How to Prepare Your Car for a Long-Distance Tow

Moving a vehicle across the state or across the country is routine work, and it goes smoothly far more often when the owner has spent a quarter of an hour getting the car ready.

Empty the car

Take out everything that is not bolted down. Loose items slide around in transit, and personal property inside a vehicle is not covered the way the vehicle itself is. That includes the boot, the glovebox and the door pockets.

Remove toll transponders too, unless you want to pay for a journey you did not drive.

Document the condition

Photograph the car from every corner, plus the roof and the wheels, in good light and with the car clean enough to see the paint. Get close-ups of any existing chips, scratches or dents.

Do this before the truck arrives, and keep the timestamps. If a question ever comes up, this is the evidence that settles it in minutes. A good transport driver will do their own walk-round and note existing damage. Compare notes and make sure you agree before signing.

Leave a quarter tank of fuel

Enough to load, unload and drive a short distance at the other end. More than that is dead weight, and on a multi-car carrier weight matters.

Check for leaks

A car that drips oil or coolant onto the vehicle below it on a carrier is a genuine problem. If you know it leaks, say so when you book: it changes where the car is loaded.

Deal with alarms and low clearance

• Disable the alarm, or tell the driver how to. An alarm that triggers repeatedly at 2 a.m. on the road is a real nuisance.
• Mention low clearance, body kits or lowered suspension. These need different loading angles, sometimes ramps.
• Fold or remove roof racks and aerials where you can.
• Retract or secure loose trim and anything already hanging.

Sort the keys and access

The driver needs a key to steer, brake and release the parking brake during loading. Hand over one key, not your only one, and keep a spare yourself.

Check tyres and the parking brake

Even on a non-running car, tyres need enough air to roll onto the deck without damaging the sidewalls, and the parking brake needs to release. A seized brake turns a five-minute load into a much longer job with skates.

Be reachable at both ends

Give a phone number that will be answered, and a second contact at the destination if you will not be there yourself. Most delays on long-distance transport come down to nobody being available to receive the vehicle.

We handle dealer, auction and long-distance transport out of Birmingham with condition photos logged at both ends. See our transport services or call (205) 555-0198 to schedule.