This article discusses ways to transport a motorcycle.
Submit Quick Quote or call 866-383-1307.
There are many factors to consider When selecting a motorcycle transport company. There are a number of ways to ship a motorcycle and we will discuss various ways in this article. The most common method of motorcycle shipping is roll-on roll-off uncrated service. What that means is the driver of the truck physically rolls your bike on to either a ramp gate or a lift gate and rolls it into their trailer and secures the bike with soft ties within the trailer. They reverse the process at delivery.
Another common method of motorcycle shipping is the pallet option. With the pallet option the shipping company brings a pallet with them to the pick up location and rolls the bike onto the pallet and secures the bike to the pallet with soft ties. The pallet usually has eyelets on all four corners that the bike is secured to with soft ties.
Another method of motorcycle shipping is the crated option. With this option the bike is positioned in a full wooden crate and secured within the crate. This option will require a lift gate or forklift on both ends in most cases.
The final method of motorcycle moving is the container option. With the container option, the shipping company provides a large metal box and the bike is positioned within the box and secured with soft ties. There is a door on the each end of the metal box and a lock can be placed on the door on each end of the box. The container option shippers only ship from a loading dock to a loading dock.
There are advantages to each one of these shipping methods. Usually, the least expensive is the uncrated roll-on roll-off option. The shippers that ship using this option will have a means to get the bike on and off the truck in most cases, so you will not normally be required to provide a dock or a forklift for loading and unloading. Most customers select this option for their motorcycle shipments.
The next most popular option for motorcycle transport is the pallet option. The pallet occupies more space in the shippers trailer than the roll-on roll-off option and as such, the pallet option usually costs more than the roll-on roll-off option. The pallet option is a very safe method of shipping motorcycles. The shippers provide the pallet and they take the pallet with them at delivery. You do not need to dispose of the pallet yourself.
When using the crated option, you are required to provide the crate and crate the bike or have another company crate the bike for you. The crating service fee will be in addition to what the crated shipping company charges to transport the crated bike. When using the crated option most crated shippers require the battery to be disconnected and the fuels to be drained. They also require heavy duty plywood around all four sides and the top of the crate. Additionally, they require the bottom of the crate to be able to have a forklift get under it to lift and lower the crate.
Very few shippers provide container shipping service. These shippers provide the actual container that the bike will be placed in. The container has a door on each end and a groove in the floor where the tires fit in. There are eyelets within the floor of the container to hook soft ties to. Like the crated option, the container option requires the fuel to be drained and the battery to be disconnected prior to shipping.