8 Best Motorcycle Shipping Companies in 2021 | CitizenShipper

In America, demand for motorcycle shipping has more than doubled this decade. The number of registered motorcycles in the US approaches 10 million. The number of motorcycle shipping companies has increased at a similar rate to respond to a growing market.

If you’ve started looking into shipping your motorcycle, you’ll know you are spoilt for choice: from small independent businesses through online marketplaces to high-profile auto haulers. That makes it a buyer’s market, and the canny motorcycle owner is guaranteed to find superb deals without skimping on safety or expertise if they have time to dig for them.

That’s a lot of research, and not everyone has time. So we’ve taken a look at what’s on offer and put our findings in one guide, showing you the best motorcycle shipping services available and why. Read on to establish the best choice for your budget, schedule, location, and make & model.

Here are (in our view) the top five motorcycle shipping companies of 2021, in order.

8. Motorcycles Transport Services

Motorcycles Transport Services is a textbook, by-the-numbers motorcycle transport company. Their service has no added benefits but no hidden costs. You can rely on their insight into the business, and the shipper who takes on the job is likely to bring a fair bit of relevant experience to it.

MTS will most benefit motorcycle owners in a hurry. One phone call is enough to receive a quote with all the necessary costs included. State all the essential info you have about the job — timeframe, make & model, whether the motorcycle is coming or going to an individual or a dealership — and you will receive a quote quickly. Not much room for price negotiation, but the user on a schedule may not appreciate that extra back-and-forth anyway. Different payment methods and end-to-end care for the condition of your bike are offered as well.

Positives:

• Speed and ease of quote-giving
• Specialists in motorcycle transport

Negatives:

• Needs all information upfront before a contract can be signed

7. King of the road

King Of The Road offers door-to-door shipping services across the nation, from motorcycles to motorboats. They are officially a bonded and insured vehicle transport brokerage firm. They can also transport other types of vehicles.

Their service offers no size restriction, so if you need a 1,433 pound, 11-foot long Leonhardt Gunbus 410 shipped coast to coast, you’re in luck. King Of The Road also ships overseas.

Positives

• Ships overseas
• Discounts available

Negatives

• Extra fees for faulty motorcycles

6. Sherpa

Like King Of The Road, Sherpa ‘specializes’ in transporting vehicles of all types. They are renowned for excellent customer service, and their pricing is transparent, and the company is licensed, bonded, and insured.

You can choose between enclosed and open-air shipping (the former being more expensive.) If cost is your concern, Sherpa offers the Price Lock Promise: this ensures you will pay the exact amount agreed in the quote, with no chance of additional costs due to delays or accidents.

Their Clean Car Guarantee offers customers a $20 reimbursement to cover the cost of a carwash in the seven days after delivery. Repeat customers are eligible for a discount.

In short, Sherpa is a decent option if you value a transparent company you can speak to frequently and/or are anxious about incurring extra costs.

Positives:

• Ships overseas
• Different packages available to customers
• Good customer service

Negatives:

• No real-time shipment tracking available

5. Montway

Montway is a name you’ve most likely heard before. They ship all kinds of vehicles nationwide, so if you are concerned about shipping to or from a hard-to-reach location, Montway has your back. Their reputation allows them to charge a high sum for their work — however, there may be discounts online if you do a little digging. Students, seniors, and members of the military are all eligible.

Montway’s size means they offer a full-time service year-round, and they use enclosed trailers for motorcycles and other vehicles. Montway is a good choice for motorcycle owners who live in out-of-the-way places for whom budget is not a priority.

Positives:

• Price not affected by the size of the motorcycle
• Uses enclosed trailers
• No upfront payment required

Negatives:

• Relatively high shipping costs, without discounts
• Not a motorcycle specialist

4. Motorcycle Shippers

Motorcycle Shippers offers many options depending on how tight your schedule is and whether you’d prefer valuation coverage. Getting a quote from Motorcycle Shippers is easy: their website offers a simple tool that will provide a quote instantly. Convenience, then, is Motorcycle Shippers’ trump card.

