Preparing a Car for Transport

Transporting a car can either leave you all fuming and "exhausted", or it can rev you up and steer you into the right groove. And it all depends on how you prepare your car for the transportation. When you are transporting your car, remember that it can be damaged on the way and it will do you a world of good to get it ready in a manner that ensures that it does not get damaged on the way and if it does, then you have the evidence ready to make a claim.

Contrary to what you are thinking, getting your car ready for shipment does not take too much time and is a fairly easy job if you have the inclination. Here is a small guide on how to get your "baby" ready for shipment:

* Call up the transport company and ask them any guidelines or pointers that will help you get your car ready. Sure, our guide will tell you all, but then there's no harm in asking because a transport company has practical experience in shipping cars and they would have encountered many situations, which will be of help to you.
* Check and record any damage on your car before you transport it. Write down each and every dent or scratch that you come across and take pictures (with the date feature on in your camera) of your car from all angles. Take centerfold kind of pictures of damaged areas.
* Empty out the insides of your car – you need to do this because your transporter will not compensate you if anything goes missing from inside your car. Plus, if the items inside have the potential or do cause damage, then you will not be compensated for that.
* Check the batteries and tires there are to fill because when your car reaches the destination you don't want to get into a situation where it doesn't start up or move up.
* Remember not to fill up the entire tank with gas as that will add to the weight of the car.
* Top up all the liquids there are to top (except the gas which has been tackled above) and check for leakages. Do this about 4-5 days before you load the car.
* Now it's time to get your car load-worthy: Fold all mirrors, seal off the top, push in the antenna and switch off the appliances including the alarm. This may seem minor adjustments, but they help quite a bit.
* If your car gets damaged while loading or offloading, then you must record the damage.

If you follow these steps you will not face any issues with your car transportation. Well, here's wishing your car a bon voyage and a safe journey.