How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping
Preparing your car for shipping takes about 30 minutes and involves 10 steps: wash, photograph, remove personal items, check tires, reduce fuel, and disable the alarm. Proper vehicle preparation takes about 30 minutes and makes a real difference in how smoothly your shipment goes. This checklist covers everything you need to do before the carrier arrives — from washing and photos to fuel levels and keys. Follow each step and your vehicle will be ready for a problem-free pickup.
The 10-Step Car Shipping Prep Checklist
Complete each step before your scheduled pickup date. Most can be done the day before or the morning of pickup.
Wash the Car
A clean exterior is not about appearance — it is about protection. When the driver arrives, the two of you will walk around the vehicle together and document every existing scratch, dent, and mark on the Bill of Lading. If the car is covered in dust, mud, or road grime, small damage can hide underneath and may not get documented. That creates a problem if you need to file a claim after delivery.
A basic hand wash or drive-through wash is fine. You do not need a full detail. Just make sure every panel is clean enough to see the paint clearly.
Take Timestamped Photos
Photograph every angle of your vehicle — front, rear, both sides, roof, hood, trunk, and all four corners. Get close-up shots of any existing damage: scratches, dents, chips, curb rash on wheels, windshield chips. Make sure your phone's timestamp or location feature is turned on so the date and time are embedded in the image data.
These photos serve as your before-and-after evidence. If your vehicle arrives with new damage at delivery, your pickup photos plus the Bill of Lading create an undeniable record of the vehicle's pre-transport condition. This is the single most valuable thing you can do to protect yourself. Learn more in our car shipping insurance guide.
Remove Personal Items
Carrier cargo insurance covers your vehicle — never its contents. Personal items left inside the car are shipped at your own risk, period. If a laptop, bag of clothes, or box of kitchen supplies is damaged or goes missing during transport, you will not be reimbursed.
Remove everything from the cabin, glove box, center console, door pockets, and seat-back pouches. Clean out the trunk. If you are relocating and want to use the trunk space, see the "What You Can Leave in the Car" section below for guidelines — but the safest move is always to ship belongings separately.
Remove or Secure Loose Accessories
Anything that sticks out from the vehicle's profile or can come loose during transit needs to go. Remove:
- Bike racks, ski racks, and roof cargo boxes
- Aftermarket spoilers that are not bolted on permanently
- Removable or extendable antennas (retract power antennas manually)
- Toll transponders (EZ-Pass, TxTag, SunPass) — remove or place in a shielded bag to avoid toll charges along the carrier's route
- Flags, magnets, and decals that could peel off in wind
- License plate frames that are loose or decorative
Check Tire Pressure
Your vehicle needs to roll on and off the carrier — either driven by the carrier driver or rolled on its wheels. Properly inflated tires ensure smooth loading and unloading. Check all four tires plus the spare if accessible. Inflate to the manufacturer-recommended PSI listed on the driver's side door jamb sticker.
If you have a flat tire and the vehicle is otherwise running, let your Bold coordinator know before pickup so the driver arrives prepared.
Reduce Fuel to 1/4 Tank
A full tank of gasoline weighs between 100 and 200 pounds depending on tank size. When a carrier is hauling 7-10 vehicles, every pound counts. Reducing fuel to approximately one-quarter tank keeps weight manageable while leaving enough gas for the driver to start, move, and position the vehicle on the carrier at both ends.
Do not drain the tank completely. The driver needs to be able to start the engine and drive the vehicle a short distance during loading and unloading. A quarter tank is the standard recommendation across the industry.
Check for Leaks
Look under your vehicle for any fluid leaks — oil, coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, or power steering fluid. If you see drips, stains, or pooling liquid where you regularly park, notify your Bold coordinator before pickup. Carriers need to know about leaks for two reasons: (1) fluid can drip onto vehicles positioned below yours on the carrier, and (2) some leaks may indicate the vehicle needs special handling.
A minor leak does not disqualify your vehicle from transport, but the driver needs to know about it in advance.
Disable the Alarm System
A car alarm going off on a transport carrier is more than annoying — it drains the battery and forces the driver to make an unplanned stop. When your vehicle is loaded, secured, and traveling on the carrier, vibrations and movement can trigger aftermarket alarm systems.
If your car has an aftermarket alarm, disable it before the driver arrives. If you cannot fully disable it, leave the key fob with the driver so they can silence it if it triggers. Factory alarms are generally less sensitive and usually do not cause issues, but disabling them is still a good precaution.
Leave One Set of Keys With the Driver
The carrier driver needs at least one key (or key fob) to start the engine and move the vehicle during loading and unloading. Hand over one set of keys at pickup and keep a spare set for yourself. The driver returns your keys at delivery after the final inspection and BOL sign-off.
If your vehicle uses a push-button start with a proximity fob, make sure the fob is inside the vehicle so the driver can operate it. For vehicles with traditional keys, hand the key directly to the driver at the pickup inspection.
Note All Existing Damage
Before the driver arrives, do your own walk-around and write down every piece of existing damage you can find — scratches on the bumper, a small dent on the fender, rock chips on the hood, curb rash on the wheels. This personal inventory helps you move faster during the official Bill of Lading inspection with the driver.
