Winter auto transport presents some unique difficulties you don’t have to worry about when you need to ship a car in any other season. But never fear dear reader, we here at J&S Transportation have a few tips to help you prepare winter car shipping!
How to prepare for winter auto transport
Winter vehicle shipping is not complicated, but it does require some preparation. We’ve got a few pointers to get you headed in the right direction to prepare before the car transport process begins.
- Wash your car
- Check Antifreeze
- Check the Thermostat
- Check the Air Conditioner
- Check Windshield washer fluid & Wiper Blades
- Check all fluids and use premium fuel
- Tires
- Check your battery
- Lubricate door locks
- Check window seals
Washing your car is the first step of the auto shipping process regardless of the season. The reason is it makes it much easier to do the vehicle condition report when the car is clean! This protects you and the auto transport company!
Check weather in the area you are moving to and make sure the antifreeze you’re using meets local weather extremes for the season!
It’s always good to check your thermostat if you are changing out the antifreeze! Check and make sure it closes all the way. If it doesn’t, your car will take a long time to heat up!
Yes, a/c in the winter. A lot of manufacturers actually use the compressor in the a/c system to remove moisture from inside the car so that your windows don’t fog up when the defroster is on. A faulty compressor will result in excessive interior condensation during the winter!
Check the weather where you are moving to and if possible, replace washer fluid with one that has a low freezing point so it’s not frozen when you get there. If low freezing point washer fluid is not available in your area, either order it online or drain the windshield fluid reservoir so it won’t freeze and break something because then you will really be in a pickle!
Since you’re checking out your washer fluid, you might as well inspect and replace wiper blades with winter blades before shipment as they will withstand the cold extremes better!
Check all service fluids levels before transporting your car in winter (or any season for that matter); oil, antifreeze, transmission, power steering, brake fluid, all of them. Check for leaks as well while you are at it. Leave only 1/8 to ¼ tank of fuel in the tank, and maybe splurge on premium gas. Lower octane is fine for when you drive your car daily and keep it in a garage at night. However, it is less than ideal for winter vehicle shipping. Your vehicle will be constantly exposed to the low temperatures and poor fuel poses a threat to your gas lines- be it freezing or bursting, it is certainly not something you want to have to deal with.
Make sure tires have plenty of tread if you are moving north for the winter, possibly think about getting studded snow tires and shipping them with your car so when it arrives, you are ready to go and don’t have to slip and slide to the tire shop. If that isn’t an option, pick up a set of tire chains or cables and put them in the trunk.
Winter is tough on car batteries. In fact, batteries die a lot faster in the winter, so unless yours is brand new, have it tested and check the terminals- they need to be tight, without signs of corrosion.
Lubricate the door and trunk locks, all hinges too. Use a weather-strip spray or a similar product to keep the rubber seals of the doors from freezing. Make sure all the doors and hatches close perfectly, you don’t want any water or snow getting in. It might be a good idea to place a moisture absorption pack inside the vehicle, just in case.
Make sure that the windows of your car are done tight. If you have a convertible – make sure that its top is up, too. We all do it automatically when the weather changes in our region. But many people forget to think about it when they use car transport services to ship their cars to other continents with different climate and weather conditions.
Winter auto transport is no problem at all for J&S Transportation!
One last thing: Your vehicle will get dirty!
Again, those of you that are familiar with icy climates are also familiar with the road conditions. There is nothing the trucker can do on an open trailer to prevent all of that wonderful road slush from getting on your car. While it shouldn’t damage the paint or anything of that nature on newer cars, your vehicle is not going to be bright and shiny when it gets to you.
So if you need to ship a car in winter, give us a call, find out our winter car transport cost and book your auto transport order with J&S! No matter where you are going, we will transport your car safely, quickly, and damage free!