Receiving a Car from the port
Starting a new life in a different country is a huge undertaking and I would imagine quite scary as well. It can be comforting to have little reminders of your past life with you wherever possible. Shipping your car with you is just one reminder of home. Your surroundings may be different but the one constant in this situation will be you and your pride and joy.
It’ll be worth the wait to get your vehicle shipped overseas and it could help you feel more settled having something that you are familiar with. Simply seeing it sat at the dockside should put a smile on your face and will help you to start this new chapter in your life.
People ship cars overseas all of the time for many different reasons. After such an epic journey it’ll be worth making a few preliminary checks once it has arrived with you. Before you do anything else, go through these basics, then slip behind the wheel and start to explore your surroundings. Your car help you to feel right at home!
What to look for once you have imported a car
- Check fuel – Never ship a vehicle with a full tank of fuel. Leave it about a quarter full but no more for safety reasons. Fill your car up with fuel as soon as you take ownership of it. Find a local garage once your vehicle has arrived at your home, register the vehicle and ensure that it is insured before you drive it anywhere.
- Check oil – The chances are you checked the oil in the vehicle before you shipped it overseas. Just to be on the safe side though, double-check the oil again and top up where necessary. Pull the dipstick whilst the engine is cold to check the level of oil within the sump. If the oil level is low this could cause unnecessary wear on the engine which can cause it to seize.
- Check water levels – Top up water whilst you check oil and fuel levels too. Make sure the cooling system has water in the reservoir and take a look at the amount in the windscreen wash bottle too. It only takes a few seconds to perform this function but you’ll be glad you did if your windscreen gets covered in dirt or splattered by bugs.
- Check tyres – This is another important task. You can inspect tyres using a foot pump, portable compressor or an airline at a fuel station. To find the right tyre pressure for your vehicle look in the owner’s handbook and set the pressure in the tyres accordingly.
- Check lights – Physically check side lights, headlights, indicators and rear lights. You don’t want to get pulled by the police in your new country of residence simply because your vehicle had a light out. Get somebody to check the rear brake lights for you as you press the foot pedal. Or reverse the car up to a reflective surface then press the brakes, you should see the lights illuminated through your mirror.
- Wash it – It’s been weeks since you last saw your car so give it a treat. Wash the exterior then vacuum the interior and leave your car spotless. Don’t drive around in a dirty car as you start your new life in a different country. Clean it and feel proud!
- Check for damages – The first thing that you should do is to check over your car for any damages or scratches that where not present before you shipped it. Take photographs as soon as possible, preferably whilst it is still in the port. You can check these pictures next to any photos taken just prior to shipping it from the UK. It is advisable to take any photos before you ship your car with a daily newspaper clearly displayed in all your photographs. This will make it easier to claim for damages from your insurance company if you took marine insurance out.
