You’ve done the research, compared the quotes, and booked your shipment. Now comes a step that many customers overlook entirely — preparing your vehicle for car transport. Proper preparation isn’t just about ticking boxes. It protects your car, protects your money, and ensures the entire transport process goes smoothly from pickup to delivery. At Rapid Auto Shipping, we’ve seen firsthand how a little preparation before the carrier arrives can make a significant difference in the overall experience. Here’s your complete pre-shipping checklist to follow before your vehicle leaves your driveway.
1. Document Your Vehicle’s Current Condition
Before anything else, grab your phone and take a thorough photo and video record of your vehicle from every angle. Walk around the entire car and capture all four sides, the roof, the hood, the trunk, the undercarriage if accessible, and any interior areas visible through the windows. Pay close attention to existing scratches, dents, chips, or scuffs and make sure they’re clearly visible in your photos.
This documentation is your insurance policy. When the carrier arrives and completes the official Bill of Lading — the legal document recording your vehicle’s pre-transport condition — your own photos provide an independent, timestamped record that can protect you completely in the unlikely event of a damage dispute after delivery. Don’t skip this step. It takes ten minutes and can save you significant frustration down the road.
2. Remove All Personal Belongings
This is one of the most important rules in car transport and one of the most commonly ignored. Most licensed carriers across the USA are not permitted to transport personal items inside your vehicle. The carrier’s insurance covers the vehicle itself — not clothing, electronics, tools, or anything else stored inside it. If your car arrives with personal items and something goes missing or gets damaged, you have no recourse.
Beyond the insurance issue, extra weight from personal belongings can cause problems at weigh stations and may put your shipment out of compliance with carrier regulations. Empty your trunk, back seat, glove compartment, and any storage compartments completely before pickup day. The only exception some carriers allow is a small amount of items in the trunk — but always confirm this directly with your specific carrier before assuming it’s permitted.
3. Reduce Your Fuel Level
You don’t need a full tank of gas for car transport — and in fact, you shouldn’t have one. A full tank adds unnecessary weight to your vehicle, which increases fuel costs across the carrier and can create compliance issues at weigh stations. The standard recommendation across the car transport industry is to bring your fuel level down to approximately a quarter tank before pickup.
A quarter tank is enough fuel to drive the vehicle on and off the carrier truck at both ends of the journey without running any risk of running dry during loading and unloading.
4. Check for Fluid Leaks
Before your vehicle is loaded onto the carrier, inspect it for any active fluid leaks — oil, coolant, brake fluid, or transmission fluid. A vehicle that leaks fluids onto the carrier deck can damage other vehicles being transported alongside yours. Many carriers reserve the right to refuse a leaking vehicle or charge additional fees for cleanup.
If your vehicle has a known leak, get it addressed before your pickup date or notify Rapid Auto Shipping in advance so your carrier can be briefed appropriately. Transparency here saves everyone time and avoids complications at pickup.
5. Disable Toll Tags and Parking Passes
Any electronic toll collection devices — E-ZPass, SunPass, TxTag, FasTrak, and similar systems — should be removed from your windshield or deactivated before transport. As your vehicle travels through states on the carrier truck, toll readers along the route may inadvertently scan your tag and charge your account for tolls you didn’t personally drive through.
The same applies to parking garage passes or employee access badges mounted to your windshield. Remove them before pickup to avoid any accidental charges or security concerns during transit across the USA.
6. Disable Your Car Alarm
A car alarm that triggers during transport is more than just an annoyance — it can drain your battery completely over the course of a multi-day shipment. Carrier drivers cannot always access individual vehicles easily while they’re loaded and secured on the truck, which means a triggered alarm may go unaddressed for hours.
Before your car is picked up, disable your alarm system entirely or make sure it’s set to a mode that won’t trigger from movement or vibration. If your alarm is particularly sensitive, let your carrier know in advance so they can take precautions when loading and unloading your vehicle.
7. Retract or Remove Exterior Accessories
Roof racks, bike racks, ski carriers, spoilers, side mirrors with wide clearances, and any other aftermarket exterior accessories should be removed or retracted before car transport if at all possible. These add-ons increase the overall width or height of your vehicle, which can cause clearance issues when loading onto the carrier and increase the risk of damage during transit.
If an accessory cannot be removed, inform Rapid Auto Shipping at the time of booking so the information can be passed to your assigned carrier. Some oversized accessories may affect your quoted price or require a specialized transport arrangement.
8. Secure or Remove Loose Parts
Convertible tops, loose spoilers, cracked mirrors, or any parts that aren’t fully secured should be addressed before your vehicle is loaded. Items that can shift, flap, or detach at highway speeds pose a risk not just to your own vehicle but to other cars on the carrier and to drivers on the road. Make sure everything is tight, secured, and road-ready before pickup day.
9. Check Your Tire Pressure and Battery
Your vehicle needs to be in basic operational condition for car transport — specifically, it needs to be able to be driven onto and off the carrier truck under its own power. Check that all four tires are properly inflated and that your battery holds enough charge to start the vehicle on pickup and delivery day.
A flat tire or dead battery on the day of pickup creates unnecessary delays and may result in additional fees for the carrier. Take five minutes to confirm both before your transport date.
10. Confirm Your Pickup Details With Rapid Auto Shipping
Finally, in the days leading up to your scheduled pickup, confirm all logistics with your car transport provider. Verify the pickup address, confirm the arrival window with your assigned carrier, and make sure someone will be present at the pickup location to hand over the keys and co-sign the Bill of Lading. If you can’t be there in person, arrange for a trusted representative to handle the handoff on your behalf.
At Rapid Auto Shipping, we send pickup confirmations and carrier details in advance so our customers are never caught off guard. Clear communication before the carrier arrives is the final piece of a smooth, stress-free car transport experience.
Ship With Confidence — Rapid Auto Shipping Has You Covered
Preparing your vehicle properly for car transport takes less than a few hours but makes an enormous difference in the overall experience. Follow this checklist, document everything, and communicate clearly with your transport provider — and you’ll be set up for a seamless shipment from the first mile to the last.
Get your free car transport quote from Rapid Auto Shipping today and let America’s trusted vehicle shipping team take care of every detail while you focus on what matters most.
