Motorcycle Transport Safety

This article discusses motorcycle transport safety.

A common question that customers ask is in regards to how safe is their motorcycle during transport. This is a good question and it is a major concern for most of our motorcycle shipping customers.

There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a motorcycle shipping company. One of the main factors to consider is to make sure the motorcycle shippers have a good safety record. Another factor is does the shipper use in enclosed trailer. Additionally, are their drivers trained in the proper procedure for handling motorcycle shipments. Does the motorcycle shipper have the correct equipment to use when shipping motorcycles. Does a shipper provide a lift gate or a ramp gate for loading and unloading the motorcycle safely. No one can guarantee there won’t be a damage claim but our shippers have some of the best safety records in the industry

The motorcycle specific shippers that we work with use enclosed trailers to handle motorcycle shipments. We never recommend transporting a motorcycle a significant distance on an open trailer. The chance of a theft or damage claim on an open trailer is much higher than it is when shipping a motorcycle in an enclosed trailer. The shippers that we work with use enclosed trailers for another reason. The other reason the shippers we work with use enclosed trailers is because they pay lower cargo insurance premiums because there are fewer claims when shipping motorcycles in an enclosed trailer. Since their cargo insurance premiums are lower they usually can offer lower shipping rates as well.

The shippers we work with specialize in motorcycle shipping, their drivers have been trained in the proper handling procedures and they use the correct equipment needed to secure bikes within trailers to avoid possible damage. Additionally, drivers make frequent stops and when doing so they usually scan their trailers to make sure the motorcycles are secured properly and are being transported safely. The shippers that we work with have very good safety records and we have worked with most of them for a dozen years or more. Additionally, most of them ship thousands of bikes per year.

Having the correct equipment matters a great deal. The shippers we work with have trailers that are designed specifically for motorcycle shipping. Many of the shippers we work with use pallets to secure the bike to and they do have lift gates for loading and unloading as well. A number of the shippers we work with provide roll on / roll off service where the bikes are not palletized. The shippers that use the roll on / roll off method have a system called E-Trac in the floor and walls of their trailers and they use soft tie down straps to secure the bikes within the trailers to the E-Trac system. Having the right tie down straps is essential to ensuring a safe shipment. There are motorcycle specific tie down straps that are used by the shippers we work with to make sure of safe transport of motorcycles.

As mentioned previously, having the right equipment to handle motorcycle shipments is imperative. The shippers we work with will either have a ramp gate or a lift gate used to handle the loading and unloading of your motorcycle. In most cases, a loading dock is not required which makes shipping door to door more feasible, convenient and safe for our customers.