Brogan Woodburn is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront and has read dozens of extended auto warranty contracts, including the fine print that will tell you whether your car insurance covers slashed tires or can get you a new engine replacement. His editorial experience in the auto industry includes work that appears on MarketWatch and Motor1.com.
Brogan is based in Prineville, Oregon, and enjoys exploring the outdoors in his free time. Having studied guitar at Berklee College of Music, he also performs classical guitar for local events and weddings.
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Planning your budget is an important step when shipping a motorcycle. Motorcycle shipping costs can vary widely depending on factors such as the company, distance and time of year. You could pay as low as $615 for a short move to more than $1,600 for a long-distance shipment.
The best motorcycle shipping companies provide instant quotes that are affordable but still high enough to secure carriers quickly. Shopping for a bargain isn’t necessarily the best idea in this industry.
In this article, we’ll cover how much it costs to ship a motorcycle, factors that affect costs and how motorcycle shipping costs work.
Our team compared enclosed motorcycle shipping quotes from five leading providers. Rates ranged from $615 to $1,075 for a 571-mile shipment. We also found quotes ranging from $875 to $1,646 for a 2,363-mile shipment. On average, you should plan to budget at least $1,000 if you’re shipping a motorcycle over a long distance.
The quotes we compared all apply to a 2023 Suzuki SV650 standard bike shipped in an enclosed trailer. You may find higher rates if you’re shipping a larger touring motorcycle or a bike with a sidecar. You can find lower rates with an open carrier, but most moving companies recommend enclosed carriers for more protection and better peace of mind.
Generally speaking, longer shipments cost more overall but less per mile. However, carrier availability along the route can influence price. We compared quotes for three routes with 571, 1,530 and 2,363 miles. Overall, average rates ranged from $877 to $1,476.
Interestingly, most car shipping companies we shopped from offered higher quotes for the mid-distance shipment than the cross-country shipment. Our mid-distance route was from Salt Lake City to Memphis, Tennessee. It’s possible fewer carriers were available for the inland shipment compared to the other routes of Portland, Oregon, to Sacramento, California, and Miami to Phoenix.
Below, you can see average rates for the three different routes. The cost per mile decreases as the overall distance increases.
Motorcycle transport costs vary among auto shipping companies for the same shipment. For example, we found rates ranging from $1,199 to $1,815 for a 1,530-mile motorcycle shipment. Below, you can see that Mercury Auto Transport and Montway Auto Transport are the two cheapest providers in this situation.
The most affordable company for one route might not be the most affordable for another. Looking at short shipments of 571 miles, we found Mercury Auto Transport was the cheapest with rates of $615. AmeriFreight was second-cheapest with rates of $844.
Mercury Auto Transport and Montway Auto Transport were the two most affordable companies for long-distance shipping of 2,363 miles. The companies offered quotes of $875 and $1,259, respectively.
Motorcycle shipping costs depend on various factors including the distance, shipping type and time of year. Here are the details.
The cheapest motorcycle transport services don’t necessarily offer the best value. Open trailer transport is affordable but exposes your bike to the elements and potential theft. If it’s loaded on the lower level, fluids from upper vehicles can also drip onto it during transport. Most shipping companies recommend enclosed transport for motorcycles, and some offer it exclusively.
Brokers that offer very low quotes can also have difficulty securing a carrier promptly. We’ll talk more about how pricing works next.
Motorcycle shipping costs are complex, and it’s important to understand how the auto shipping industry works. You’ll use a shipping broker to get a quote. The broker then will secure a carrier within that rate. Carriers are independent businesses, so they can choose which jobs to take based on the pay. The broker may have to increase your initial quote if it can’t secure a carrier for that rate.
Good brokers provide realistic quotes that are high enough to get carriers, but pricing can still fluctuate during high demand. Some companies offer locked-in rates or pricing guarantees. SGT Auto Transport, for example, offers a price-match guarantee that can save you money if you find a lower written quote from a direct competitor.
After you confirm the booking and the broker secures a carrier, that carrier will be dispatched to get your motorcycle. At that point, you’ll make a payment by card. It will either be a deposit or the full amount, and you can choose which to do.
Paying in full allows you to use a credit card or even finance the shipment with PayPal with some brokers, but making a partial payment lets you pay the rest to the driver in cash on delivery. You’ll get a cheaper rate overall because drivers prefer receiving cash.
You can see the difference between cash-on-delivery and pay-by-card rates from most brokers once you get a quote.
While you don’t want to shop only for the cheapest option, you don’t want to overpay, either. You can do a few things to ensure you get the best rate when shipping your bike.
First, start shopping for motorcycle shipping early. Get quotes at least two weeks in advance so the broker has time to find a carrier. If you need to ship your bike within a week, you’ll pay more for expedited transport.
Also, have some flexibility in your plans. Some companies offer guaranteed pickup days, but this requires an extra fee. A flexible pickup window lets the carrier work your shipment into its schedule rather than moving things around and charging a higher rate.
Of course, comparing multiple quotes can help you find a better rate. Different brokers work with different carrier networks so you won’t find the same rate from two companies.
Lastly, you can opt for terminal-to-terminal shipping from some motorcycle transport companies to save money. Montway calls it shipping between distribution centers. This requires you to drop off and pick up your bike from industry terminals in specific locations, so it only works for certain shipments. You can call motorcycle shippers to see if they offer this option.
You can’t control many factors affecting motorcycle shipping costs, such as your destination or the season you ship. However, you can compare multiple free quotes to find an affordable rate from a reputable company. We recommend getting at least three quotes from our top providers below to get started.
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