Why Fuel Needs to Be Low When Shipping a Car

When you have a car shipped, especially if it will be shipping out of state or out of the country, it is important to keep the fuel level as low as possible for the journey. As the owner of the vehicle, you will usually be told to make sure the fuel level is at ¼ tank or lower before it is loaded onto the carrier for transport.

The reason for this is pretty simple. Fuel adds weight to the car and with as many vehicles as a driver will have on his truck, extra fuel can really cause issues. A quarter tank will provide just enough fuel for the driver to load and unload your car and it will give you enough to drive to a gas station to refuel when the car has been delivered

Truck drivers must stop at weight stations during the drive and if the station finds that the truck has exceeded the maximum weight allowed, the driver can be fined. If they have been fined previously, there is also a risk of them having to park their truck or even lose their licensing for violations. If every car on the truck has exceeded the recommended fuel level, this can cause an overweight issue.

Chances are that if you have too much fuel in the tank, it may even need to be siphoned out if it is found to cause the entire truckload to have a weight problem. If you have too much fuel in the tank and know about it before the scheduled date of pickup, then it will be best for you to take a drive to burn the fuel out so it will be down to no higher than a quarter tank before the driver picks it up.

You also need to double check the car to make sure that you have removed all personal items, and especially items that will add extra weight to the car.

When you need to schedule reliable auto transport services, be sure to contact an agent at Ship Vehicles for the best transport options in the nation. You can contact an agent by calling 888-231-0113 or by filling out the instant quote form on this website