Shipping a Tesla is not dramatically different from shipping another modern car. But there are a few details you probably do not want to discover while your Model 3 is halfway up the carrier ramp. For Tesla car shipping, preparation mainly comes down to three things: keeping enough battery available for pickup and delivery, making sure the transporter can access the vehicle, and following Tesla’s loading instructions rather than treating the car like a conventional tow.
This guide focuses primarily on the Tesla Model 3, because Tesla’s current Model 3 owner’s manual provides specific transport instructions. Owners of other Tesla models should check the manual for their exact vehicle before pickup. For broader electric car shipping, the principle is the same: prepare the vehicle before the driver arrives so loading does not become an improvisation exercise.
What Transport Method Does Tesla Recommend?
Tesla’s Model 3 manual is very direct about transportation: Do not transport the vehicle with its wheels spinning on the road. Tesla recommends a flatbed truck or a comparable transport vehicle that keeps all four tires off the ground. The company warns that allowing the wheels to spin during transport can generate power through the motors, creating a risk of damage and overheating. That is important when distinguishing normal electric vehicle transport from emergency towing. Tesla does permit a wheel-lift-and-dolly arrangement when a flatbed is unavailable, but only when all four wheels remain off the ground. The Model 3 manual limits that method to 35 miles and the manufacturer’s dolly speed rating. That is a recovery option not a substitute for cross-country Tesla shipping. For long-distance transport, the practical takeaway is simple: your Tesla should travel supported by the carrier, not rolling behind it.
How to Prepare Your Tesla Before Pickup
The technical Tesla-specific steps matter, but ordinary vehicle preparation still makes pickup easier. Global Auto Transportation recommends cleaning the vehicle, removing personal belongings, documenting its condition, and having the necessary access information ready before transport.
Clean the Vehicle and Document Its Condition
Give the Tesla a basic exterior wash before pickup. This is not about making the car Instagram-ready. Dirt can hide small scratches, wheel scuffs, chips, and dents that should be visible during the pickup inspection.
Take dated photographs from several angles, including:
- Front and rear
- Both sides
- Wheels
- Glass
- Bumpers
- Existing scratches or dents
Review the condition with the driver and make sure the pickup inspection record accurately reflects what you see.
Photos are useful supporting documentation, but they should not replace the formal vehicle-condition inspection completed at pickup.
Remove Personal Items and Confirm Pickup Details
Clear out valuables and loose belongings before the carrier arrives. That includes toll transponders, parking passes, electronics, loose accessories, and anything else that could move around inside the cabin. Global Auto Transportation also recommends removing or securing loose aftermarket accessories before shipping.
Then confirm the boring-but-important details:
- Is the pickup phone number correct?
- Can a large carrier safely reach the address?
- Is there enough room to load?
If not, arrange a nearby parking lot, wide street, or another safe meeting point before the truck gets there.
A transporter discovering that your neighborhood has three tight turns, low trees, and nowhere to stop is not the ideal start to pickup day.
How Should You Prepare the Battery Before Shipping?
This is where electric car shipping differs most noticeably from moving a gasoline-powered vehicle. Your Tesla continues using energy even while parked. Tesla says an unplugged Model 3 can lose approximately 1% of battery charge per day, although the actual rate varies with weather, vehicle configuration, and settings. That does not mean there is one official Tesla shipping percentage, such as 50%, 70%, or 80%. Tesla’s current Model 3 manual does not establish a universal battery level specifically for vehicle shipping. The better approach is to ask the transporter how long the vehicle is expected to remain unplugged and leave enough charge for pickup, loading, transit-related movement, and unloading.
Plan for Battery Use While the Vehicle Is Unplugged
Tesla warns owners not to allow the high-voltage battery to reach 0%. At zero charge, other components including the low-voltage system can be affected, and the vehicle may become much harder to access or move. So avoid handing over a Tesla with 3% remaining and hoping the carrier has a charger hiding on the trailer. If the shipment will involve several days unplugged, account for Tesla’s approximate daily energy consumption as well as possible weather-related differences. Cold conditions, vehicle settings, and onboard systems can all change the actual discharge rate.
Review Settings That Consume Power While Parked
Several features can consume energy even while the Model 3 is sitting still.
Tesla specifically identifies:
- Sentry Mode
- Climate features
- Cabin Overheat Protection
- Unplugged preconditioning
- Keep Accessory Power On, where equipped
- Summon Standby Mode
- Infotainment use as possible sources of parked energy consumption.
