How to Prepare Your Car for Shipping to Texas

Have you booked your car’s pickup for its journey to Texas, but don’t know how you should prepare it for transit? Since 10% of all vehicles shipped across the US get damaged before they arrive at their destination, you’re right to find out how you can ensure your car’s safety during its move to Texas. But don’t worry: we’ve got you covered! 

In this article, we’ll share with you a simple, 5-step process you can use to prepare your vehicle for stress-free Texas car shipping and share everything from documenting your car’s condition to what items to remove for safe transportation.

Prepare Your Vehicle for Texas Car Shipping in 5 Steps

Step 1: Inspect Your Car for Existing Damage

The first thing you need to do is wash your car from all sides. This will allow you to easily check it for any external damage, such as chips, dents, and scratches. If you find damage, take close-up pictures of it and inform the carrier about them during pick-up.

Even if you don’t notice any damage, take several pictures from different angles. This way, you can compare your car’s condition during pickup to ensure that it has not been damaged during transit to Texas.

If damage does occur, these pictures will act as evidence and speed up the claims process.

Step 2: Remove Personal Items

On its way to Texas, your car won’t just travel on one trailer during the whole journey. The carrier’s route may be such that your vehicle must be loaded and unloaded onto different containers at various points. So, if you leave your personal belongings in the car, there’s a high chance that they could damage your car’s interiors or sustain damage themselves!

Plus, your car shipping carrier to Texas may not be licensed to ship goods other than vehicles using their trucks and trailers. As a result, your carrier might even refuse to ship your car if you’ve left personal property in it.

Therefore, you should remove all personal belongings from your vehicle. This includes custom stereo systems, GPS trackers, and even radio faceplates.

Step 3: Remove Toll Tags and Parking Passes

In addition to personal items, you should also ensure that you’ve removed or deactivated toll tags and parking passes from your vehicle. Otherwise, you could be charged every time your car passes through a toll booth on the way to Texas.

Step 4: Perform a Maintenance Check

Once you’ve washed your vehicle and removed personal belongings, the next step is to perform a routine maintenance check.

Here are some things you should watch out for:

• Battery: Make sure it’s fully charged. 

• Tires: Check the pressure.

• Engine and Transmission: Top off the fluids in these components.

If you notice any leaks or mechanical issues, make a note of them and inform your driver during pickup. Remember, your carrier can charge you extra if they find that your vehicle is in an inoperable condition. So, telling your driver in advance will help you avoid being charged extra later on!

You should also empty your gas tank to an eighth of its full capacity. This will ensure that: 

• Your car’s weight, and therefore its shipping costs, are reduced.

• Your carrier can easily move your vehicle during emergencies. 

Step 5: Prepare Your Vehicle for Loading & Unloading

The better your car is ready for onloading and offloading, the safer it will be during transit. To do so, you should remove all detachable items (spoilers, ground effects, fog lights, and antennas). 

Lastly, disable your car’s alarm system. Often, you might not be able to do this, but if this is the case, provide your driver with detailed instructions on how to disable it in case it gets triggered. 

Pro Tip: If you’re shipping a convertible, double-check the top and ensure it is securely fastened to minimize exposure to moisture, dust, or heat. 

You’re Ready to Ship Your Car Like a Pro!

Shipping your car to Texas can be challenging: you want to make sure that it’s not damaged, but you also don’t want to break the bank for white-glove handling when it’s not necessary. 

That’s where this guide can help you out: if you follow the 5-step process we’ve laid out for you, you can ship your car with complete confidence about its safety. 

So, make your checklist based on our five-step process, and you can rest assured that your car will arrive in Texas exactly as you had shipped it, ready to hit the road!