Shipping your cherished motorcycle over hundreds of miles can be nerve-wracking. You want to find a good price, but you also want to make sure the company handles your bike with care. Many of our top-rated car shipping companies also specialize in motorcycle shipping.
In this article, we detail our picks for the best motorcycle shipping companies in the industry. We’ll also go over some key details you need to know as you select companies including average costs, insurance coverage and how the process of shipping a motorcycle works.
What is the best motorcycle shipping company?
In our review of providers, we found the best motorcycle shipping service is Montway Auto Transport due to its affordable pricing and overall great industry reputation. In addition, we recommend comparing auto shipping quotes with Mercury Auto Transport, AmeriFreight, SGT Auto Transport and Nexus Auto Transport.
Compare top motorcycle shipping companies
Montway Auto Transport ranks highly due to its relatively short pickup date range and affordable cost. See how it compares to other top motorcycle shipping companies in the table below.
Top motorcycle shipping companies reviews
We explore our top picks for motorcycle transport in the provider sections below, detailing the best and worst aspects of each company, listing service options and providing cost estimates for various shipping situations based on actual quotes we received.
Note that all costs in this article are for enclosed motorcycle shipping. Some companies only offer enclosed, while others offer enclosed and open but recommend enclosed for motorcycles.
We sourced provider cost information by receiving quotes for the following enclosed shipments:
- Short shipment (571 miles): Portland, Oregon, to Sacramento, California
- Medium shipment (1,530 miles): Salt Lake City to Memphis, Tennessee
- Far shipment (2,363 miles): Miami to Phoenix
We also compared each provider’s costs to the average of all quotes we received for the top 5 motorcycle shipping companies in this article. Average rates are the following:
- 571-mile shipment: $877
- 1,530-mile shipment: $1,476
- 2,363-mile shipment: $1,310
Motorcycle shipping guide: What to know when shipping your motorcycle
Now we’ll take a closer look at how motorcycle shipping works, the difference between open and enclosed transport, how to prepare a bike for shipment and more.
How does motorcycle shipping work?
Motorcycle shipping companies are usually brokers that book shipments with carriers on your behalf. Most carriers don’t work with the public directly, though you might find some local carriers in your area that do.
When you get a quote, the broker will post the job to a carrier board. In some cases, the broker might have to raise the quote if no carriers pick up the job. Reputable companies give good price estimates that are high enough to secure a carrier the first time and avoid this situation. On the other hand, a company that offers dirt-cheap quotes may have a hard time getting a carrier for the price.
Once a carrier accepts the job, they’ll be dispatched to get your bike. At that point, you can pay a deposit by card and then pay the rest in cash on final delivery — or pay the full cost by card at dispatch.
How do you prepare a motorcycle for shipping?
To get your bike ready to ship, make sure it has a 3/4 tank of gas or less. Clean the bike and check for any leaks. Unlock the steering column and make sure the bike can roll. Remove personal items like helmets, GPS units and cameras.
Pickup and delivery
With door-to-door service, the carrier will get as close to your address as possible. Terminal-to-terminal shipping, on the other hand, can be cheaper but requires you to drop off and pick up your motorcycle at shipping terminals in specific cities. Depending on where you live, this could be a considerable inconvenience or even not work for your move at all.
You’ll sign a bill of lading at pickup which notes the motorcycle’s condition. You’ll sign the same bill of lading at delivery.
Do motorcycle shipping companies provide insurance?
All carriers are required by law to have minimum levels of insurance. According to SGT Auto Transport, open carriers usually have between $100,000 and $150,000 of cargo insurance while enclosed carriers have $250,000 to $3 million. If the carrier were to crash during transit, this policy would be split between the values of all vehicles onboard.
The carrier’s insurance covers damage during transit, but damage during loading/unloading or storage isn’t usually covered. Your comprehensive insurance can cover this. Some companies like AmeriFreight offer supplemental insurance for these situations.
Open vs. enclosed motorcycle shipping
Whether you’re shipping a sportbike or a Harley Davidson, you want peace of mind that the motorcycle will arrive at the destination without a scratch. Most motorcycle owners are very protective of their bikes, which is why enclosed shipping makes the most sense.
In fact, shipping companies generally recommend enclosed shipping as the first option, and some don’t even offer open shipping for motorcycles. While enclosed shipping costs more than open shipping for motorcycles, it’s also cheaper than enclosed shipping for cars. This is because the carrier can fit more motorcycles than cars per trip.
How do you prepare a motorcycle for shipping?
To get your bike ready to ship, make sure it has a 3/4 tank of gas or less. Clean the bike and check for any leaks. Unlock the steering column and make sure the bike can roll. Remove personal items like helmets, GPS units and cameras.
How much does motorcycle shipping cost?
Our quote data shows motorcycle shipping costs about $1,476 for a 1,530-mile shipment from Salt Lake City to Memphis, Tennessee. This average includes the top 5 companies we recommended above.
How much motorcycle shipping costs you depends on the time of year, type of shipping, distance, carrier competition, urgency and more.
Enclosed motorcycle transport costs
Below, you can see enclosed motorcycle shipping quotes for three distances. Per-mile costs range from 55 cents to $1.54.
Motorcycle Shipping Route | Mileage | Enclosed Shipping Cost | Cost Per Mile |
---|---|---|---|
Portland, Ore., to Sacramento | 571 miles | $877 | $1.54 |
Salt Lake City to Memphis | 1,530 miles | $1,476 | $0.96 |
Miami to Phoenix | 2,363 miles | $1,310 | $0.55 |
Final take: Start by getting quotes from Montway and Mercury for your motorcycle shipment
Our top three recommendations for motorcycle shipping include Montway Auto Transport, Mercury Auto Transport and AmeriFreight. Since multiple companies offer good service, we recommend comparing rates from at least three options to see which is best. Remember to check a company’s reputation and service, not just look for the cheapest quote.
Compare motorcycle shipping rates from our top picks below.
Our rating methodology for motorcycle shipping companies
We base our auto shipping ratings and recommendations on our proprietary detailed methodology. We’ve assessed key aspects of the customer experience, including pricing, breadth of services offered and overall reputation, to determine which auto shipping companies offer the best service.
Auto shipping providers that meet our standards carry the required licensing and registration as a prerequisite. Each company has also maintained a good reputation via high customer ratings, which cite clear pricing, timely service and multiple shipping options for different vehicle types.
BBB, Trustpilot and Google reviews scores are accurate as of May 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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