If you are new to motorcycle transport you will hopefully find this article helpful. If you are moving or are buying a motorcycle out of town you might want to consider using a transport company to ship a motorcycle. You can ship motorcycles using a variety of methods. We will explain each motorcycle shipping option and the advantages of each transportation service.
The most common method of motorcycle movers is door to door roll on / roll off service. When using this method the motorcycle must be in rolling maneuverable condition. The fork lock must be in the off position so the company driver can steer your bike on and off of their truck. Some companies also require the gas tank to be drained and the battery to be disconnected. The tires must have air in them and the motorcycle must be able to roll. The bike shipping company usually has a ramp or a lift gate to get the motorcycle on and off of their truck. The motorcycle movers usually has a system known as E Track in the floor and walls of their trailer. The transport company driver will roll the motorcycle into position on their trailer and secure the motorcycle using soft tie down straps into the E Track.
Another method of of shipping is the pallet option. When using this method the motorcycle is rolled onto a wooden or metal pallet and secured to the pallet using soft tie down straps. The palleted motorcycle is then positioned on a lift gate for loading on their truck. The motorcycle shippers who use either a wooden or metal pallet to mount the bike on while it is in transit provide the pallet for your shipment. They will secure the bike on the pallet and use their lift gate to load and unload the palletized bike on and off of their truck. They will take the pallet with them at delivery to use on their next bike shipment. The pallet option is very popular with motorcycle shipping customers. You will have a set floor space that the pallet option offers. The pallet option usually costs a little more than the non-pallet roll on / roll off service because shippers cannot fit as many bikes on their trailer when using pallets as they can using the non pallet roll on / roll off shipping option.
The next method of transport is the dock to dock crated option. If you utilize this method you must provide your own crate. You can either buy a crate or make it yourself. You must drain the gas tank and disconnect the battery when using this option. You also must completely enclose the motorcycle in the wooden crate. The crated shipper will either load your crated motorcycle with a lift gate onto their truck or they might require the crated motorcycle to be shipped from/to a dock.
The final method of motorcycle transit is the dock to dock container option. The motorcycle shippers that use the container shipping option will provide the metal container for you to use. You will need to drain the gas tank and disconnect the battery. You will need to take the motorcycle to the shippers dock and secure the motorcycle in the container using your own tie down straps. You will also need to place a lock on the doors on each end of the container.