Checklist
How to Prepare Your Car for Transportation
Preparing a car for transport takes about twenty minutes and prevents most of the arguments that happen at delivery. Work through this before the carrier arrives.
Empty the car
- Remove cash, documents, electronics, sunglasses and anything else of value
- Take out loose items — bottles, tools, toys, phone mounts, dashcams
- Clear the boot; belongings are not part of the transportation arrangement
- Remove or retract accessories such as roof boxes, aerials and spoilers where possible
- Take out toll tags if you would rather they were not scanned in transit
Record the current condition
Wash the car first — dust hides scratches, and a clean car makes the condition report accurate. Then photograph it properly.
- All four corners, both sides, front, rear and roof in daylight
- Close-ups of existing scratches, dents, stone chips and kerbed alloys
- Windscreen and glass, including any existing chips
- Interior, seats and dashboard
- Odometer reading and fuel gauge
- Keep the photographs dated on your phone until delivery is complete
Check the mechanical basics
- Battery charged and the car starts reliably
- Tyres inflated, including anything obviously low
- No active fluid leaks
- Handbrake, brakes and steering working normally
- Fuel kept low — roughly a quarter tank is plenty for loading and unloading
- Disable or share instructions for any aftermarket immobiliser or alarm
Tell the transporter about anything unusual
None of these are problems if they are known in advance; all of them are problems if they are discovered at the pickup point.
- Mechanical faults, a weak battery or an overheating issue
- Lowered suspension, body kits, splitters or non-standard wheels
- A vehicle that does not start, steer or brake normally
- Aftermarket alarms or kill switches
- Very low ground clearance needing a low-angle ramp
Documents and keys
- RC copy and owner identification ready
- Booking documentation from the transporter
- One working key handed over; keep your spare
- Contact person and phone number confirmed for both addresses
At delivery
- Inspect in daylight, before signing
- Compare against the pickup condition report and your photographs
- Start the engine and check the dashboard for warnings
- Walk around the tyres and wheels
- Confirm the key is returned
- Raise anything you find immediately, while the carrier is still there
Common questions
Should the fuel tank be full or empty?
Keep it low — around a quarter tank. Enough to load, unload and reach a pump, without carrying unnecessary weight and fuel.
Can a non-running car be transported?
Often yes, but it needs winching or extra manpower, so declare it when asking for the quotation.
Do I need to wash the car first?
It helps. A clean car makes the pickup condition report accurate, which protects you at delivery.