

When this happens, auto transport is the best option for guaranteeing that your family vehicles arrive at your new home, on-time and safely. Here are a few tips to make sure that your auto transport goes off without a hitch.

Clean Your Car from the Inside, Out

Before handing your car over to your auto transporter you’ll want to make sure that its exterior and interior are clean. This is for two key reasons during the transportation process:

  1. Our transporters will make a full inspection of the exterior of your vehicle before we take it away. This is our way of documenting where any scratches or dents are present prior to your vehicle being in our possession.
  2. Transport can include your vehicle being jostled around. You want to ensure that your interior valuables like charging chords, electronics, and car seats are either secure in the car or completely taken out before the move.

Our customers are allowed to put a bit of clothing or bedding in the trunk of their cars, only. Even these belongings should not exceed 100 lbs. The driver is only responsible for the car and all factory items, so before releasing the vehicle, double-check that it is really empty for transport.

Take Pre-Shipment Photos

Even though your transporter will take photos of your vehicle, you’ll want your own documentation for your records. We won’t take offense if you take photos of your vehicle pre-movement. Your property is important to you and us, we support every effort you want to take to ensure that your car or truck being transported is in pristine condition when it arrives at your new home.

Check Your Tires and Brakes

It’s unsafe for us to move a car long distances if there are any issues with your tires and brakes. Before your big date with our movers, ensure that your tires, brakes, and emergency brake are in working order. This is also important if your car is one that doesn’t run and is just being transported to your new location. 

Don’t Worry About Gas

Remember, gas adds weight to your vehicle, and weight is part of what determines your total shipping costs. You won’t need to worry about driving your car until it arrives at your new home. So, save yourself some money and empty the tank, leaving just enough for your car to get on and off our transport vehicle and to your nearest gas station upon delivery. This is typically around ¼ of a tank of gas.

Disable the Necessities

The last thing you want is your alarm to go off during transportation, or have your toll tag charged if we need to take toll roads to your new home.

Take a moment to disable these features of your vehicle, and above all, don’t forget to hand over the keys to your certified vehicle mover.

Experience Stress-Free Auto Transport with Element Moving & Storage

If you’re in the process or preparing for a long distance move, don’t try to do it alone. Element Moving & Storage is Dallas’ premiere moving company that gets your belongings, vehicles, and even valuable collections to your new home with our safe, reliable process.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and find out how easy we can make your big move.