There are times when you need to ship your vehicle to or from Colorado. Before you do this, there are things that you need to do to get your vehicle ready. These things can help ensure that your vehicle will get to its destination safely.
You can find different car transport companies by doing a search. You can put auto transport companies in Colorado into your favorite search engine and find a few to compare. You don’t want to choose the first one you come to because you want to make sure that you are getting the best deal.
This article will help you to get your auto ready for transport. It will answer some of the questions that you might have. Additionally, do research to find out more information.
How to Get Your Vehicle Ready
1) Get Your Documentation Ready
You want to make sure that you have all the important documents for your auto-ready. These could include your registration, insurance, bill of sale, title, and government-issued identification: https://dmv.colorado.gov/documents. The car transportation company needs to make sure that the vehicle belongs to you.
If you have all the information upfront, you will save time by not having to look for it. Make sure that you have copies of all the information so that if it is lost, you still have that. You can be assured that both copies won’t be lost.
2) Wash it
Give your auto a thorough wash and check for scratches and dents as you do so. If you find any, take pictures so that you know what was already there. Cleaning your car can also prevent scratches made from brushing against the dirt.
3) Pre-Inspect
This goes along with washing your vehicle. Inspect inside and out of the vehicle so that you can check for damage everywhere. Again, take pictures of any dents or scratches that you find, as well as any stains that you might see on the inside.
Read Also: 4 Shipping Terms You Need to Know
4) Clean it Out
Clean everything from the inside of your auto out. You don’t want to have any personal items inside. Don’t forget to clean out the trunk, as well.
5) Disable Alarms
Make sure that you disable all alarms on your auto. Just moving the car on the transport can set off the alarms and you don’t want that to happen. You don’t want to annoy the driver with many alarms going off.
6) Don’t Fill it Up
You might think that you want to fill the vehicle up before you load it up, but this is not the case. Added fuel will add weight and cost to your trip, as well as weight to the whole load. You just want to have about a quarter tank of gas in the vehicle.
7) Go For a Tune Up
Go for a tune up so that your car won’t have any leaks while it is in transport. If you go to load your car up and there is a leak, your driver might not load it. If your vehicle is on top of the transport, it might leak onto other cars and that could cause problems.
8) Remove Customizations
If you have added after-market parts to your vehicle such as running boards or spoilers, you will want to remove them. They could break off during transport and damage your vehicle as well as other autos on the transport. This is especially true if you are using an enclosed transport because of the space available in the trailer.
9) Lock and Leave
After you have done everything it is time for you to lock your vehicle and leave the key with the transport. Locking it up will ensure that there is no theft along the way. You also should have an extra key so that you have one in case the other is lost.
10) Sign the Contract
After everything is completed, sign the contract. You want to make sure that you read it very carefully before you sign to make sure that you know exactly what is going on. You will also have a bill of lading which will include the starting location of your auto, final destination, condition of your auto at pickup, mechanical issues, and any special instructions. See here to learn more about bills of lading.
Conclusion
You want to make sure that you prepare your vehicle for transportation. This includes cleaning it and checking for dents and scratches. It also includes removing any aftermarket parts that might fall off during transport.
Preparing your vehicle will ensure that it will get to its final destination safely and in the condition that you sent it in. It will also help to talk with the car carrier about what they want you to do with your car. They also want to make sure that they get your car safely to its destination.
