If you are preparing for a long distance move, you should hire a professional moving company to assist you. The moving process gives us a lot of headaches and since you want to save some precious time, avoid troubles and unnecessary stress. Hiring affordable movers Northern VA is the best solution. You will also take care of your kids, declutter on time, transfer or cancel your utilities and think of shipping your car too. Prepare to inspect your car after shipping but before shipping as well, so you can prove and file a claim if your car got damaged. So, today we will talk about how to inspect your car after shipping! Let’s start!
Inspect Your Car Before And After Shipping
Nowadays, almost every family has at least one car. Some people can’t even imagine their life without their four-wheel friend. Having a car saves you plenty of time, makes your drive from point A to point B comfortable and fast. If you have kids, having a car will make your life easier. Taking your kids to school, events, checkups, and training will be a piece of cake if you possess a vehicle.
If you are moving locally, you should drive your car to your new destination by yourself. However, the long-distance move requires hiring Virginia auto transport. To transport your vehicle correctly and have it ready for use as soon as they arrive, you should:
- Inspect Your Car Before Shipping
- Inspect Your Car After Shipping
- Hire Professionals
Inspect Your Car Before Shipping
Are you ready to prepare your car for transport? First of all, you should prepare your car and document everything before shipping. Consider doing these things:
- Declutter. You can ship around 100 pounds of personal items in your car while they are in the transportation process. However, it would be nice to throw away candy and bubble gum papers hiding under the seats. Take out valuable items from your glove box or some fragile and sensitive items from your trunk too!
- Inspect the Exterior. Car wash is not a bad idea, but you should also take pictures to have proof that your car had no scratches and damaged roof or sides before shipping.
- Fuel level. Reduce your fuel level to 1/4 of a tank before shipping.
- Document your car. Log your vehicles current condition by grabbing a camera or your phone and taking a few pictures. That is a precaution in case a new scratch or dent appears after the transportation.
Inspect Your Car After Shipping
Before claiming your car from a professional moving company, you should thoroughly inspect your vehicle. To do it properly, you should:
- Know how to Protect Yourself When taking Delivery
- File a Claim
- Inspect Before You Start Driving Again
Know How To Protect Yourself When Taking Delivery
Most of the times, professionals will bring your car to your doorstep. However, if you live in an apartment complex and you have no “proper” roads for an 18-wheeler truck to pass, you will have to arrange the delivery time and date at some other location. Wherever that location is, you should come prepared with the original inspection report about the condition of your car before shipping.
Bring your camera with you, a notebook and a pencil. Start examining your car thoroughly.
- Inspect every inch of your car. Check if there are some new dents, scratches or chips on the paint.
- Inspect for the damages on exterior mirrors, door handles, cracks on the glass and windshield condition.
- Check the tires and underside too.
- Open and close all doors, roll all the windows up and down and check if the lock is still working.
- Run and drive your car back and forth, just to be sure that they are still working.
File A Claim
If your car got damaged during the shipping process, you could file a claim. However, to file a car insurance claim, you will have to present all the pictures and proofs that your car didn’t have that specific scratch or broken glass before you hand it over to the shipping professionals. Car shipping companies are not responsible if any of your personal belongings disappear because they are authorized to ship your car only, not personal items that you have in your car. In this case, you are won’t be able to file a claim. So, be careful, keep your items with you, not in your car.
Inspect Your Car Before You Start Driving Again
Before you start using your car again, it would be good to pass the mechanic checkup just in case and for your safety. You would be able to drive your vehicle immediately after you get them unless they spent several months at the shipping company’s facility. In this case, you should top the fluids, check the gas gauge, and inflate the tires if needed.
Hire Professionals
Your professional moving company has a lot of moving services to offer. One of the best moving companies, Carmack Moving & Storage, is a licensed mover with years of experience in the moving industry and well-trained workers. If you need professional assistance, your professional mover will pack, carry, relocate, and unpack all of your belongings quick and efficiently. Give a call to your professional mover and let them calculate the cost of your move in advance. Regular moving services that every professional mover offers are:
- Nationwide Relocation
- Professional Residential Packing Services
- Moving Services
- Commercial Packing and Unpacking
- Business Relocation Services
- Residential Storage Units
- Commercial Storage Units
A professional moving company also offers special services, such as piano moving, long carry service, relocating a home safe, etc. For the full list of specialized services, you should contact your professional mover.
These are the things you should know to properly inspect your car after shipping. However, it is also essential to check your car before the shipping and take pictures in case you have to file a claim after the shipping process. If you hire a professional mover, your vehicle will be delivered to you in perfect condition! Have a good life and best of luck!