For EV shipping, it makes sense to reduce unnecessary power use during a longer unplugged period. Sentry Mode deserves a little more thought. Tesla notes that Sentry Mode keeps cameras and related systems active and can increase battery consumption.
Turning it off can conserve energy, but some owners may prefer keeping security monitoring active for part of the trip. Discuss expectations with the transporter rather than assuming one choice is correct for every shipment.
Prepare Vehicle Access and Understand Tow Mode
Your transporter needs to be able to enter, start, steer, and reposition the car. That does not mean you need to hand over your Tesla account password.
Have a Working Key and Confirm Vehicle Power
Tesla’s Tow Mode requires the vehicle to detect a key. Before pickup, make sure the driver will have access to a working key card or another suitable vehicle key arrangement. Tesla also states that Tow Mode requires low-voltage power and cannot be activated while the vehicle is still connected to a charger. Those two details are easy to overlook. A perfectly charged high-voltage battery does not solve every loading problem if the vehicle’s low-voltage system is unavailable.
Use Tow Mode Only for Loading or Short Repositioning
Tesla Tow Mode is not a “shipping mode” that stays active from Los Angeles to New York. Its job is much narrower.Tow Mode releases the parking brake and allows the Model 3 to roll slowly while being repositioned or winched onto a carrier.
Tesla’s current sequence is:
Controls > Service > Towing > Enter Tow Mode
The vehicle must be secured, in Park, and the brake pedal held during activation. Once Tow Mode is active, Tesla limits movement to under 5 mph and less than 30 feet. That is why the feature is best understood as a loading tool, not a transport setting. Tow Mode can be canceled by selecting Exit Tow Mode or shifting the vehicle into Park. For electric car transport, owners mainly need to understand the feature and make sure the transporter has what is needed to use it.
The actual loading should be handled by the carrier.
What Should You Confirm About Loading and Tie-Downs?
This is where Tesla gets unusually specific. If the Model 3 needs to be winched, Tesla says it should be pulled using a properly installed tow eye. The chassis, suspension, and body components should not be used as improvised pulling points. Once on the transport vehicle, Tesla specifies an eight-point tire tie-down method.
The manual also warns that:
- Tie-down straps should not run through the wheels.
- Straps should not cross body panels.
- Metal strap hardware should not touch painted surfaces or wheel faces.
- Tie-downs should not be attached to the chassis or suspension.
Owners do not need to climb onto the carrier and supervise every strap. But for electric vehicle shipping, it is reasonable to confirm that the transporter understands Tesla’s current securement instructions. If there is any doubt, share the relevant Tesla transport instructions before pickup.
What If Your Tesla Has No Power Before Pickup?
Tell the transporter before the truck arrives. An unresponsive Tesla is still transportable, but the loading process can change. Tesla distinguishes between the high-voltage driving battery and the vehicle’s low-voltage electrical system. If the low-voltage system is unavailable, the touchscreen may not work and Tow Mode may not be accessible. Tesla says that when Tow Mode cannot be activated, self-loading dollies or tire skates may be necessary to move the vehicle into an approved transport position. There is another detail worth knowing.
Model 3 windows normally lower slightly when a door is opened. Tesla warns that if the vehicle has no low-voltage power, opening a door without restoring the necessary power can risk window damage because the glass cannot drop normally. That is not a good moment for DIY experimentation. If the Tesla is completely unresponsive, has crash damage, or cannot enter Tow Mode, disclose that condition in advance and let qualified transport or service personnel determine the correct recovery method.
Good Tesla car shipping preparation is mostly about preventing surprises.Clean and photograph the vehicle. Remove loose belongings. Confirm the pickup location. Leave enough battery charge for the expected unplugged period, and reduce unnecessary parked energy use where appropriate.Have a working key available.And most importantly, share the correct Tesla transport instructions with the carrier if there is any question about loading. For the Model 3, Tesla requires the wheels to remain off the road during transport, limits Tow Mode to short loading movements, specifies proper tow-eye use, and calls for an eight-point tire tie-down method. If your Tesla has low power, an access problem, or cannot enter Tow Mode, mention it before pickup rather than letting the driver discover it at the curb. The goal is simple: when the carrier arrives, your Tesla should be ready to load, not ready to start a troubleshooting session.
