Pre-shipping checklist, post-delivery inspection guide, and everything you need to do before and after your vehicle ships.
Preparing your vehicle for car shipping takes about 20 minutes and directly affects two things: the accuracy of your Bill of Lading inspection and the safety of your belongings during vehicle transport. A clean, properly prepared car makes existing damage visible during the pre-shipping inspection, which protects you if anything happens during auto transport. Skipping prep means scratches and dents can go undocumented — and if new damage occurs during car shipping, you won't have the documentation to prove it.
A clean vehicle makes every existing scratch, dent, and chip visible during the auto transport inspection. If the car is dirty, small damage gets missed on the Bill of Lading — and you lose your ability to file a claim if something new appears after car shipping delivery.
Photograph all four sides, the roof, bumpers, and your odometer before the carrier arrives. Use your phone's timestamp. These photos create a personal record that supplements the Bill of Lading for your vehicle shipment. Close-ups of any existing damage are especially important.
Most auto transport carriers allow up to about 100 pounds in the trunk below the window line, but personal items are never covered under the carrier's cargo insurance during car shipping.
Take out E-ZPass, SunPass, and any electronic toll transponders. If left in the vehicle during auto transport, they'll rack up toll charges as the carrier drives through toll plazas across the country. This is one of the most commonly forgotten car shipping prep steps.
A quarter tank is the standard for vehicle shipping — don't fill it up, and don't drain it completely.
The vehicle needs to start and drive to load it onto the carrier. Make sure the battery holds a charge, tires are properly inflated, and the car can move under its own power. If your vehicle doesn't run, see our inoperable vehicle transport guide.
Retract the antenna if it's manual. Remove bike racks, roof cargo boxes, and any aftermarket accessories that could catch wind or shift during vehicle transport. If a spoiler, lip kit, or body modification is loosely attached, secure it or remove it before the auto transport carrier arrives.
Before the carrier arrives, do your own walk-around. Write down every scratch, dent, chip, and mark you can see. When the carrier does the Bill of Lading inspection, compare their notes to yours. Make sure everything is documented — anything not on the BOL at car shipping pickup is nearly impossible to claim later.
Jewelry, electronics, cash, important documents, firearms — none of these should be in the vehicle during auto transport. Carrier cargo insurance covers the vehicle itself, not its contents. If something goes missing from inside the car during vehicle shipping, there's no coverage and no recourse.
When the auto transport carrier arrives, you and the driver do a joint walk-around inspection of your vehicle. This is the Bill of Lading (BOL) — the legal document that records your car's condition at the start of shipping.
The driver marks every existing scratch, dent, and chip on a vehicle diagram. You review the diagram together, confirm it matches the actual condition, and both sign. This car shipping inspection typically takes 5 to 10 minutes. Be thorough — anything not documented on the BOL at pickup is assumed to have existed before auto transport.
After the inspection, the carrier loads your vehicle onto the trailer, secures it, and departs. You'll get confirmation that the vehicle shipping pickup is complete. Someone 18 or older must be present to sign the BOL — if you can't be there, designate a trusted representative to handle the car transport inspection on your behalf.
When the auto transport carrier arrives at delivery, do not sign anything until you've completed a full inspection. Walk around the entire vehicle and compare its current condition against the pickup Bill of Lading. This is your only chance to document any potential new damage (rare) from the car shipment.
The carrier will have the original Bill of Lading from pickup. Go through every item noted on the pickup BOL and verify each mark against the vehicle's current condition. Look for anything new — scratches, dents, chips, or marks that weren't there before vehicle shipping.
Inspect every body panel, the roof, bumpers, mirrors, wheels, and glass. Check the underside of bumpers and rocker panels — areas that can get hit by road debris during auto transport. Don't rush this car shipping delivery inspection.
Start the car. Check that the battery held its charge during vehicle transport. Test the lights, turn signals, and wipers. Check that the transmission shifts properly. Drive it a few feet forward and back to confirm brakes and steering work normally after auto shipping.
If you find anything new, note it clearly on the delivery Bill of Lading before you sign. Take photos immediately. Once you sign the delivery BOL without noting damage, your ability to file a car shipping claim drops to nearly zero. This is the single most important step in the entire auto transport process.
If you documented new damage on the delivery BOL, contact Auto Transport Professionals immediately. We'll walk you through the carrier's cargo insurance claim process. Having the damage noted on the Bill of Lading, plus your pre-shipping photos, gives you the documentation needed for a vehicle transport claim.
Auto transport carriers allow limited personal items in the trunk — roughly 100 pounds, below the window line. But just because you can doesn't mean you should. Here's what should never be in the vehicle during car shipping:
Electronics and valuables — laptops, tablets, cameras, jewelry. Not covered by carrier cargo insurance during vehicle transport.
Important documents — vehicle title, registration, insurance cards. Keep these with you, not in the glovebox during auto transport.
Firearms and ammunition — carriers cross state lines during car shipping, and transporting firearms in a vehicle on a commercial carrier creates legal complications across different state jurisdictions.
Hazardous materials — propane tanks, gasoline containers, cleaning chemicals, batteries (other than the car's own battery). These are prohibited on auto transport carriers by FMCSA regulations.
Perishable items — food, plants, anything that can spoil. Your car may sit on a carrier trailer for days in varying temperatures during vehicle shipping.
Get a price-locked auto transport quote. No upfront payment, fully insured carriers.
Wash the exterior, take dated photos of all sides, remove personal items and toll transponders, leave a quarter tank of fuel, check battery and tire pressure, disable aftermarket alarms, and secure or remove loose exterior accessories. The full car shipping prep checklist takes about 20 minutes and protects you during the Bill of Lading inspection.
Most auto transport carriers allow up to about 100 pounds of personal belongings in the trunk or cargo area, kept below the window line. However, personal items are not covered under the carrier's cargo insurance during vehicle shipping. Remove anything valuable, fragile, or irreplaceable before car transport.
A clean vehicle makes existing scratches, dents, and chips visible during the pre-transport Bill of Lading inspection. If the car is dirty during the auto transport pickup, small damage can be missed — and you won't have documentation to prove new damage occurred during car shipping.
Note any new damage on the delivery Bill of Lading before signing. Take photos immediately. Contact Auto Transport Professionals and we'll guide you through the carrier's cargo insurance claim process. Damage during vehicle shipping is extremely rare, but the BOL inspection at delivery is what protects you if it happens.
Someone 18 or older must be present at both ends of the auto transport to sign the Bill of Lading and participate in the vehicle inspection. If you can't be there for the car shipping pickup or delivery, designate a trusted representative — a friend, family member, or dealership contact.
Yes. Remove all electronic toll transponders (E-ZPass, SunPass, etc.) from the vehicle before auto transport. The carrier will pass through toll plazas during vehicle shipping, and any active transponder left in the car will accumulate charges on your account.
Leave approximately a quarter tank. This gives the carrier enough fuel to drive the vehicle on and off the auto transport trailer, without adding unnecessary weight to the car shipment. Don't fill the tank, and don't drain it completely.
