Safety should never be compromised—especially when it involves the transportation of your prized cars.
Welcome to "Ensuring Safe Transportation: The Importance of Quality Brakes for Your Shipped Vehicle," your go-to guide that underscores the critical role of well-maintained brakes in ensuring the safe delivery of your automobiles.
This article is a part of our series to provide practical solutions for your car-related concerns. Whether you're a new car owner or a seasoned driver, this guide will provide you with the necessary knowledge to understand the importance of quality brakes, and the assurance they provide in vehicle transportation.
Key Takeaways
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The Basics of Brakes
Understanding how brakes function is crucial for both your safety and the longevity of your car. At their core, brakes are designed to halt your vehicle by converting its kinetic energy into heat through friction.
When you press the brake pedal, brake fluid, which resides in the brake lines, gets pressurized. This pressure then engages the braking mechanism at the wheels, causing your vehicle to slow down or stop.
There are different brakes, the most common being disc and drum brakes.
Disc brakes consist of a brake rotor attached to the wheel and a brake caliper, which holds the brake pads. When you apply the brakes, the pads squeeze the rotor, causing the vehicle to slow down or stop.
On the other hand, drum brakes have brake shoes inside a drum attached to the wheel. When you press the brake pedal, the shoes push out against the drum, slowing or stopping the vehicle.
Importance of Quality Brakes for Shipped Cars - Safety Consideration
When you ship your vehicle, it’s typically loaded onto an open trailer, holding between 6-12 cars on it. You’ve likely seen them driving along the interstate by big rigs during your travels. To load up these cars, it must be driven into place.
If your car’s brakes require servicing, then you’re going to want to do that before you hand over your vehicle to your transportation service. The reason is that if your car isn’t able to be driven, then you won’t be able to use an open trailer for transport. You’ll also have to pay more for enclosed shipping as well as the cost of labor to load your vehicle into an enclosed trailer.
Open trailers are the cheapest option to ship your vehicle domestically. If you opt to ship internationally, then it’s even more imperative that your brakes are working as your vehicle must be driven onto the ship.
You can, however, opt to go for Lo/Lo shipping (load on/load off), which means that your car will be loaded on board rather than driven (Roll on/roll off). The downside of Lo/Lo shipping is that it takes longer to onboard the vehicles, thus raising the prices.
It’s a good idea to have your car serviced before you send it off for shipment just to ensure that there aren’t any issues during transportation. If you know your brakes are on their last legs, don’t risk having your car not working and not being able to be driven off the truck, you’ll end up having to pay for it later, anyhow.
Can You Ship a Car Without Brakes?
You can ship a car without brakes or one that doesn't function. You may be in a situation where you bought a car for parts but have no way to get it home, and you can still opt to have it shipped to your destination.
If your car doesn't have brakes, you'll have to go with enclosed shipping. This means it's in a closed trailer, secured from the environment. Sadly, shipping in an enclosed trailer costs more because they hold fewer cars than open trailers.
Not all car shipping service companies will ship a car without brakes, so it's always best to contact one that can do so, which can help you get a state-to-state car shipping cost quote.
What's more important if your car doesn't have brakes is to identify any additional problems so you can let your auto transport company know before you get into any issues afterward.
Not having brakes is a problem, but not being able to be towed will add even more labor to the equation, thus raising the price.
Brake Maintenance for Auto Shipping: Ensure Roadway Safety
Vehicle transport demands exceptional brake system integrity. A detailed brake inspection is crucial before shipment to ensure safety and reliability. This should involve checking brake pads, fluid levels, and brake line conditions, with necessary repairs done promptly.
Regular brake system servicing, fluid flushing, pad replacement, and rotor inspection are also essential. If servicing falls within the transport period, it's best to complete it beforehand for optimal brake condition when you arrive.
Proper brake maintenance, especially for shipping vehicles, enhances safety during loading, unloading, and driving. It also mitigates accident risks from brake failure, improves vehicle reliability, extends brake component life, and avoids expensive future repairs.
What to Look for in a Vehicle Transportation Service
A car transport service will require good reviews and an online presence that you can easily verify. Without any accreditations, you're risking giving your car away to a company that may be cutting corners, like insurance liabilities.
The worst thing that can happen is that your vehicle is damaged in transport (or stolen), and they let you know that the entirety of your vehicle wasn't insured, and you'll have to pay for the rest out of pocket.
You may only sometimes be able to get your car completely insured by accredited transport companies, but at least you have the option to add on additional insurance at your request.
It's also good to know that a company has a record of getting the job done versus a company that's low reviews across all of the review aggregators on the internet.
Final Words
In conclusion, when it comes to transporting a vehicle, having quality brakes is essential. Whether you choose open or enclosed transportation, functional brakes ensure a smooth and efficient loading process onto trailers or ships. By maintaining your brakes before shipping, you can avoid additional costs associated with labor-intensive loading methods or the need for enclosed trailers.
At Nubkrakes Mobile Brake Repair, we prioritize your safety and the integrity of your vehicle. Servicing your brakes before shipping your car is essential to avert unnecessary risks and costs. Whether your car's brakes are nearly worn out or it lacks brakes altogether, our team is ready to provide swift and professional repair services.
We ensure your vehicle is ship-ready and safe for transit, reducing the need for more expensive enclosed shipping or labor-intensive loading methods. Why take risks when you can opt for top-notch, affordable service with us?
Let's make your vehicle transport a successful, worry-free experience together.