When the driver conducts the official BOL inspection, compare their notes to yours and make sure nothing is missed. If you noticed a scratch that the driver did not mark, speak up. Everything that is on the vehicle before transport needs to be on that document.
What to Remove From Your Car Before Shipping
Here is a detailed breakdown of items that need to come out before the carrier arrives:
Remove From the Cabin
- Laptops, tablets, phones, chargers
- GPS units and dash cams (suction-mount types)
- Sunglasses, wallets, cash
- Important documents and registration papers (keep registration accessible for the driver)
- Garage door openers
- Loose CDs, water bottles, and small items in cup holders
- Floor mats if they are not secured
- Air fresheners hanging from the mirror
Remove From the Exterior
- Bike racks and cargo carriers
- Roof cargo boxes and ski racks
- Aftermarket spoilers (if removable)
- Extended or removable antennas
- Toll transponders (or bag them in foil)
- Magnetic signs or decals
- Tow hitches (if removable, to prevent carrier interference)
- Bug deflectors that are clip-on style
What You Can Leave in the Car
While removing everything is safest, most carriers allow a limited amount of personal items under these conditions:
- Weight limit: approximately 100 lbs — Anything over this adds too much weight and may result in the driver asking you to remove items at pickup
- Trunk only — Items must be stored in the trunk, not the back seat or cabin
- Below the window line — Nothing should be visible through the windows or stacked above the rear shelf
- Not covered by insurance — This is the critical point. Carrier cargo insurance covers the vehicle, not its contents. If your belongings are damaged, you absorb the loss
- No hazardous materials — No flammable liquids, aerosol cans, firearms, ammunition, or perishable food
If you are relocating and want to use the trunk space for soft goods like clothing or linens, that is generally fine. But do not ship anything irreplaceable, breakable, or valuable inside the vehicle. Ship those items separately through a moving company or USPS/UPS/FedEx.
Day of Pickup: What to Expect
The carrier driver will contact you before arriving, usually within a 2-4 hour window on the scheduled day. Here is what happens when they show up:
The Bill of Lading Inspection
The driver walks around the vehicle with you, marking every existing blemish on the Bill of Lading (BOL). This is the official record of your vehicle's condition before transport. Take this seriously:
- Walk slowly around the entire vehicle, checking every panel
- Point out anything the driver may miss — small chips, light scratches, scuffs on bumpers
- Check the roof, mirrors, and wheels
- If something is on the car, it should be on the BOL. Do not assume it is too small to matter
Questions to Ask the Driver
- What is your estimated delivery date?
- What is the best phone number to reach you during transit?
- Will you contact me before arriving at the delivery address?
- How will my vehicle be loaded — upper or lower deck? (Upper deck has slightly less road debris exposure)
After the inspection, sign the BOL, hand over the keys, and the driver loads your vehicle. You will receive a copy of the signed pickup BOL — keep it safe until delivery. Your Bold coordinator will also confirm the pickup and provide transit updates. For a full walkthrough of the entire shipping process, see our step-by-step guide to shipping a car to another state.
Special Prep for Different Vehicles
Beyond the standard 10-step checklist, some vehicle types need extra attention:
Electric Vehicles (Tesla, Rivian, EV6, Mach-E, etc.)
- Charge to 50-80% — Enough to drive on and off the carrier, but not so full that regenerative braking or temperature-related battery expansion causes issues
- Disable Sentry Mode — Tesla's Sentry Mode activates cameras and recording when it detects motion. On a carrier surrounded by movement, this will drain your battery during transit
- Turn off motion-activated features — Summon, proximity alerts, and walk-away locking features should all be disabled
- Enable Transport Mode — Tesla vehicles have a specific Transport Mode in settings that disables parking brake auto-apply and air suspension adjustments
- Provide a charging card or adapter note — If the vehicle arrives with very low charge and needs to be moved at the destination, let your coordinator know the charging situation at the delivery address
Classic and Vintage Cars
- Document everything extra carefully — Classic cars often have unique patina, originality marks, and character details that should not be confused with transport damage. Photograph every inch
- Consider enclosed transport — Classics benefit from weather protection and reduced road debris exposure. The price premium is small compared to the vehicle's value
- Note any mechanical quirks — If the car requires a specific starting procedure, has a temperamental transmission, or needs to warm up before moving, write clear instructions for the driver and inform your coordinator
- Secure chrome and trim — Vintage chrome bumpers, trim pieces, and emblems can be fragile. Make sure everything is tight and secure
Inoperable or Non-Running Vehicles
- Clear a path for winch loading — The carrier will use a winch to pull the vehicle onto the trailer. Make sure there is a clear, flat path from where the car is parked to where the truck can position
- Confirm the vehicle rolls — Even inoperable vehicles need to be in neutral and roll on their wheels. If the vehicle cannot roll (seized brakes, locked transmission, flat tires), notify Bold before pickup — the driver may need additional equipment
- Tell your coordinator everything — Does it steer? Do the brakes work? Is the transmission stuck in park? The more the driver knows in advance, the smoother the pickup goes
- Expect higher cost — Inoperable vehicles require extra time, equipment, and effort. This is reflected in the shipping quote. Call (469) 942-5444 for an inoperable vehicle quote
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