Question 1

How Long Does Motorcycle Shipping Take?

Accepted Answer

Generally, the answer depends on how far you're shipping your motorcycle. Going from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, for example, might take two to four days, while shipping your motorcycle across the country averages about two weeks.

There are options available for owners who need higher priority service, so contact A-1 Auto Transport for a quote to get a more specific timeframe for your move.

Question 2

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

Like with any vehicle shipping, several variables determine the cost of motorcycle shipping. These include the following:

Distance

In general, the farther you're shipping your motorcycle, the more expensive it will be.

Weight

Heavier motorcycles will usually cost more to ship since most trucks have a limited weight capacity.

Destination

Motorcycle shipping to a major city will likely cost you less than shipping it to a location that's more out of the way.

Size

While weight is usually the determining factor, giant bikes or ones with unusual dimensions might be more challenging to handle, making transport more expensive.

Season

The season can also affect the price. There are usually fewer cars during the winter, meaning there's less competition and prices are lower. However, winter weather can potentially delay your shipment.

Summer avoids most weather delays, but more motorcycle enthusiasts are likely to be shipping a motorcycle, which means that you may pay more for your shipment.

Delivery

A-1 Auto Transport helps owners to arrange both terminal-to-terminal and door-to-door motorcycle shipping delivery. While door-to-door service is more convenient, it costs less to deliver your motorcycle to a terminal, although you'll have to arrange a time and method to picking it up from there.

Timeline

If you're unable to pick up your motorcycle when it arrives, or you need to store it for a short period before you schedule a pickup, there will usually be an additional fee.

Question 3

What is the Cheapest Way to Ship a Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

If you're looking for the most affordable way to ship your bike and motorcycle shipping rate, you have a few motorcycle car shipping companies to choose from. First, have your motorcycle shipped from terminal to terminal. Then, choose the open transport method. While these transport companies will expose your bike to the elements, open-air carriers are less expensive than enclosed carriers.

Question 4

What is Terminal-to-Terminal Motorcycle Shipping?

Accepted Answer

While you can have your motorcycle picked up and dropped off at your home or other location, it's often cheaper to drop your bike off at a central motorcycle shipping terminal instead.

When you drop off your bike with the motorcycle transport company, it will be loaded onto the motorcycle transport truck there, along with several other bikes, saving time and money for retrieving motorcycles from multiple locations.

Delivery works the same but in reverse. Your motorcycle will be shipped to an arrival terminal near your destination, where it will be unloaded, waiting for the motorcycle riders to come to pick it up.

While this is cheaper, it also means you'll have to figure out a way to get to the terminal to retrieve your bike from the motorcycle shipping company.

Question 5

What is the Safest Way to Ship a Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

It's natural to want your bike to arrive at your destination in the exact condition you shipped it in, especially if you want to ship a motorcycle, vintage, exotic, or classic car. If you're looking to protect your bike, you should choose one of two options:

Enclosed Transport

In enclosed motorcycle transport, your bike will be loaded into a motorcycle shipper with rigid walls and a ceiling. This protects your motorcycle against the elements, like snow, rain, and hail, and keeps it from being damaged by road debris that may kick up along the way while having your motorcycle delivered.

Crated Transport

If you're especially concerned, you can have your bike loaded onto a pallet and crated up, then loaded onto a motorcycle shipping truck. While this option does add time and expense, it's the surest way to ensure that your motorcycle arrives unharmed.

Question 6

How Do I Choose a Motorcycle Trailer?

Accepted Answer

Choosing either an open trailer or enclosed auto shipment to transport your motorcycle is mostly about balancing how much protection your bike needs against the cost of vehicle shipping. The more security you add, the less likely your motorcycle will be damaged. However, it also means you'll spend more on having your motorcycle transported.

Open-air trailers are usually flatbed trucks, and most other motorcycle shipping companies will have this option. They're the most cost-effective transport option since they can accommodate more motorcycles and don't necessarily require lift gates. However, they do leave your bike exposed to the elements, including road debris.

An enclosed trailer is a semi-truck with hard shells covering the truck bed. While they offer protection against damage during transit, they also tend to cost more since they require more equipment on the truck.

Because flatbed trucks are less expensive, there are usually fewer enclosed trailers on the road. Competition can drive up the cost to ship.

Question 7

What Areas Can My Motorcycle Be Shipped to?

