Car Shipping Pickup Inspection Checklist

Before the driver arrives

Start by washing the vehicle. Dirt, dust, and road grime can hide scratches and dents, while a clean exterior makes existing blemishes easier to identify a clean vehicle for inspection. The goal is not cosmetic preparation; it is to establish a clear baseline before transport.

Complete these preparation steps:

• Remove dirt and grime from the exterior.
• Make sure you can inspect all sides of the vehicle.
• Have photo identification available.
• Confirm that you or a designated representative will be present.
• Recheck the pickup address and whether a car hauler can safely access it.

A representative may complete the pickup inspection if the owner cannot attend, but that person should be able to confirm their identity at pickup identity confirmation at pickup. If no authorized person can review the vehicle and paperwork, contact the transporter before pickup rather than assuming the inspection can be completed without you.

Inspect and document the vehicle’s condition

Take dated photos or video before loading. Capture the entire vehicle from all four sides, then take close-ups of every existing scratch, dent, or other visible blemish. Photograph the odometer reading and verify that the image clearly shows the displayed reading. A dated visual record helps show what condition the vehicle was in before transport if damage is disputed later a dated condition record.

Use this photo checklist:

• Front, rear, driver’s side, and passenger’s side
• Each corner of the vehicle
• Close-ups of existing scratches and dents
• Other visibly damaged areas
• The odometer reading, clearly visible in a photograph
• Any condition detail you expect to be recorded on the shipping paperwork

Take the photos in adequate light and keep the original files. If you record video, move slowly around the vehicle so each panel and blemish can be identified. Photos and video do not replace the written inspection record; they supplement it.

Compare the vehicle with the bill of lading

The bill of lading is the official shipment record and includes the vehicle’s condition at pickup. It should be signed at pickup and again at delivery the official shipment record. Before signing, compare the vehicle itself and your photos with every condition note on the document.

Pay particular attention to whether the transport worker has accurately recorded existing scratches and dents. The inspection record should distinguish preexisting damage from anything that might occur during transport. If a scratch, dent, or other visible condition is missing or described incorrectly, ask for the bill of lading to be corrected before the vehicle is loaded record existing damage.

A practical comparison process looks like this:

Do not treat the signature as a formality. Signing records the condition listed for the shipment, so resolve discrepancies before signing. Keep a copy or clear image of the signed bill of lading for comparison at delivery.

Confirm the pickup location and access

A car hauler needs enough access to reach and load the vehicle. Check whether the pickup address has suitable space for the transporter’s equipment. Tight residential locations may require an alternate meeting location, depending on the access conditions and the transporter pickup access for a car hauler.

Ask the transporter in advance whether the planned address works. If it does not, agree on an alternate location before pickup day. The alternate arrangement should be clear to everyone involved, including the person meeting the driver. Avoid waiting until the truck arrives to discover that the driver cannot safely reach the address.

This is the key decision framework:

• Accessible address: Confirm the meeting time and prepare for the inspection.
• Questionable access: Send the transporter details about the street, driveway, entrance, or available loading area and ask whether an alternate location is needed.
• Clearly difficult access: Arrange a different meeting point with the transporter before pickup.

Pickup-day checklist

Use this list immediately before the vehicle is loaded:

• The vehicle is clean enough to reveal scratches and dents.
• Dated photos or video cover all sides.
• Close-ups show each existing blemish.
• The odometer has been photographed and the displayed reading verified.
• Photo identification is available.
• The owner or designated representative is present.
• The pickup location is accessible to the hauler.
• Existing damage is accurately written on the bill of lading.
• The bill of lading matches the vehicle and photo record.
• Corrections have been made before signing.
• A copy of the signed bill of lading has been retained.

If the paperwork and the vehicle do not match, pause the loading process long enough to request a correction. A photo and bill-of-lading record can help establish whether damage was preexisting if a dispute arises later proof of preexisting damage.

What to keep for delivery

Keep the dated pickup photos, videos, and signed bill of lading together until the vehicle has been delivered and inspected again. At delivery, compare the vehicle with the pickup record rather than relying on memory. The pickup documentation provides the baseline for identifying any change in condition.

Procedures and documentation can vary by carrier, vehicle, route, and contract. Ask the transporter whether additional identification, paperwork, or access arrangements apply to your shipment. The essential pickup standard remains the same: make the condition visible, record it accurately, review the bill of lading, and keep the evidence before the vehicle is loaded.