How to Prepare Your Car for Transport: The Pickup-Day Checklist

Why preparation matters more than it sounds

Nearly every vehicle transport dispute reduces to one question: what condition was the car in when it was loaded?

That question is answered by the Bill of Lading and by your photographs. If both are thorough, a claim is straightforward. If either is vague, the dispute becomes an argument neither side can win cleanly.

The whole preparation routine below takes about thirty minutes, and most of that is a car wash.

Wash it, then photograph everything

This is the single highest-value step, and most people skip it because the car is about to get dirty anyway.

The point is not cleanliness. It is visibility. A layer of road grime hides exactly the scratches, chips and scuffs that later become disputed. A driver inspecting a dirty car records less, and you can prove less.

After washing, photograph:

• All four sides, straight on and at an angle.
• Front and rear bumpers close up.
• All four wheels and tires, including any existing kerb rash.
• The roof, if you can safely get an angle on it.
• The interior and the odometer.
• Close-ups of every existing imperfection.

Make sure timestamps are on. Keep them until the vehicle is delivered and accepted.

Empty the cabin

Carriers generally do not accept liability for personal belongings, and there are two good reasons beyond liability.

Loose items move. A box sliding across a back seat over 2,000 miles marks upholstery. And added weight matters on a trailer running to a legal limit.

Remove:

• Everything in the cabin, boot and glovebox
• Toll transponders and parking passes
• Garage door remotes
• Aftermarket electronics that are not hard-wired
• Loose floor mats and seat covers

Leave the spare tire, jack and factory tools. Those are part of the vehicle.

Fuel, fluids and mechanical checks

Quarter tank of fuel. That is the rule, and the reasoning is simple at both ends.

The driver needs enough fuel to drive the vehicle onto the trailer and off it again. Beyond that, fuel is weight travelling the full route for no benefit.

Also worth ten minutes:

• Check for fluid leaks. A car that drips onto the vehicle below it creates a real problem. Note any leak on the Bill of Lading.
• Check tire pressure. Loading and unloading is easier on properly inflated tires.
• Check the battery. A marginal battery may not start after several days parked.
• Top up antifreeze in winter.

If the vehicle has mechanical issues that affect whether it rolls, steers or brakes, that is a different category — see shipping an inoperable vehicle.

Alarms, accessories and anything that sticks out

Anything that protrudes, detaches or draws power is a problem waiting to happen.

• Disable the alarm or hand over the fob with instructions. An alarm cycling for days flattens the battery.
• Fold or remove the antenna.
• Retract or remove roof racks, bike carriers and cargo boxes where possible. They change the vehicle’s height, which affects the load plan.
• Secure or remove spoilers and ground effects that are not factory-fitted.
• Fold in the mirrors.
• Note low ground clearance at booking. It determines the ramp or liftgate needed.

Any modification that changes the vehicle’s dimensions should be declared when you book, not discovered at pickup.

The Bill of Lading, at both ends

The Bill of Lading is the contract and the condition record. Read it.

At pickup the driver walks the vehicle and marks existing damage. Your signature says that record is accurate. If it is incomplete, say so and have it corrected before signing — not afterwards.

At delivery, in this order:

1. Wash off enough dust to see the paint. Do not inspect a dirty car.
2. Walk the vehicle against your pickup photographs.
3. Check the roof and underside, not just eye level.
4. Note anything new on the delivery copy before the driver leaves.
5. Photograph again, then sign.

Someone over 18 must be present at both ends. It does not have to be you, but whoever it is needs to understand that signing clean ends the claim.