Video inspection and taking pictures before shipping your car

Taking Pictures and Videos Before Shipping Your Car

Shipping your vehicle is the best option when you’re relocating. It’s a way of keeping you from driving fatigue, wear and tear on your vehicle, having to buy a new car at your destination, and prevents you from falling into stressful situations that might be produced by the moving process. Therefore, shipping your vehicle is the best option and preferred by the majority of car owners, since it’s an easy, quick, affordable and safe process for you and your vehicle. However, there are certain steps you must keep in mind when shipping your car. If you want your vehicle to be shipped without any issues or inconveniences, then having it in good conditions and keeping documentation of that, is one of the most important steps when shipping it with an auto-transport company. Let’s see why.

A Proof To Your Vehicle Conditions

We know how important and necessary your vehicle is to you. That’s why you’re planning to take it with you to your new location, isn't it? That’s pretty obvious, and since that, we also know how meaningful it is to receive it in perfect condition. But let’s be honest, during an auto-transport shipping process, some issues can be produced due to unexpected factors, like weather or road conditions. Because of that, something that every auto-transport company should ask you to do before shipment is video inspecting and taking pictures of your vehicle. It’s a way to provide proof of your vehicle’s condition in case of any accident or sudden complication.

Primary Reasons Why Your Pictures and Videos Will Be Helpful

1. Support and Leverage

When transporting your vehicle, there are several documents you must fill out and sign both before and after delivery. The Bill of Lading is the primary document, in which both parties (you and the carrier) sign off to support you actually shipped it on a specified date and time, and the carrier received the vehicle. The whole paperwork is known as the chain of custody, and is a key to verifying that your vehicle arrives in the same condition it was shipped. However, without pictures or videos, it’s really hard to state the vehicle’s original condition before being shipped. That’s why the supporting documentation (which is the principal source and proof of the car’s shipment) in addition to visual support, might work perfectly to claim any damage to your car.

2. Insurance Claim

Your vehicle’s insurance is the main form that will cover your vehicle in case of damage. That’s why taking pictures and videos of your vehicle beforehand will prove to your insurance company that your car was in good condition before loading. If the pictures taken don't match to your vehicle’s condition after being delivered, then chances are higher of getting necessary repairs on the affected parts.

How Should You Take Your Pictures/Videos Before Shipping?

As you know, if a picture is not well taken, chances of proving damage are going to be lower. By this, we mean blurry pictures, wrong angles or poorly focused shots. Here we show some of the basic photography and car shipping tips to make your vehicle’s pictures or videos reliable.

Use Gridlines

Turning on the camera's gridlines is one of the simplest and most effective methods to improve your smartphone’s images and balance out your photos. The "rule of thirds” — a photographic composition theory that states that a picture should be divided down into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, for a total of nine components — will help you place your image in the right angle. 

Set Focus

The foreground of your frame is automatically focused on today's phone cameras, but not every image you snap on your phone works with this feature. Open your camera app and press the screen where you wish to enhance the view to adjust where your camera lens will concentrate.

Choose Different Angles

Taking images from an unusual perspective might make them more memorable because it gives the subject the feeling of depth or height. Because most smartphone images are taken straight on or from a bird's eye view, it also helps the image stand out.

Don't Zoom In

It's tempting to zoom in on anything specific you're trying to capture while taking a shot from a distance. However, zooming in might make the image grainy, hazy, or pixelated, so it's better to avoid it.

When Should You Take Your Car’s Pictures?

When you’ve made an appointment for the driver to come, take pictures of it.Capture photos while your vehicle is being picked up.

How Many Pictures Should You Take?

The more you can take, the better it will be. Having additional support for your vehicle in case of damage will increase your chances of getting insurance coverage. Also, taking pictures or videos of every part of the car will make you have a complete proof of your vehicle’s condition. 

Where Should You Take Your Vehicle’s Pictures?

Try capturing every single part of your vehicle. Take pictures of the outside part of it, as well as the inside. The more clear and detailed the pictures are, the better it is in case of any possible claim. 

Your Shipping Experience 

A part of delivering your vehicle to your next destination with an auto-transport company is being prepared for any unexpected situation or damage. Although the chances of a big transport accident with your vehicle is relatively low, you might have to experience non-desirable situations such as getting your car slightly scratched or dented. However, with AmeriFreight, the majority of our car transport deliveries end without damage and with happy and returning customers. 

Request your quote with AmeriFreight and get a personalized customer service experience during your auto-transport service. Simply call us or check us out on our website; we are more than happy to help you transport your vehicle to your new location!