Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Jerryd on November 24, 2014, 05:22:08 AM
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Anyone out there who has a recommendation for a good reasonably priced shipper? I need to get a CalVin from NJ to Florida. Maybe someone who needs a break from the snow and cold ;)
Jerry
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So I assume a deal has been struck?
I've used these guys not too long ago. Dan has a vintage snow mobile and motorcycle museum in NJ.
http://snowmobilebarn.com/d-k-service/
He's on the road a lot, and moves Billy Joel's bikes for him.
;-T
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I've bought and sold and shipped to and fro many bikes over the last 15-20 years.
Over the last 10 years, I've come to pretty much rely on Federal for all my shipping business. They were once a part of Allied Van Lines but I think they were spun off recently.
http://www.federalcos.com/specialized-moving/motorcycle-shipping/
When you call them, ask to talk to Marietta.
They are very professional. They do documented inspection before and after the shipment and document receipt of your bike. They palletize everything so they never have to handle your bike once picked up.
In the southeast, the truck driver will be Harry (and his wife) from over here in coastal Mississippi. They know their stuff.
All these nice things come with a price that will probably be above what you can find with other options but I think you get what you pay for. Id estimate a ship from NJ to FL at somewhere between $600 and $700 for a premium carrier. Federal does offer a discount for AMA members.
Keyboard is also another good shipper that I've used but they do not service western states.
http://keyboardmotorcycleshipping.com/
I highly discourage the U Ship arrangements where you don't know what kind of rig is going to show up. I've had purchasers send a U Ship truck to pick up a valuable vintage bike with an improvised boat trailer behind a clapped-out old Dodge Ram truck. There was no documentation. I had one of them say, when I asked for some receipt of the bike, "oh man, we dont have nuthin like that but you can take my picture next to my truck tag."
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjqvw_TokHs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxOVIHIB0EI
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Anyone out there who has a recommendation for a good reasonably priced shipper? I need to get a CalVin from NJ to Florida. Maybe someone who needs a break from the snow and cold ;)
Jerry
Try USHIP. You can have people bid or put what you want to pay.
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Try USHIP. You can have people bid or put what you want to pay.
Yeah, see my comments above. It will certainly be cheaper but ....
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I highly discourage the U Ship arrangements where you don't know what kind of rig is going to show up. I've had purchasers send a U Ship truck to pick up a valuable vintage bike with an improvised boat trailer behind a clapped-out old Dodge Ram truck. There was no documentation. I had one of them say, when I asked for some receipt of the bike, "oh man, we dont have nuthin like that but you can take my picture next to my truck tag."
I ended up with one of these for an Eldo that I purchased a few years back - what a disaster. PM me if you want any further details. Don't cheap out, you might not get lucky.
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These guys are very professional and reasonably priced, but they have a limited route. There used to be a map on their website, but it's gone.
http://www.wolverinecycle.com/shipping.php
If you use Uship, look at the bidders record. You can usually tell the flakes from the shippers that know bikes. If you can't tell, then don't use.
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Jerry,
Try Erik Wied in New York...
I had him haul the Stelvio back from San Diego last year, great guy, excellent, punctual service, reasonable cost. He picked up the m/c in San Diego, put it in the enclosed trailer, delivered it to my garage and put it up on teh Handy Lift within six (6) days as I recall.
Congrats on the purchase.
Best,
Rob
Erik Wied
871 County Route 28
Niverville, NY 12130
518.669.6872
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I've used Federal three times (last time last week)--very good results each time, no damage to the bikes at all and the prices seemed reasonable. The only minor (ridiculously minor) complaint would be that there tracking system isn't very good, and they apparently only deliver Mon/Weds/Fri.
Rich
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So I assume a deal has been struck?
I've used these guys not too long ago. Dan has a vintage snow mobile and motorcycle museum in NJ.
http://snowmobilebarn.com/d-k-service/
He's on the road a lot, and moves Billy Joel's bikes for him.
;-T
I think so if I can get the bike down here. I'll PM you later.
Thanks
Jerry
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haulbikes.com
no crating, no draining fluids, keep you updated with pick up, route & delivery dates & times.
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haulbikes.com
no crating, no draining fluids, keep you updated with pick up, route & delivery dates & times.
They seem to be having a special now, $525 from anywhere in the continental US to anywhere in the continental US.
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JC Motorcycle Shippers have always done right by me. Good communication, tracking, insurance, and know what they're doing. :BEER:
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JC Motorcycle Shippers have always done right by me. Good communication, tracking, insurance, and know what they're doing. :BEER:
Yup........... me too, have had good experience's with these guys. ;-T
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Depending, I actually encourage the Uship option. I have used it 4 times in the last 4-5 years. The key ingredient is you absolutely MUST do your research on the folks who pitch you a bid. The only one of my 4 transactions that was a very bad experience was as much my own fault for not reading the reviews and method of haul. Now, I ALWAYS specify closed transport and always research the company's reviews and info. This gives you valuable information to know if your bike will be shipped by someone with experience, insurance, etc. The company profiles also give you good indication if they have experience hauling bikes or are they just a furniture or animal mover. I had a bike shipped from NY to KY for about $300, same with a bike from Florida to KY. Yes, there are more trusted ways if that's what you desire, but when I took the time to do the legwork, I have not been disappointed with Uship.
