Shipping Your Tesla: How to Prep It, Step by Step

A Tesla ships like any other car, on the same open and enclosed carriers. The difference is the prep: a few settings to change, a key card to hand over, and a charge level that works for the driver. Here’s the whole checklist, from booking to your first drive at the new address.

When You Book

• Tell us the exact model. A Model 3 and a Cybertruck need very different spots on a carrier.
• Mention anything that hangs low or sticks out, like an aftermarket front lip, big wheels or a hitch rack.
• Say whether it powers on. A Tesla that won’t power on needs a winch and wheel dollies.

Charge It, but Not to Full

The driver needs enough battery to drive the car on and off the trailer and to move it at stops. A partial charge, around half, covers that with room to spare. A full battery doesn’t help in transit, and a nearly empty one can leave the car stuck on the trailer. We’ll confirm what your carrier wants when we book.

Hand Over a Key Card, Not Your Phone

Your phone is your key, and it’s leaving with you. Give the driver a key card or key fob, and take any spare cards out of the car. If you only have one card, get a spare before the car ships.

Change These Settings

• Sentry Mode: off. It keeps the cameras recording and drains the battery while the car sits on the trailer.
• Cabin Overheat Protection: off. On a hot trailer it can run the fans or air conditioning and use up charge.
• Dog Mode and Camp Mode: off.
• Valet Mode: worth turning on. It limits speed and acceleration, locks the glovebox and front trunk, and hides your saved places. You set it with a four-digit PIN and turn it off with the same PIN when the car arrives.

Clean It Out

• Take the Mobile Connector and adapters with you. They’re easy to lose, and belongings in the car generally aren’t covered by the carrier’s insurance.
• Empty the front trunk, the rear trunk and the storage under the rear floor.
• Remove toll tags and parking passes.
• Wash the car and take dated photos of every side, the wheels and the glass roof.

Delivery Day

Walk around the car before you sign. On a Tesla, look closely at the wheels for curb rash, the lower front bumper, the glass roof and the paint around the door handles. Note anything new on the inspection report. Then switch off Valet Mode, set Sentry Mode back the way you like it, and check the Supercharger map for your new area before your first long drive.

Questions