Accepted Answer

You can have your motorcycle picked up and shipped almost anywhere, including local, state to state, and international destinations. Many residential areas with narrow streets are typically not a problem when it comes to pickup and delivery. However, there are some things to keep in mind when you're planning your shipment.

While a door-to-door bike shipper is available, the truck may have difficulty reaching you if your pickup location is in a tight space. If that's the case, they'll contact you about arranging an alternate location for pickup.

Shipping overseas involves more complications. Depending on where you ship your precious motorcycle, you will need to abide by their import laws. All paperwork and taxes will need to be complete before you ship your bike. We'll help to ensure you know what documents and taxes you'll need to take care of.

Question 8

Do I Need to be Present When the Truck Driver Arrives to Pick Up My Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

Either you or a designated representative will need to be there when your motorcycle is picked up. When your driver arrives, you will be given a bill of lading that states the condition of the bike and the final destination. Yourself or a designated representative will need to sign the paper.

If you're unable to attend yourself, let us know as soon as possible who will be there instead so we can give this information to the driver.

While we're happy to work with you to make pickup and delivery as smooth as possible, we can't accept or release vehicles to people without prior authorization.

Question 9

Can I Choose the Time and Date for my Motorcycle Pickup and Delivery?

Accepted Answer

When you request a date for pickup, we will do our best to make that happen. However, if we cannot accommodate your request, we will arrange for a date as close as possible, usually within two to three days.

It's harder to predict when your bike will be delivered, however. We will give you a window, but the actual date may change based on factors we can't control, including weather, traffic, and limits on driving time enforced by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The DOT caps drivers at 500 miles per day and limits the number of days in a row that a driver can work.

However, we offer door-to-door customers the option to guarantee a delivery date for a small additional fee. Make sure to let us know that you'd like to be guaranteed a delivery date when requesting motorcycle shipping quotes.

Question 10

When Should I Book My Motorcycle Shipment?

Accepted Answer

Don't wait too long to book your motorcycle shipping services at our great transport company. The rule is generally the earlier you book, the more likely you are to find the dates you need (and usually at a lower price). If you wait until too close to when you want to ship a motorcycle, you may find that there are no motorcycle shippers available.

Question 11

How Do I Prepare My Motorcycle for Shipping?

Accepted Answer

You need to take several steps to prepare for motorcycle shipping, all of which help ensure that your bike arrives undamaged while protecting the shipping equipment itself. Here are the basic steps you should take:

Remove any personal belongings from the bike
Completely drain all of the fluids from your bike
You can leave your gas tank up to ¼ full
Disable any alarm systems on your bike
Disconnect your motorcycle's battery
Clean your bike before shipment, including excess debris, grime, and grease
If you're using a crate, remove handlebars and other parts that stick out
Take pictures of your motorcycle to document its condition
Make sure your bike is mechanically sound before loading it

While all of these steps may sound like a lot, they're intended to protect both your bike and the bike carrier, helping ensure a smooth, easy, damage-free trip.

Question 12

How Do I Crate My Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

You have two options: You can crate your motorcycle yourself, or you can leave it to your motorcycle transport companies. While doing the work yourself may save you some money, transport professionals likely have more experience crating bikes for shipment and may be able to secure your bike more effectively.

When you're crating your motorcycle, it will first be attached to a wooden pallet or "skid." Once it's securely fastened, it will be enclosed entirely within a crate. The crate is then loaded into either a carrier or an international shipping container, where it's secured in place a second time by the motorcycle shipping company, making sure it stays in place during the journey.

Question 13

Can I Pay Motorcycle Shipping Companies to Crate My Motorcycle for Me?

Accepted Answer

The best motorcycle shippers will provide crating services for your motorcycle, although it will usually increase your motorcycle shipping costs.

Question 14

Are There Discounts for Dealers?

Accepted Answer

We work with a number of the best motorcycle shipping companies, all of whom have their promotions and discounts. While there is a good chance that dealers may be eligible for discounts (especially for bulk transfers), we can't guarantee that they will be available.

You can request a quote to know if you qualify for any discounts, including discounts for dealers, military personnel, students, or seniors.

Question 15

How Long is My Motorcycle Shipping Quote Good for?

Accepted Answer

Like most other companies, our motorcycle shipping quote is typically good through the end of the business day. However, our shipping company reserves the right to change the quote if we determine that you require additional motorcycle transport services not included in the original motorcycle shipping quote.

