How to Prepare Your Car for Auto Transport: A Complete Guide

Preparing your vehicle before transportation can help make the shipping process easier and reduce avoidable complications.

Whether you’re shipping a car from Newark, NJ, to another state or moving a vehicle within the region, taking a few simple preparation steps can be helpful.

Clean the Vehicle

Start by cleaning the exterior of the vehicle.

A clean vehicle makes it easier to identify and document existing scratches, dents, chips, and other visible imperfections.

You don’t necessarily need a professional detailing service. A basic exterior cleaning is generally enough to make the vehicle’s condition easier to inspect.

Remove Personal Belongings

Remove personal belongings from inside the vehicle.

Items left inside the car can move during transportation and may create unnecessary complications.

Check the trunk, glove compartment, center console, door pockets, and other storage areas.

Document Existing Damage

Take photographs of your vehicle before pickup.

Photograph the front, rear, sides, roof, wheels, and any existing damage.

Close-up photographs can be useful for documenting scratches, dents, paint chips, or other visible issues.

Keep the photographs until the vehicle has been delivered.

Check the Vehicle’s Mechanical Condition

Make sure you know the vehicle’s mechanical condition.

If the vehicle doesn’t run, has a dead battery, flat tires, brake problems, or another issue affecting movement, tell the transportation provider before pickup.

Special mechanical conditions can affect loading and unloading arrangements.

Check for Low Clearance

Modified vehicles may have lower ground clearance than standard vehicles.

If your car has a lowered suspension, special body kit, oversized modifications, or other features that could affect loading, disclose this information in advance.

Leave the Fuel Level Reasonably Low

A vehicle generally does not need a full tank of fuel for transportation.

Keeping the fuel level relatively low can reduce unnecessary weight while leaving enough fuel for necessary vehicle movement.

Follow any specific instructions provided for your shipment.

Disable or Secure Certain Features

If your vehicle has alarms or special security features that could activate during transportation, follow the manufacturer’s or transportation provider’s instructions for handling them.

Make sure keys, remotes, and necessary vehicle information are handled according to the shipment instructions.

Make Sure the Pickup Location Is Accessible

The carrier needs a safe location to load your vehicle.

If your street is narrow, crowded, restricted, or difficult for a large carrier to access, a nearby pickup location may be required.

Discuss potential access issues before pickup.

Inspect the Vehicle at Pickup

Before the vehicle leaves, review its condition with the appropriate transportation representative and make sure the condition documentation accurately reflects the vehicle.

Inspect the Vehicle at Delivery

When your vehicle arrives, inspect it carefully.

Compare its condition with the pickup documentation and complete any required delivery paperwork.

Final Thoughts

Proper preparation doesn’t need to be complicated.

Remove personal belongings, document the vehicle’s condition, disclose mechanical issues, and make sure the pickup location is accessible.

If you’re shipping a vehicle from Newark, Auto Transport Newark provides open, enclosed, door-to-door, and state-to-state transportation options.