When it comes to auto transport, you need to know what companies you’ll be dealing with and what car transporters actually do. The process that car transporters go through when picking up a vehicle or delivering a vehicle can be time-consuming if you don’t follow the steps that those car transporters go through. This article will explain what happens when car transporters arrive to pickup or deliver a vehicle.

We’ll start with pickup. Car transporters drive very large trucks – oftentimes they won’t be able to pickup right outside someone’s house, but they’ll try their best. Car transporters need enough room to turn around and maneuver their truck, so don’t be surprised if the car transporter you booked with calls you and tells you to meet him at a large parking lot in the area.

When your car transporter arrives to pickup the vehicle, the first thing they will do is introduce themselves and tell you what’s going to be going on – well, they should, anyway. If they don’t, you’ll know because of this article. All car transporters operate pretty much the same way – they’ll have a clipboard and the paperwork in front of them,  and you and the driver will both inspect the vehicle for any damages or other things that may be important. Car transporters do this for both your benefit and theirs – if there is any damage during transport, the car transporters are liable only for the damages cause during the transport, and want to make sure that they note any existing damage so they don’t have to cover repair costs for that.

It’s important that you have the vehicle clean of anything when the car transporters come to pick the vehicle up. Unexpected items in the car can cause delays or even cancellations, especially if the car transporters are picking up from a terminal or place of business. Make sure your vehicle is clean on the inside – if you must put things in the car, let your car transporters know ahead of time, and make sure to have the weight of your items as well. Too much weight can push the car transporters over the weight maximums allowed by federal law, which can cause more major delays.

When the car transporters arrive to deliver the vehicle, you and the driver will again go through an inspection. This is again to note any damages that may have occurred while on the car transporter’s rig, and then you can make any insurance claims if you need to. Some car transporters deliver even in the middle of the night – it depends when they roll into town usually, and the same rules for pickup go for delivery in terms of the pickup location. If the car transporters don’t have enough room to maneuver their truck, you’ll be forced to pick the vehicle up at a more convenient location for the car transporters.

Make sure to do a thorough inspection of the vehicle with your car transporters before handing the keys off. Car transporters do their best to prevent damage, but they aren’t perfect, and road conditions being what they are, errant rocks and road debris have been known to kick up and damage vehicles. Therefore, it’s best to always inspect the vehicle thoroughly before releasing the vehicle to the car transporters or accepting the vehicle at delivery.