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So you have a car that needs to go, but it can’t move. Perhaps you want to ship it to your mechanic the next town over, or maybe you want to sell it to your nephew who wants to learn how to work on cars. Either way, it needs to go. The only problem is that the engine doesn’t start. This is a huge problem for many. For instance, many cars bought at online auctions don’t run but still need to arrive at the buyer’s home. You may wonder how exactly you plan to get it there if you can’t drive it. The good news is that you can still ship a non-running car. The secret is to let your shipping company know about any issues so that they can prepare accordingly.

Shipping companies ship cars that can’t run all the time. However, the severity of the car determines how difficult it is to ship. The more difficult, the more expensive it costs to ship. The secret is to make sure your car can at least do three things. If it can roll, brake, and steer, chances are it can easily ship anywhere you want it to. If it can’t, shipping may require drastic measures to get it to where you need it. Things like ordering a forklift to get it on the trailer, which costs a pretty penny. However, if you can fix the car enough to do these three things, you can save hundreds in shipping costs.

However, there are some things that may make it impossible to ship your non-running car. For instance, if the car is abandoned in an inaccessible field or trapped in a cluttered garage. It’s best to test the steering, the tires , and the brakes by pushing the car to the street. If you can get it to the curb, you can get it anywhere. However, some things may not be such an easy fix. For instance, if your car leaks fluid or has loose parts that may fly off. This is a hazard for the other cars on the trailer and the other cars on the road. Shipping companies don’t want to risk loose bolts flying into other cars or oil leaking onto the other cars on the trailer.

The good news is that if you’re transparent with your shipping company, they can help. Find a company with experience. Columbus Auto Transport has shipped cars for more than 16 years, and they’ve seen it all. Give them a call and let them know the exact condition of the car. Mention any problems that may arise in getting the car on a trailer. They have shipping trailers with a winch and others with hydraulic lift gates to get almost any car on a trailer. The thing they need to know is how to prepare.