Because the factors that determine a shipping rate change quickly, we can't guarantee a price beyond the end of the business day.

Question 16

Can I Track My Motorcycle While It’s in Transit?

Accepted Answer

Satellite tracking of your shipment is available on almost all freight. This means you can get real-time shipment details about where your bike is, using any internet-capable device, including computers, phones, and tablets, via your motorcycle shipper.

Question 17

Will My Motorcycle Be Insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes, your bike will be covered under our insurance policy. All reliable motorcycle shipping companies are required by law to have insurance covering their shipments, which means that your bike will be covered in the rare event that it becomes damaged during shipment.

If you do notice some damage that wasn't there before, contact us right away so we can start the insurance claim process. We'll document the claim, then send it to our insurance company, who will give you more shipment details on how you can get your motorcycle repaired or replaced.

Be aware, though, that most companies cover $7,000 worth per vehicle. If you feel you need additional insurance coverage, you can purchase supplemental insurance from your provider.

Question 18

Can I Send Extra Parts or Other Items Along with My Motorcycle Delivery?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no. The only thing you can ship is the bike itself. Anything else -- including spare parts, loose and unsecured parts, paperwork, boxes, and keys -- must travel separately.

You can ship your helmet, but only if it's securely fastened to your motorcycle. This prevents any parts from getting lost during transport, especially since our insurance does not cover these parts.

Question 19

How Can I Get a Discount?

Accepted Answer

The only way to know if you can receive a discount is to ask! Contact our team of experts to see whether you qualify for any discounts or promotional deals from one of our mot. Among the more common discounts are those for:

Seniors
Students
Military personnel
Dealers
Seasonal discounts

Not all of our discounts are available at all times, so make sure to contact us to find out how much you can save on transporting your motorcycle.

Question 20

How Does Transporting Motorcycles Enclosed Shipping Process Work?

Accepted Answer

If you're looking to keep your bike out of the elements but don't feel that you need the protection of crating, then an enclosed trailer is likely the best solution for you.

Unlike open-air motorcycle shippers, which are usually flatbed trucks, a fully enclosed carrier is covered on all sides by either hard or soft material, offering protection against debris and weather.

Shipping a motorcycle in a fully enclosed trailer is more expensive than open-air transport. Still, it is usually much cheaper to haul bikes with this method than crating, making it an excellent midpoint when you want to provide affordable protection for your bike.

Question 21

My Motorcycle Hasn’t Been Delivered Yet. Why Not?

Accepted Answer

While we will provide you with a delivery window, the variables that go into delivering your bike can sometimes cause delays. Whether it's a significant traffic jam or a major snowstorm, delays are occasionally inevitable. We'll do our best to let you know when they occur.

When delays do occur, we'll contact you as soon as possible so that you can adjust your schedule to find a delivery time that works for you. And with our satellite tracking, you can keep an eye on your shipment, too.

Question 22

Can I Ship More than One Motorcycle at a Time?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! It's not uncommon for motorcycle transport companies to ship multiple motorcycles for one customer. Whether you're a dealer or a collector, we'll work with you to ensure that your motorcycles get transported safely and quickly. Make sure to ask about any possible discounts, including a bulk motorcycle shipping costs rate.

Question 23

Will A-1 Let Me Know When They’re Coming to Pick Up or Drop Off My Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

You should receive word from your carrier 12 to 24 normal business hours before your expected pickup or motorcycle delivery date. While we can't give you an exact time of day, we can provide you with a window of time in which you can expect your driver to arrive.

If any problems with the schedule come up, we'll get in touch with you to schedule an updated motorcycle delivery or pickup time.

Question 24

Who Will Actually Be Shipping My Motorcycle?

Accepted Answer

A-1 Auto Transport works with the best motorcycle shipping companies around the country, and it's our mission to ensure that your motorcycle arrives safely without cutting any corners. There's a reason our core values are expertise, authority, and transparency. We ensure that all of our partners live up to these standards, as well.

When we started A-1 Auto Transport in 1988, we had a single tow truck. A little more than 20 years later, we're now one of the nation's largest logistics and motorcycle shipping companies, serving local, interstate, and international customers.

When you partner with A-1 Auto Transport, you can rest assured that your motorcycle is in the right hands.