There are obvious benefits to a vehicle transportation service specializing in the exact vehicle you want to transport. You have peace of mind they can handle any motorcycle and are familiar with the quirks and idiosyncrasies of different makes and models. However, there are some restrictions on the size of the bike as they use covered trailers. Motorcycle Shippers are a good service if you need an express delivery from a specialist, and your motorcycle isn’t too big.

Positives:

• VIP Express Premium shipping available for urgent shipments
• Instant quotes
• $7,000 of additional valuation coverage
• Email address not needed to receive a quote

Negatives:

• No price-matching
• No real-time shipper tracking
• Will not ship motorcycles over 108” x 46”

3. Haul Bikes

Haul Bikes have the best equipment to match their specialty. They know the bike-hauling biz well, but their service does not extend to accessories or furniture you might want to be transported alongside your ride.

If you’ve heard of Haul Bikes, you may know that their shippers are themselves motorcycle pros. That means Haul Bikes can guarantee excellent expertise for each bike, no matter its make and model. They can boast a service that provides utmost care, resulting in few low-damage claims.

If you’re a motorcycle pro yourself, you may want your motorcycle delivered to Daytona or any other national motorcycle event. Haul Bikes caters to owners who want their bikes there on the day, so you don’t have to make the ride yourself.

Though not as widely available as Montway, Haul Bikes’ advantage comes from their above-par expertise.

Positives:

• All drivers are licensed bikers
• Uses enclosed trailers
• Straightforward costs and delivery dates
• Offers insurance up to $15,000

Negatives:

• Presently they do NOT pick up or deliver to Key West, DC, or the five boroughs of New York City, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island — nor gated communities anywhere.
• No motorcycles taller than 58” are allowed
• Transit time can be longer

2. AmeriFreight

While not a motorcycle-shipping specialist, AmeriFreight is highly rated with the Better Business Bureau. That makes them a big contender in the market.

One reason it earns its solid BBB rating is its price match guarantee. AmeriFreight vows to match any other BBB-rated company’s price for a similar job available from a retailer within 25 miles of the American Freight location. There are also many discounts on top of that. But to research them, you’ll have to contend with AmeriFreight’s website, which is possibly the most significant sore spot for an otherwise modern and respected company.

The AF Total Assurance Plan does promise to cover your bike’s bodywork while in transit and other issues your bike insurer typically won’t cover.

In summary, a cost-effective solution to motorcycle transportation, if you don’t mind picking up the phone instead of booking online.

Positives:

• Extensive coverage (3-step insurance plan)
• Price match and refund guarantee
• Higjh BBB ranking

Negatives:

• Outdated and vague website
• Few premium service options

1. CitizenShipper

What sets CitizenShipper apart from other motorcycle-shipping firms is the ease and freedom they give to customers. Customers have the power and freedom to browse quotes and select the perfect option that suits their schedule and budget. With hundreds of drivers on the books vying for your shipment, you have the rare chance to choose the perfect one. Covering the entire US, CitizenShipper’s vetted and trusted drivers are among the country’s most experienced motorcycle haulers.

For all their experience, your wallet doesn’t have to suffer as a result. A competitive online marketplace puts you in the saddle. Competition drives down quotes without sacrificing the quality of service.

What’s more, the ease of posting your shipment’s details — the type of motorcycle, destination, and origin — takes less than five minutes. And you’re assured several experienced, certified drivers giving you quotes. You can contact each of them if you like and ask for their experience or credentials. You can also read their public review of each driver to get a sense of their customer service skills and experience.

And that’s it! Within minutes you’ll be receiving quotes from some of the safest and most reliable transporters in the industry. Simply post your shipment and let the market do the rest.

Positives:

• Easy to use
• Cost-effective
• No size restrictions
• Contact directly with the transporter

Negatives:

• Not specialized

Featured Image Credit: www.movingfeedback.com

Originally published at https://citizenshipper.com on July 20, 2020, last updated on March 19, 2021.