How to Prepare an Exotic Car for Enclosed Shipping

Most exotic shipments need very little prep — a clean vehicle, low fuel, and a few features disabled. The list below is the same one Citadel specialists run through with every customer the day before pickup. It takes about 15 minutes.

The 12-step pre-pickup checklist

1. Wash the vehicle. Pre-trip and post-trip inspection both rely on visible paint and panel condition. A clean vehicle makes pre-existing chips, scratches, and paint corrections obvious in photos — protecting both you and the carrier from damage-claim ambiguity.
2. Document existing condition. Take 12–20 photos covering all panels, wheels, and the interior. Photograph existing paint chips, curb rash, and trim wear up close. Your specialist will share these photos with the driver pre-pickup.
3. Reduce fuel to ~25%. Carriers calculate trailer weight precisely. A full tank adds 100+ pounds of unnecessary weight and prolongs trailer-floor exposure to fuel vapors. 1/4 tank is the sweet spot.
4. Remove personal items. Carriers don't insure personal items — only the vehicle. Remove sunglasses, garage door openers, registration, and anything else from the cabin and trunk. Aftermarket items left in the vehicle are at your risk.
5. Disable alarm and tracking. Vehicle alarms triggered during loading can damage the trailer's acoustic environment. Tracking-style devices (Tile, Apple AirTag) can confuse you about vehicle location during transit.
6. Disable Sentry Mode (Tesla and equivalents). Always-on camera modes drain the 12V battery and can interfere with carrier loading sensors. Same applies to Smart Summon, Tow Mode auto-arm, and similar features.
7. Test the front-lift system if equipped. Most modern Ferraris, Lamborghini Aventadors, and McLaren 720S+ have hydraulic front-lift systems. Confirm they cycle up and down before pickup so the carrier can clear ramps without scraping.
8. Verify air suspension is at standard height. Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Range Rover, and similar vehicles with air suspension should be at standard ride height for transport — not lowered, not raised. Some require dealer-only diagnostic to lock the position.
9. Retract any active aero. Active rear wings on McLarens, Porsches, and SF90 should be in transport (lowered) position. If automatic, manually retract per owner's manual before driver arrival.
10. Confirm tire pressures. Underinflated tires affect ramp loading angles and can damage low-profile sidewalls. Set to manufacturer spec before pickup.
11. Have keys and documentation ready. Title, registration, insurance card, and the vehicle's primary key fob. Spare keys can stay home — the carrier only needs one.
12. Confirm pickup location is accessible. Check for low branches, low-clearance bridges, narrow streets, and HOA gate requirements. If the trailer can't fit, your specialist will arrange a nearby alternate location (usually a parking lot or wide street).

The day of pickup

Be available by phone for the 1–2 hour pickup window your specialist confirms. The driver will:

1. Conduct a visual pre-trip inspection with you, walking around the vehicle and noting all existing condition points on the bill of lading.
2. Take additional photos. The driver's photos go on the bill of lading — keep your copy.
3. Drive (or winch) the vehicle onto the carrier under your supervision when possible. Confirm tie-down points are soft (cloth-wrapped or strap-only, never bare chain on wheels).
4. Hand you a signed copy of the bill of lading with confirmed pickup time and condition notes.

What you don't need to do

Avoid these common over-preparation mistakes:

1. Don't apply fresh ceramic coating or PPF the week of shipping. Fresh treatments need 7–30 days to cure before weather exposure or transport.
2. Don't fill the tank. Adds weight, no benefit.
3. Don't disconnect the battery. Modern exotics need the battery connected for transport-mode operation. Use a tender or trickle-charger only if the vehicle will sit longer than 14 days.
4. Don't demand a specific driver. Citadel matches drivers to vehicle requirements (low-clearance training, manual transmission, electric vehicle protocols). Trust the matching.

That's the full prep. The shorter version: clean the car, take photos, drop the fuel, remove your sunglasses, and disable Sentry Mode. Everything else is automatic.