How To Prepare Your Vehicle For POV Shipment: Our Top Tips & Advice

1. What Is POV Shipment? Explaining The Basics
2. How Should I Prepare The Interior Of My Car For POV Shipment?
3. How Should I Prepare The Exterior Of My Car For POV Shipment?
4. How Can I Document The Condition Of My Vehicle Before POV Shipment?
5. Do I Need To Buy Insurance For POV Shipment Of My Vehicle?
6. Need POV Shipment Services? Work With A-1 Auto Transport

If you’re preparing to ship your vehicle internationally during a move, and you’re not sure how to prepare your car or truck and ensure that it reaches its destination safely, you’ve come to the right place. In this article from A-1 Auto Transport, we’ll answer common questions about POV shipment, and provide you with all of the information you need to ship your vehicle safely and securely.

What Is POV Shipment? Explaining The Basics

What is a POV? The term “POV” stands for Privately Owned Vehicle, and it’s a term that’s not used very frequently. A POV is a vehicle that is leased, borrowed, or privately owned by a person who uses it to conduct official business operations for a company or organization.

The driver of the vehicle receives compensation from their organization for the use of the vehicle – including gas, maintenance, insurance, and other expenses. This term is most frequently used in the military. Military officers may, in many cases, have a POV.

This is where POV shipment comes in. If an officer receives Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders, the military may choose to ship a POV to the new destination for the officer. This can also happen in private businesses and organizations but is less rare.

If you have a POV and you are having it shipped – either across the US or to a different country – there are a few steps you should take to make sure that the process goes smoothly.

How Should I Prepare The Interior Of My Car For POV Shipment?

You should clean the interior of your vehicle, remove all valuables, disable the alarm/security systems, and remove any custom or loose items. Let’s take a deeper look at these recommendations now.

• Clean the interior of your car – Cleaning the interior of your car is a good idea, as it will help you learn more about the condition of the vehicle and identify any damage or other issues with your car. You also don’t want to have heavy objects banging around while your vehicle is being transported, since these could damage your vehicle.
• Remove valuables – You should remove any valuables, personal documents, and other such items from your car. While it’s unlikely that your car would be broken into or be subject to theft during POV shipment, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Disable alarms & security systems – If applicable, any aftermarket alarm or security system should be disabled, as this could lead to issues operating the vehicle if the system is triggered during transit.
• Remove custom/loose items – Thinks like bike racks and roof racks, GPS units, removable stereos, and other such items should be removed from the vehicle before it’s shipped.

How Should I Prepare The Exterior Of My Car For POV Shipment?

It’s important to clean the outside of your vehicle, document mechanical problems or leaks, fill your tires, check your battery, and drain most of the fuel from your vehicle. Why take these steps? Find out more now.

• Clean your vehicle’s exterior – A thorough washing of your car will remove dirt and debris, and make the condition of your vehicle more obvious when you take photos and document its condition before POV shipment.
• Document mechanical problems – If your vehicle has any mechanical problems or you notice any other issues like leaks, you should document these, and you may want to consider having them fixed before your ship the POV.
• Fill your tires – Properly-inflated tires will ensure that the car is operational and can be driven onto a flatbed for loading, or onto a RORO (Roll-On, Roll-Off) ship for international transit.
• Check your battery – Your battery should be charged and your electrical systems should be in good shape to ensure that the POV can be operated and driven when necessary for loading and unloading.
• Drain fuel from the vehicle – Most companies will require you to drain your vehicle to about ¼ or ⅛ of a tank. This helps reduce shipping weight, and also reduces the risk of a fire if there’s an accident or issue during the shipping process.

How Can I Document The Condition Of My Vehicle Before POV Shipment?

The best way to document the condition of your vehicle before POV shipment is by taking photos of the interior and exterior of the vehicle. Using a camera or a smartphone, you should take detailed pictures of every part of the vehicle.

By doing so, you can note any current issues with the car like scratches, dents, dings, damaged bodywork, and other such cosmetic problems that already exist. This allows you to easily recognize any new damage that may have been caused during the shipment process and take appropriate action, if necessary.

Do I Need To Buy Insurance For POV Shipment Of My Vehicle?

We recommend consulting with your organization or company to determine if insurance coverage is necessary for your POV shipment. In most cases, shipping a POV via truck will not require any additional insurance, since trucking companies will have a liability insurance policy that will compensate you if the POV is damaged or destroyed during shipping.

However, this is not always true of maritime shipping. If your vehicle is shipped in a cargo container, you may only get compensation of up to $500 if it’s damaged in transit due to the controversial “Carriage of Goods by Sea Act” (COGSA). We recommend consulting with your organization and your POV transit provider to learn more about your coverage, and to determine if it’s a good idea to take out additional insurance for the shipment of your POV.

Need POV Shipment Services? Work With A-1 Auto Transport

At A-1 Auto Transport, we can help you ship your POV domestically by truck, or overseas via maritime transport. With our reliable, experienced POV transport partners, we can ensure your vehicle arrives at its destination safely, on time, and at a reasonable cost. Give us a call at (888) 230-9116 to get started, or contact us online for a quote.