How to Prepare Your Luxury Car for Indoor Winter Storage

Luxury car ownership carries with it a certain responsibility, and this responsibility becomes most apparent during the winter months. When it’s time to retire your high-performance machine for the winter, choosing the right indoor vehicle storage can make all the difference. With Safe Auto Vehicle Transport and Storage, we’ve simplified the process of storing your car safely, thanks to our state-of-the-art facilities and industry-leading practices.

Here are some best practices you should follow when preparing your luxury car for winter storage in our secure, climate-controlled facility.

1. Clean your car

Before storing your car, give it a thorough cleaning. Small amounts of dirt can result in scratches or corrosion over time. A professional detailing inside and out can help to protect the vehicle. Ask us about your options for an interior, exterior or full car detailing package during your visit.

2. Keep it covered

Use a breathable car cover, especially designed for indoor use. This will protect your vehicle from dust and potential minor bumps.

3. Top off all fluids

Fill up your gas tank and consider adding a fuel stabilizer to prevent condensation. Make sure to also check and top off other fluids like antifreeze, brake fluid, and oil.

4. Mind the battery

Car batteries can discharge over time. To avoid this, consider using Safe Auto’s optional battery tender service. This service keeps your battery in optimal condition, so your vehicle is ready to hit the road when spring arrives.

5. Adjust tire pressure

Tires can lose pressure when a car sits idle. To avoid flat spots, consider over-inflating your tires slightly or invest in some tire cradles. Safe Auto over-inflates and maintains adequate tire pressures during your vehicle’s entire stay.

6. Insurance and Security

Maintaining insurance for your vehicle is essential. Our secure facilities equipped with advanced security systems provide peace of mind throughout the winter.

Planning ahead and taking these steps will ensure that your luxury vehicle remains in top condition, even during its winter hibernation. Our indoor car storage facilities offer 24-hour security and climate control, ensuring that your vehicle is not only safe from theft and vandalism, but also from harsh weather conditions that could affect its performance and appearance. Our customers agree that Safe Auto is the premier vehicle storage solution for all of Ontario. For more car storage tips and advice, visit the Car Care Council’s website (https://www.carcare.org). To learn more about our indoor winter storage services, get in touch with our team.

Transporting your Car to Florida

Many Canadians choose to spend all or part of the cold winter months south of the border in sunny Florida. Known as snowbirds these seasonal travellers take advantage of our US neighbour’s sunny, warm climate during Canada’s cold winter months. Safe Auto Canada provides a premium car shipping service from all destinations in Canada to the USA including Florida, Arizona, Texas and others. Our simple straightforward guide will tell you everything you need to know when transporting your car to Florida.

Open Transport VS Enclosed Transport

Transporting your car to Florida with Safe Auto Canada is the fastest and safest way to move your vehicle from point-to-point in North America. When driving to Florida you can make it in as little as 23 hours without stops. But you’re human and that simply isn’t time or cost effective. Driving 8 hours a day it will take you 3 days of driving minimum, the cost of hotels, as well as the cost of fuel and food.  Safe Auto has several teams of skilled drivers along with a fleet of enclosed transport haulers to take your vehicle securely to the destination of your choice. Enclosed car transport ensures that your car is not submitted to the elements while in transit.

Open Carriers expose your vehicle to the elements for the duration of its trip. While less expensive they may expose your vehicle to elects you don’t want it to come into contact with, such as dirt, rocks, ice snow and road debris. Open Carriers also load and secure cars very differently than our custom enclose trailers. An Open Carrier requires the driver to drive up a series of ramps to load your vehicle. Our custom enclosed trailers use a hydraulic lift to lift the vehicle into position, then are driven straight on. This is especially helpful for lowered and sports cars but is safer for any car being loaded.

Documentation

Once you have chosen Safe Auto to transport your vehicle over the border, you will require documentation to do so. Working with us and our associated customs brokers will help you get all of your documents in order for the American Border as well as the Canadian Border for returning clients. Both borders have their own unique requirements for crossing.

Here is a list of the required paperwork to transport a vehicle over the border:

-A complete Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) form 3299

-A photocopy of the vehicle registration

-A copy of the vehicle owners drivers licence and passport

-A signed letter of permission allowing our carrier to move the vehicle on your behalf

-Proof of current Canadian residence with a copy of a recent bill including your full name and address.

