A some point in time many riders are faced with the possibility of relocating their motorcycle. There are other options besides hiring a motorcycle transport company and there are many factors to consider when you need to move a motorcycle. The obvious first choice is to ride the motorcycle to the new location. Some of the things to assess when considering riding your bike to a new location is the distance of the ride, the weather forecast, the road conditions, the route to travel, traffic conditions, tolls required, fuel expenditures, hotel fees, etc.
You can also consider hauling the bike yourself. Some of the things to assess when considering hauling the bike to a new location yourself is the method you will use to transport the bike, the equipment you will need to haul the bike yourself, the safety of the vehicle while it is in transport, the weather forecast, the road conditions, the route of travel, traffic conditions, tolls required, fuel expenditures, hotel fees, and insurance coverage for the bike while it is being transported.
Finally, you can consider hiring a motorcycle transit company to handle your bike shipment. Through the use of a specialty transporters you can reduce many of the concerns you will have riding the bike to a new location or hauling the bike yourself to a new location. Motorcycle moving companies have the required equipment to handle your bike shipment. They have the experience needed to handle your transport in a safe and efficient manner. Most motorcycle shipping companies will pick up and deliver your bike at a business or residence. Motorcycle movers are required to be licensed and carry an adequate level of cargo insurance. They also are required to follow DOT guidelines and have their trucks inspected for safety on a regular basis. Their drivers are required to pass regularly scheduled physical exams to ensure they are healthy enough to drive long distances.
If you decide to hire a professional motorcycle moving company there are a number of ways that your bike could potentially be transported on their trucks. The three main methods of motorcycle transport when using a professional motorcycle shipping company are uncrated shipping, palleted shipping and crated shipping. The uncrated shipping option does not require a pallet or crate. This is the most common method of motorcycle shipping. The motorcycle shippers that use the uncrated method will have a liftgate or a ramp gate to load the bike on and off of their trailer. They secure the bike with soft ties to a system called e-trac in the floor and walls of their trailer. The pallet option requires the bike to be mounted on a wooden or metal pallet while it is in transit. These shippers will have a liftgate on their truck for loading and unloading and they will provide the pallet and take the pallet with them at delivery. The crated option requires you to provide your own wooden crate, crate the bike and drop the crated bike off at the shippers terminal and pick it up at their terminal. You are responsible for uncrating the bike at the delivery end also when using the crated option.
All of these options have their pros and cons but the most safe and secure method to consider is usually to hire a professional transportation company to handle your bike shipment.