Moving overseas or to another country is an extremely stressful and labor-intensive process, especially if you have to make arrangements for your vehicle to come with you as well. However, transporting a vehicle over long distances does not necessarily have to be a headache. Fortunately, there are a few different things that you can do to prepare your vehicle for a long-distance move and help keep your stress levels at a manageable threshold.
Cleaning
The first thing that you should do is clean out the entirety of the car's interior. This means removing any important documents, first and foremost, like your insurance policy and registration, and keeping those items with you. However, it also means removing dirt, dust, and other debris which may cause staining or discoloration on the surface of your seats, steering wheel, and other areas within the car – this will be the only opportunity you have to clean your vehicle for a period of days, if not weeks, depending on how far you are moving.
Maintenance
Beyond a general cleaning within the interior of your car, you should also take a look under the hood to see if there are any issues that should be addressed before you move. You should make sure that all of the fluids are checked and replaced if necessary – including the brake and transmission fluids, the oil levels, the battery's fluids, the coolant level, and so on – to ensure that your vehicle is in good working order as soon as you get it back a few weeks from now. Talk to your movers about what you should do with the gas tank and battery: some companies want them full and ready to go (keeping the gas tank completely full can help reduce condensation within the gas tank, which can cause rust over significant periods of time), whereas others require you to disconnect the battery and keep the gas tank relatively close to empty for safety reasons during transportation.
Document
Finally, in order to maintain peace of mind while your vehicle is being handled by someone else, you should photograph and document the entirety of your vehicle, especially any areas of existing damage. That way, if your vehicle becomes damaged while in transit, you can provide proof to your insurance company to ensure that you won't have to pay for repairs out of pocket. Be sure to check with the moving company that will be in charge of your vehicle to see what type of internal regulations or insurance policies that they hold.
Contact a moving company for more information.
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