The week before
- Confirm the pickup window and meeting point with your coordinator, especially if your street is narrow, steep or gated.
- Check that the car starts, rolls, steers and brakes. If it has been sitting, charge the battery and check tire pressure. A car that won't start on pickup day needs a different truck.
- Fix leaks. Carriers can refuse a vehicle leaking fuel or oil, and a leak from the top deck damages the car below.
- Note mechanical quirks. A trick to the ignition, a sticky parking brake, a battery cutoff: write it down for the driver.
- Arrange who will be there. If it isn't you, give your coordinator the name and phone number of the adult who will release the car.
The day before
- Wash the car. A clean exterior makes the inspection accurate; dirt hides scratches and arguments start later.
- Photograph every side plus wheels, roof, windshield and the odometer, in daylight, with a timestamp. Keep them until the car is delivered and inspected.
- Fuel to a quarter tank. Enough to load, unload and reach a station; not so much that it adds needless weight. For an EV, charge to 30–60 percent.
- Empty the car. Remove personal items, documents, garage openers, toll transponders, parking passes, child seats and anything loose in the trunk. Carriers are not licensed to move household goods and are not insured for them.
- Remove or secure accessories. Bike racks, cargo boxes, custom antennas, loose spoilers and removable roof panels. Fold the mirrors if they fold.
- Disable the alarm or show the driver how, and put an EV in transport mode.
- Set aside one key for the driver. Keep your spare.
At pickup
- Walk the car with the driver. Make sure every existing scratch, chip and dent is on the bill of lading before you sign.
- Confirm the destination address and recipient contact on the paperwork.
- Hand over the key, sign, and keep your copy. Photograph the signed document.
At delivery
- Inspect before you sign, in daylight if at all possible. Compare the car to the pickup report and your photos.
- Note anything new on the bill of lading before signing. Once you sign clean, a later claim is very hard to make.
- Pay any balance due as agreed, collect the key and your copy of the delivery report.
- Wash the car and look again within a day or two; transit dust can hide small marks. Report anything promptly to your coordinator.
Things people forget
Garage door openers left on the visor. Toll tags that bill the whole trip. Custom license plate frames that snag on straps. Dashcams that record the driver and run the battery down. A full tank. The convertible top left down. None of them are disasters; all of them are avoidable with a last look before the truck arrives.