Transporting Your Motorcycle
When we received a request for a “Guest Blogger” the other week we were a bit intrigued (ok, suprised…we thought only our family read this BLOG) as most emails to the GuiltyTruthBlog are for promoting a product (usually sex toys, viagra or mail order brides). So we were quite pleased when Ben Leffler submitted this article for our readers. And yes, while he’s with a company that ships, his post is authentic enough to warrant consideration when shipping that bike of yours, regardless of his affiliation. As he stated in his email to us
“I work for uShip, an online shipping marketplace who specializes in motorcycle transport, and I am working on a brief with tips on shipping a motorcycle. I think this would definitely be of interest to your site’s audience. This is not an advertising post, just an objective piece on the topic….”
So, here it goes….and thanks Ben!
“The age of online purchases and frequent moves has created a number of scenarios that call for shipping a motorcycle via a professional moving company. Should the situation present itself to you, it is important that you choose wisely to make sure that the company you hire is competent, reliable and insured.
There are numerous motorcycle shipping companies, so finding one that services your area should not be a problem. However, before you hand over your cycle the first thing you should do is make sure that the carrier is registered with the Department of Transportation. Visit www.safersys.org and check the shipper’s DOT number to make sure they are licensed to ship motorcycles. While you are on the site you should also check the company’s insurance information and compare it with the information that the company provides you. Make sure that everything correlates before moving forward.
After you have verified that a shipping company is legal and insured, inquire about customer references. These are proof of the shipper’s experience and competence, so they should be able to provide you with several specific to motorcycles. You can also look up the company through the Better Business Bureau for more information on their history and records. Use your intuition during this process and don’t feel pressured to go with a specific company against your better judgment. Peace of mind should be part of the deal.
The last step in the selection process is to review all details of the shipment to make sure that you and the carrier are on the same page. Inquire about anything that you are unsure of, including pick-up and drop off procedures, payment/deposit structure and any policies or restrictions specific to the company.”
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November 11th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
This is some great info man. I’ve bought a motorcycle online before and this was an issue. If I had some of this info then, I would have saved myself a lot of headache.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I recently purchases some used parts off of http://www.SalvageDealerLink.com and one of the dealers there said they collaberated and they will be launching a site call flatship.com that will have flat rates for bikes from hub to hub in everystate. They mentioned they will have specific trucks direct to major bike weeks to get bike there ready for riders coming from far. Just thought it was pretty cool on bike shipping to take out the guess work. I’ll keep an eye out and let you guys know when they launch.