OK, so you are moving or you bought a motorcycle out of town and you need to find a shipping company to transport your motorcycle. The thought of trusting someone else to handle your motorcycle can be an anxiety producing proposition. If you take the time to research your motorcycle shipping options and determine your priorities and requirements it will help reduce that anxiety greatly.
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The basic things to consider when shipping your motorcycle is the the experience level of the motorcycle transport company along with their Department of Transportation (DOT) status, the shipping method used, the vehicle preparation required by the shipper, the estimated pick up and delivery timeframes, the insurance coverage provided by the shipper and will the shipper transport any spare items with the motorcycle.
We are a fully DOT compliant licensed and bonded motor carrier broker. We specialize in bike shipping and we only refer our customers to fully DOT compliant motorcycle specific shipping companies that we have worked with for years. The last thing you want to do is transport your motorcycle with a company that does not have a required DOT license and does not have cargo insurance. Always ask the motorcycle shipper you are considering for their DOT and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers and check the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations website to make sure their licenses are active. Unlicensed shippers are unable to secure cargo insurance. Unlicensed shippers may have other forms of insurance but their insurance only applies on their truck/trailer. Their insurance does not apply on your vehicle. Also, do not ship your motorcycle through a car transport company or a freight company. These types of shipping companies usually do not have the proper equipment to handle a motorcycle shipment and their drivers are usually not properly trained at securing your motorcycle for safe transit.
We always recommend that you consider shipping your motorcycle using a motorcycle specific shipping company. Our shipping companies use enclosed trailers, they usually ships door to door, they do not require much preparation to your vehicle prior to shipping and they offer adequate insurance coverage. Many motorcycle transit companies will also transport a reasonable amount of spare items with your motorcycle.
A bike shippers pick up and delivery timeframe can vary greatly from one shipment to another. All shippers quote estimated timeframes for pick up and delivery and there are many factors that have an impact on these timeframes. Some of these factors include the distance of the shipment, the remoteness of the pick up and/or delivery location, weather, road conditions, DOT driving limits, etc. Be sure to discuss the pick up and delivery timeframes up-front with the motorcycle moving company you are considering. Most motorcycle shipments average between two to six weeks from scheduling to delivery.
When selecting a shipping company to transport your motorcycle we always recommend a company that specializes in motorcycle transport. Our recommendation is to use our service because we work with the majority of the licensed and insured motorcycle specific shippers in the industry. There are many other companies that quote motorcycle shipments in the industry. Almost all the other companies that quote motorcycle shipments specialize in car shipping, not motorcycle shipping. The way they handle motorcycle shipments is as follows. They take your order and then they post it on a service called Central Dispatch, which is an online electronic load board that is used many different transport companies. The car shipping broker quoting a motorcycle shipment will wait for a transporter to contact them who can handle the motorcycle shipment for them. In most cases, the transporter specializes in shipping cars not motorcycles. They usually do not have the necessary equipment needed to handle a motorcycle shipment. For example, they will likely use heavy duty 3 inch ratchet straps to secure your bike to their trailer. Many times car shippers using these types of straps will cinch down on the suspension and blow the seals in the motorcycle suspension. The shippers that we work with all specialize in motorcycle shipping and have the right kind of equipment needed to handle a motorcycle shipment properly.