Question 25

Will You Ship My Trike?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we will! Shipping a trike is much like shipping a motorcycle, although they usually weigh more and have much bulkier dimensions. That's why shipping a trike is usually more expensive than shipping a motorcycle. However, with the more stable base, it's also much safer to transport a trike.

When you're looking for a carrier to ship your trike, be sure to let us know when you're requesting your quote so you make sure you get the most accurate quote possible.

Question 26

How Do I Pay for My Motorcycle Shipment?

Accepted Answer

We want the process to be as stress-free as possible. That's why we offer several different payment methods for our customers, giving you the flexibility to pay in whatever way is most convenient to you.

Question 27

Can You Ship My Motorcycle If It Doesn’t Run?

Accepted Answer

In general, as long as your motorcycle will roll, we can ship it. At the same time, your bike should be transported as is if the condition is noted on the paperwork.

However, you must be sure that it isn't leaking any fluids and that it's been cleaned so that we can take note of any damage before it's hauled using loading equipment onto the carrier.

Question 28

Do You Ship Vintage/Classic/Exotic Motorcycles?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we do! We work with motorcycle shippers specializing in transporting high-value motorcycles, including classic makes, exotic varieties, and other bikes that may have more sentimental value.

There are a few things you should make sure of when you're shipping a motorcycle. First, you'll want to be sure your bike is fully protected. Since you can choose either an open trailer or an enclosed carrier, you'll probably want to ship your motorcycle in a fully enclosed carrier to protect it from weather and road debris. For an added layer of protection, you can even have your bike shipped in a crate.

Another benefit of these motorcycle transport options is that it limits the number of interested onlookers who might take an interest in your motorcycle. While theft from a carrier is quite rare, enclosed and crate shipping both eliminate the possibility any passerby might want to either steal or vandalize your bike.

Finally, you will probably want to choose door-to-door service. While this is more expensive than terminal-to-terminal shipping, it also means that your bike will be both picked up and delivered right in front of you. That way, you can inspect your bike when it comes off the truck to make sure that it hasn't sustained any damage.

Question 29

Will You Ship Motorcycles for Online Buyers?

Accepted Answer

Shipping a motorcycle using third parties after online sales or auctions is more common than ever these days. When you purchase a bike from an auction or an online seller, your best bet is to arrange delivery yourself.

Online dealers and auction sites may offer to set up delivery for you, but they will likely charge you a premium for your service, which is often rolled into the price of your vehicle.

Instead, contact A-1 Auto Transport, and we'll help you set up fast, affordable delivery on your new purchase.

Question 30

Do Most Motorcycle Transport Companies Have a Lot of Paperwork?

Accepted Answer

Not usually. Most of the time, when shipping companies pick up your motorcycle, they'll give you a bill of lading and a copy of your liability insurance coverage.

If you're unable to be at pickup or delivery, your authorized representative may need an authorization form. Some localities require documents for lienholders, as well as photo IDs and title and registration.

Question 31

Why Should I Ship My Bike Instead of Driving It?

Accepted Answer

There are many reasons motorcycle owners may choose to ship their bikes instead of driving them to their destinations on their own. These include:

To avoid putting excess miles on your motorcycle
You're moving and need to transport your car, too
You don't have the time to drive it yourself
To avoid the danger of a long trip on a motorcycle
Your bike isn't currently running
You're presently restoring a bike, and it needs more work
To prevent damage during the journey
You're transporting a classic or vintage bike to a bike show

These are only a few of the reasons owners may choose to transport their bikes on a carrier. No matter what your reason may be, A-1 Auto Transport has the experience of getting your bike where you need it, working on getting it delivered as quickly and safely as possible.

Shipping To/From	Cost	Distance	Transit Days
Los Angeles to Las Vegas, NV	$650	270 miles	2-4 days
Chicago, IL to Memphis, TN	$680	530 miles	2-4 days
Atlanta, GA to Detroit, MI	$680	725 miles	3-5 days
San Diego, CA to Dallas, TX	$680	1360 miles	4-6 days
Phoenix, AZ to Seattle, WA	$680	1425 miles	4-6 days
Houston, TX to New York, NY	$730	1630 miles	5-7 days
Miami, FL to Denver, CO	$750	2065 miles	6-8 days
Portland, OR to Memphis, TN	$750	2245 miles	6-8 days
Boston, MA to Phoenix, AZ	$780	2650 miles	7-9 days
San Jose, CA to Miami, FL	$780	3070 miles	7-9 days

Motorcycle Shipping