Car shifting across Pakistan: the checklist nobody gives you

Most car-shifting horror stories in Pakistan come from skipping five minutes of paperwork at pickup. Five minutes saves you weeks of arguing later.

Here is how to ship your car across the country without losing your mind, your money, or your front bumper.

Open carrier vs enclosed: pick the right one

There are two ways to ship a car across Pakistani long-haul: on an open multi-car carrier, or in an enclosed truck.

Open carrier is what 90 percent of Pakistani car shipments use. Multiple cars on a single trailer, exposed to weather and road dust. Cheaper, faster availability, Lahore-to-Karachi typically PKR 35,000 to 55,000.

Enclosed is a sealed truck or container, no weather exposure, fewer cars per shipment. More expensive, Lahore-to-Karachi PKR 60,000 to 90,000.

Which to pick:

• Open carrier is fine for: daily-driver sedans, SUVs, anything under PKR 50 lakh, anything older than 5 years.
• Enclosed is worth the premium for: luxury cars (Mercedes, BMW, Audi, anything over PKR 80 lakh), imported sports cars, vintage or restored vehicles, cars with custom paint, anything where dust or a stone chip would cost more to fix than the price difference.

Before pickup: 12 things to do

1. Wash the car the day before. A clean car shows damage clearly. Existing scratches and dents are easy to spot and document. A dirty car hides everything.
2. Photograph the car from 12 angles.Front, back, both sides, all four corners, all four wheels, the roof, the bonnet, the boot. Date-stamped (most phones do this automatically). Save the album in WhatsApp's starred messages so you can't lose it.
3. Photograph the dashboard with the engine on.Odometer reading, fuel gauge, any warning lights. This settles disputes about “the car was driven during transit” instantly.
4. Leave the tank a quarter full or less.Less fuel means a lighter car, which is safer to load and unload. A full tank is wasted, fuel that's not yours to use.
5. Empty the car completely.No personal items inside. Most carriers don't insure contents inside the car. Anything you leave is at your risk. The boot, the glove box, the door pockets, all empty.
6. Disable any toll-tag or fuel-card.Don't let your M-Tag get used by someone else's driver.
7. Note any existing damage on a written form.The mover should provide one. If they don't, you write one yourself. Driver signs. You sign. Photo of the signed form goes to your phone.
8. Check the spare tyre and tools are present and locked. Twice. We have heard of spare tyres disappearing during transit because nobody verified at pickup.
9. Hand over only one key. Keep the other. If anything goes wrong with the original you have a backup, and the carrier has only one set to lose.
10. Get the driver's name, CNIC number, and mobile number. Send these to a family member at the destination. If anything happens, you have the chain of custody.
11. Confirm the delivery date in writing.Lahore to Karachi is 2 to 3 days. Lahore to Islamabad is 1 day. If they say “5 to 7 days”, your car is probably waiting at a depot for the carrier to fill up with other cars.
12. Disconnect the battery negative terminal if you're shipping for more than 5 days. Stops the battery from going flat in transit.

During transit

For the most part, you don't do anything. The driver does. But two things are worth knowing.

Most car carriers in Pakistan stop overnight at fixed depots, not random rest stops. Lahore-to-Karachi runs typically overnight at Sukkur or Multan. Your car is parked in a guarded depot for the night, not on the side of the road.

Track the carrier informally. Ask the driver to send you a quick WhatsApp message at each major checkpoint (motorway toll plazas are the easiest). It costs them nothing and gives you peace of mind.

At delivery: do these in order

1. Don't sign anything until you have inspected the car. Park lights on, walk all 12 angles, compare to your pickup photos. Ten minutes minimum.
2. Check the odometer reading.A long-haul carrier shouldn't drive your car. Odometer reading at delivery should match the pickup reading within 5 to 10 km (the tolerance is for unloading and parking).
3. Start the engine. Listen. Anything unusual? Whining, knocking, squealing. Idle for 30 seconds. Watch the dash for warning lights.
4. Check fluids. Engine oil level, coolant level. Top up if low (carriers occasionally drain or use fluid for emergencies, rare but possible).
5. Drive 100 metres. Brakes feel normal? Steering centred? Any pulling to one side? Anything unusual gets noted on the delivery form before you sign.
6. Sign only after all checks.If you find damage that isn't in your pickup photos, note it on the delivery form, photograph it, refuse to sign the “received in good condition” line. Settle first, sign later.

What carriers should and shouldn't cover

A reasonable car-shifting contract in Pakistan covers:

• Major panel damage during loading, transit, or unloading
• Total loss in case of accident
• Theft of the car (rare but happens)

It usually does NOT cover:

• Minor stone chips on open carrier (this is why you pay enclosed)
• Items left inside the car
• Mechanical issues that develop in transit (unless the carrier's handling caused them)
• Acts of God: rain damage, hail, lightning. Plan for monsoon accordingly.

Three more things people forget

Registration paperwork.If you're moving cities permanently, you may need to update the car's registration with the Excise office at the new city. The timeline and fee depend on which provinces you're moving between. Worth checking before move day.

Insurance.Most car insurance policies cover the car wherever in Pakistan it is. Some don't, especially third-party-only policies. Check before transit.

Plate number.If you're moving from Punjab to Sindh, the plate stays. The locals will tell you to change it for “easier checkpoint passage”. They're not wrong, but the change has to be done legally through the Excise office, not by switching plates yourself.

We move cars as part of larger relocations and as a standalone service. If you want a quote on either, our form takes about two minutes. We'll come back with the carrier type, the route, the timeline, and the all-in price.