Collecting a car by trailer: what to arrange before handover

A trailer lets you collect a car without driving it yourself, but the preparation starts before you arrive at the seller. You need to agree the loading, check the vehicle combination and understand in advance which documents will travel with the car.

The car and the transport first

Clarify the dimensions and weight of the car you are buying, whether it can drive onto the platform under its own power, the condition of the wheels and whether the keys are available. If the car is not roadworthy or has low ground clearance, the carrier needs to know this in advance. Otherwise the chosen platform or loading method may not be suitable.

Compare the details of the car with the documents of the towing vehicle and the trailer. Check the permissible weights, the load, the capacity of the coupling and the driving licence category. What matters is the whole combination, not a single figure from the listing. For a specific route, also check road restrictions, tolls and the rules of the transit countries.

Handover by the seller

Agree a time and a place with enough space for safe loading. Before loading begins, the car is checked against the contract, along with the set of documents, the keys and the accessories being handed over. It is worth recording the condition of the body, interior and wheels in photographs and in the handover report. List known damage and missing items separately.

Decide who receives the originals and who confirms receipt. If a carrier collects the car, the seller must understand in advance what the carrier is authorised to do. The list of powers of attorney and transport documents required is agreed with the parties for the specific transport.

Securing the load and the journey

Loading and securing should be entrusted to someone who knows how to work with the equipment in question. In Germany, § 22 StVO requires the load to be secured so that it cannot shift under full braking or a sudden manoeuvre. The car's parking brake alone is not enough to meet this requirement. Text of the provision.

Before departure, the equipment and the securing are checked against the applicable requirements, and the arrangements for checks en route are agreed with the carrier. On delivery at the destination, the condition of the car is compared again with the handover report and the photographs.

Do not leave the route to the last day

For international transport, determine the transit countries, the final destination and the date in advance. Transport insurance, customs procedures and documents depend on the circumstances. This article does not replace checking a specific route and does not extend German rules to other countries.

Discuss collecting your car. Tell us which car it is, where it needs to travel from and to, and who plans to transport it.