A project car needs a loading plan.
Describe what the car can actually do, then confirm the equipment and access needed at both ends.
A car with a flat battery and a rolling shell with no brakes can both be described as non-running. They are very different collection jobs. The useful starting point is an accurate condition description, not a promise that the car only needs a jump.
Before requesting transport, ask the person with the vehicle to document its present condition. If an answer is unknown, mark it unknown. A recent photograph or a short demonstration by someone qualified to move the car is more helpful than an old sale listing. Do not attempt to push or test an unsafe vehicle yourself.
Keep these in mind
- Non-running is a starting label, not a complete equipment specification.
- Confirm a workable unloading arrangement as well as collection.
- Update the provider whenever the vehicle’s condition changes.
Replace one label with specific answers
Montway distinguishes cars that cannot start but remain movable from vehicles that cannot roll or steer. Its inoperable-vehicle page describes different equipment for those conditions. That distinction is a useful prompt for your conversation; it does not establish that any particular carrier will accept the job.
- Does it start reliably, and can it move under its own power?
- Do all wheels turn, hold air and support the car? Are any wheels or suspension parts missing?
- Can someone steer it, release the parking brake and control braking?
- Are working keys present? Are leaks, collision damage or loose panels known?
Confirm loading and unloading as one job
Tell the provider about the ground surface, slope, parking position and obstacles around the car. A vehicle deep inside a garage presents a different access problem from one already positioned in a clear loading area. Ask the provider to explain which parts of the collection it will handle and whether another qualified service is needed first.
Have the carrier confirm the proposed loading method against the car’s condition and manufacturer instructions. A winch is not an answer to every immobilized wheel, missing axle or steering problem. Do not supply your own lifting or attachment instructions unless they come from the relevant manufacturer or a qualified specialist. The same review is needed at delivery.
Prepare a useful handover packet
Build a short file containing recent condition photographs, the vehicle identity, an honest operating-status summary and the responsible contact at each end. Include unusual controls, accessible keys and any loose components already disclosed to the provider. Keep release paperwork available to the person who will actually meet the truck.
Ask the destination to confirm that it can receive and position the vehicle in the condition described. A repair shop may need space, staff or equipment available before delivery. Record who arranges those resources and who approves any additional service, rather than leaving that decision to the driver on arrival.
Report changes before the truck is dispatched
A project car can change while it waits. If the seller removes wheels, the battery fails, a brake seizes or a part is taken off, update the transport provider immediately. Keep the revised description attached to the order and ask whether the equipment, price or timing must change.
Your next step is a condition-first shipping brief: confirmed capabilities, unknowns, access at both locations and the equipment questions still unanswered. Review the pickup and delivery inspection guide before collection so that the loading plan and condition record support the same shipment.
Sources & further reading
Reviewed November 3, 2026. Provider-specific instructions can differ; confirm your actual shipment requirements with the provider handling it.
