International Car Shipping From Los Angeles

Los Angeles is one of the hot spots for auto transport in the U.S. and that also holds true when it comes to shipping internationally. A big part of the reason is that LA is home to the Port of Los Angeles, one the largest and busiest shipping ports in the world. It’s role is so significant in the U.S. more than $1 billion worth of cargo moves through the port each day--that it is nicknamed “America’s Port.”

As you might have guessed, it’s generally easier to ship a car internationally (within the U.S. anyway) if you’re close the Port of Los Angeles. In fact, even if you’re in another western state, there’s a good chance that it’s where you’ll have to ship out of anyway.

There are two legs to shipping a car internationally. The first involves getting your vehicle to a shipping port where it can be loaded onto a boat and taken to its destination. There are ports in Texas, but for the most part, major U.S. shipping ports are located on either the east or west coast. On the West Coast, that generally means you’ll be shipping from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Tacoma, or Seattle.

Preparing You Car For Shipping Internationally.

Regardless of where you ship your car to or from, there are some steps you’ll need to take to make sure it’s ready to be shipped. Remember that these are helpful suggestions, but they’re also expectations that a shipper will expect you to meet if you’re going to have your vehicle shipped with them.

Clean - This applies to both the inside and outside of the car. Before and after shipment, the condition of the vehicle will be assessed to check for any damages that may have occurred. A clean vehicle is easier to inspect the exterior of and a clean inside keeps items from shifting during transport and causing damage.

Remove Modifications - Any part of the vehicle that is not a stock component must be removed before shipping as well. This applies to spoilers, bike or luggage racks, or any type of exterior add-on. Additionally, most companies will request that the alarm be disabled. This is so that the carrier can load and unload the vehicle without issues, which sometimes must be done during the process of shipment.

Don’t Fill Up - Most shippers will request that there be no more than 1/4 tank of gas in the vehicle before shipping. This is for a couple reasons. The first is the safety concern of hauling multiple vehicles with full tanks of gas. Even one small leak can cause major problems over the course of a long distance or international shipment. The other reason is that all that extra gas weight adds up and weight equals cost in the shipping world.

Call us at the number at the top of the page to learn more about shipping a vehicle internationally to or from Los Angeles! We offer FREE cost estimates to all customers and are happy to explain your options! Call or email us today!