-Proof of commercial flight or other details to meet the vehicle once it and you arrive

The 3299 form heads up the border package for every vehicle. It will list the vehicle, including any and all items inside of the vehicle being transported. Perhaps you are going to Florida for 4-6+ months and would like to bring clothing or luggage with other personal affects. This is absolutely allowed, and can be convenient when travelling by plane as it is one less additional piece to concern yourself with.  It is imperative that you list all items being placed into the vehicle on the 3299 for border security. And please, do not attempt to transport any firearms, explosives, drugs or WMDs over the border. Failure to be truthful or complete with your reporting can result in your vehicle being impounded or denied entry. 

How long are you allowed to stay in the USA?

As a Canadian resident you are allowed temporary US residence of less than 1 year.

Now what?

At this point you are probably asking yourself, what do I do next? Where do I find these forms and how do I guarantee I have completed the border crossing package correctly? Simply call us or email us and we’ll take care of everything.

https://safe-auto.ca/contact/

Vehicle Preparation

Please make sure your vehicle is clean before pickup. When we arrive we will take pictures of the entire car as well as any damage, scratches, chips etc that may exist. This will be time and geo stamped and act as our Bill of Lading for the car. On delivery we will repeat this process. This ensures that the car you receive is in the exact shape it was when we picked it up. Also its a good idea to have a look through the car to make sure there is nothing inside that you don’t remember in it. Let’s remember that it is crossing an international border.

Take aways?

Safe Auto does it:

-Faster

-Safer

-Cleaner

-With less hassle

-Door-to-door

-And with all of the appropriate legal and border concerns satisfied.

 

Check out some of our reviews!

 

How To Prepare Your Vehicle For Transport

Your vehicle is a valuable asset, and shipping it may be stressful. If you’ve chosen to entrust your vehicle with Safe Auto, be confident that our process is simple and worry-free. The Safe Auto Experience means outstanding customer service and regular communication, as shown in the customer experiences shared on Google. You can also read Our Testimonials to find out why Safe Auto is trusted to safely transport cars, trucks and motorcycles. To ensure that you have peace of mind throughout the entire process of vehicle shipment, we’ve put together some tips on how to prepare your vehicle for transport!

Make Sure Your Vehicle is Clean

The first step in how to prepare your vehicle for transport is giving your vehicle a thorough cleaning inside and out. During pickup, a driver will do a full walk-around of the vehicle, and you might notice that they are snapping photos as they go. This is so that they can complete a vehicle condition report. This report will document the condition of the vehicle, including any existing damage. A clean vehicle makes it easier to clearly see and document any scratches, dents, paint chips, dings or any other damage.

Cleaning the inside of the vehicle should include removing any loose items such as air fresheners, transponders, cell phone holders and the like. Even inside the trailer, your car will be going over bumpy roads and will likely be jostled. It is best to ensure any items that may damage the interior during transport are removed.

Take Photos of Your Vehicle

Once your vehicle is nice and clean, make sure to take your own photos. Don’t just focus on areas with damage, but take lots of pictures at every angle, exterior, interior and of the odometer. Dated, high-resolution photos are best for your own records and to protect you in the event of any accidental damage.

Remove Any Accessories

In learning how to prepare your vehicle for transport, many first-time users find out that accessory items such as spoilers, front lips, extended antennas, or roof racks should be removed. The condition of these items cannot be guaranteed during transport if they impede the loading and unloading of the vehicle!

Make Sure the Vehicle is Mechanically Sound

Check the tires are properly inflated, radiator is full of antifreeze, battery is fully charged and engine is free of any issues that may affect the driver’s ability to drive the vehicle safely onto the trailer. Check for fluid leaks and notify us if anything is dripping! If need be schedule a visit to the mechanic before transport. The driver may refuse to pick up the vehicle if it presents a hazard to other cars in the trailer, and special equipment is required if the vehicle doesn’t run and will result in additional charges. So do your best to make sure everything is working before pick up!

Make Sure the Gas Tank is at Least 1/8 Full

Your vehicle needs enough fuel to be driven on and off the trailer. More fuel is more weight, and keeping weight off helps the transporter!

Make Sure to Provide a Set of Keys

A set of keys, including any remotes, will be required to move the vehicle. If your vehicle is an older model, please have a door and ignition key ready for pickup!

Make Sure There is a Valid Insurance Policy on the Vehicle

We require that you have a valid insurance policy in place at the time your vehicle is being transported.

Your vehicle will be covered by the cargo insurance policy if there is any damage caused by the transporter, but if there is damage caused by fire, theft, or by natural causes, or “Acts of God,” such as hail, flooding, lightning, tornadoes, etc., your insurance will be responsible for the repairs. Check with your insurance company to verify whether your car insurance is valid during transport!

Following these simple tips will ensure that you have a safe and worry-free transport!