Having the Right Tires So You Can Ship Your Car

The additional cost of shipping a car that is not running

When you ship your car it needs to be loaded on and off the car carrier truck. For typical car shipments, a car will be driven onto and off the carrier. However, if your car is not running or drivable for any reason, you will need to book your car as an inoperable vehicle.

When you do this a special kind of truck will be needed that has a winch which attaches to your car safely and securely then pulls your car onto the carrier. When you book this particular kind of auto transport, you will need to pay several hundred dollars more than you normally would. These carriers tend to only have the capacity to carry several fewer cars than normal. Often, they can only carry one car. Thus, they must charge more for shipments in order to turn a profit.

If your vehicle is borderline inoperable and you attempt to ship your car using typical shipping, you risk having your driver not being able to get the car onto the carrier. If this happens, you will lose any deposit you left or possibly get charged a cancellation fee. Then, you will need to re-book your shipment as inoperable and pay the higher fee anyway.

If your tires are flat or low on air, you could possibly be put in a position where you will need to book your car as inoperable. You can easily avoid the cost of this situation by making sure that your tires are able to be driven on. If they are not or are borderline, you should consider getting a new set.

The risk of driving a long distance with tires that are worn

If you decide you would rather drive your car the long distance instead of shipping it, you will need to make sure that your car is ready to handle the trip. This will include the more obvious things such as making sure your engine, lights and wipers are all in good shape.

However, many people tend to forget about their tires when they are getting ready for a long trip with their car. Your tires can be the difference between a safe trip and disaster. According to AAA, driving on worn tires at typical highway speed in wet conditions can increase the distance it takes to stop by forty three percent.

In fact, driving on worn tires will always increase the distance it takes for your car to stop regardless of whether the road is dry or not. This means you are at a considerably higher risk of getting into an accident if your tires are worn when you drive on them.

If your tires are worn before you drive a long distance, you have two safe options. One is shipping your car and the other is getting new tires with reliable treads.

Why shipping a running car is much easier than shipping an inoperable car

Simply put, shipping an inoperable car can be a real headache in comparison to shipping a car that is running. We already mentioned this, but the cost of shipping an inoperable car in comparison to the cost of shipping a running car is much higher.

You will also need to book a shipment for an inoperable car much earlier than you would if your car is running. The carriers that have the equipment needed to get a non-running car onto the truck are much more rare than typical carriers. Thus, they will get booked up much quicker. You will need to book your inoperable car shipment at least a month in advanced.

Finally, the process of picking your inoperable car up and dropping it off will take longer than a regular car shipment. It obviously is not as simple as driving it on and off the carrier. The winch process will take a bit of time. So, it could take twice as long as a typical shipment.

How you can prepare for your car shipment

If you do decide to ship your car, you will need to do a few things in order to prepare for your shipment, whether it is running or not.

First, you will need to figure out what the condition of your vehicle is. If there is anything wrong with it, make sure that you tell your driver when they arrive for pickup. If what’s wrong with the car affects the ability to drive, you should call your auto transport company before you book your shipment and ask them whether you should book your shipment as normal or as inoperable.

Next, you will need to remove any personal items from the car. When you ship your car, anything that is left inside of it will not be covered by the insurance that covers the shipment. For example, if you have glasses in your that are lost or damaged during your shipment, you will need to cover their cost yourself.

Finally, you will need to get your car cleaned. When your vehicle transport driver arrives to pick up your car, they will have to conduct an in-depth visual inspection for pre-existing damage. If your car is not completely clean, that will take a lot longer to complete.