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I used Forward Air to ship two bikes about 8 years ago. They provide a specialized shipping container...You provide tie downs and a combination lock and money.....The only down side is you have to haul the bike to the shippers location and the receiver has to do the same...And they don't serve every major city..
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Depending, I actually encourage the Uship option. I have used it 4 times in the last 4-5 years. The key ingredient is you absolutely MUST do your research on the folks who pitch you a bid. The only one of my 4 transactions that was a very bad experience was as much my own fault for not reading the reviews and method of haul. Now, I ALWAYS specify closed transport and always research the company's reviews and info. This gives you valuable information to know if your bike will be shipped by someone with experience, insurance, etc. The company profiles also give you good indication if they have experience hauling bikes or are they just a furniture or animal mover. I had a bike shipped from NY to KY for about $300, same with a bike from Florida to KY. Yes, there are more trusted ways if that's what you desire, but when I took the time to do the legwork, I have not been disappointed with Uship.
I have used uShip for boats, but never a vehicle. You're right, it does require a lot of research. But I've found the savings are there if you find the right guy.
Someone also mentioned JC. I forgot about them. I'm going to try them in addition to a few other sugeestions here.
Thanks
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Here is what showed up to pick up a neighbors' bike last night. The buyer arranged it through USHIP and used them because they could pick it up fast.
The trailer is partly gutted so they can put bikes inside.
(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp51/alj3rd/20141124_1815521_zps7e83b811.jpg)
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Here is what showed up to pick up a neighbors' bike last night. The buyer ARRANGED IT THROUGH USHIP AND USED THEM BECAUSE THEY COULD PICK IT UP FAST.
The trailer is partly gutted so they can put bikes inside.
(http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp51/alj3rd/20141124_1815521_zps7e83b811.jpg)
Exactly the mistake I made per my one, and only one, bad experience with Uship. My guy showed up with a horse trailer. Yeah. Take the time, do the legwork, make the calls if needed.
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Just completed the purchase of a CalVin, and I need to get it down here to New Jersey to Florida. I want to check one more time for recommendations. Especially for someone recently used; not a few years ago. I've found from calling around that some of these companies have changed hands or added more trucks and may not have the quality they had once before.
Thanks
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I've had good luck with Wolverine Cycle Logistics, LLC (http://www.wolverinecycle.com). Good communications, the right equipment for bikes, and they were right on time.
They have a specific route they follow around the US, though. You need to contact them to see if you are on it.
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I've had good luck with Wolverine Cycle Logistics, LLC (http://www.wolverinecycle.com). Good communications, the right equipment for bikes, and they were right on time.
They have a specific route they follow around the US, though. You need to contact them to see if you are on it.
I'll check them out, but I didn't hear some bad stories about them!
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Anyone out there who has a recommendation for a good reasonably priced shipper? I need to get a CalVin from NJ to Florida. Maybe someone who needs a break from the snow and cold ;)
Jerry
I personally used this shipper , shipped a moto guzzi sp from Rutherford college NC to NY 10960 , Paid 353 usd .
This shipper is a serious guy , you wont be disappointed .
He uses an enclosed trailer . ( brand new not a junk )
you can see his profile on U SHIP .
here some info :
http://www.uship.com/profile/prdtrans/
This is my positive feed back , left after the bike was delivered .
Rating: Positive
Company: DAVID A LISBOA
Left by: Marco Q.
On: 4/26/2012
For: 1980 Moto Guzzi 850 T 3
Communication
Care of Goods
Punctuality
Services as Described
I just got my bike delivered one day earlier the expected. :-) David, is a great guy , i had NO PROBLEM of any kind...great communication. The bike got picked up and dropped off,everything was perfect. The trailer is NEW and super clean, my bike was safely tied down. I HIGHLY recommend him, i am sure you won't be disappointed. The price was really good too. I will call him again in the future. Marco.
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I personally used this shipper , shipped a moto guzzi sp from Rutherford college NC to NY 10960 , Paid 353 usd .
This shipper is a serious guy , you wont be disappointed .
He uses an enclosed trailer . ( brand new not a junk )
you can see his profile on U SHIP .
here some info :
http://www.uship.com/profile/prdtrans/
This is my positive feed back , left after the bike was delivered .
Rating: Positive
Company: DAVID A LISBOA
Left by: Marco Q.
On: 4/26/2012
For: 1980 Moto Guzzi 850 T 3
Communication
Care of Goods
Punctuality
Services as Described
I just got my bike delivered one day earlier the expected. :-) David, is a great guy , i had NO PROBLEM of any kind...great communication. The bike got picked up and dropped off,everything was perfect. The trailer is NEW and super clean, my bike was safely tied down. I HIGHLY recommend him, i am sure you won't be disappointed. The price was really good too. I will call him again in the future. Marco.
Hi Marco,
Do you have his contact info? I'd rather not go through U Ship.
Thanks
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I'll check them out, but I didn't hear some bad stories about them!
Really?
I haven't heard anything bad about them from anyone who has used them on the ADV and Guzzi forums.
Only bad things I've found are from that hack website where all of the negative reviews sound like the same guy.
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Hi Marco,
Do you have his contact info? I'd rather not go through U Ship.
Thanks
Jerry ,
I am going to go through my papers and see if i can find the contract with his phone # .
I will let you know..
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So I assume a deal has been struck?
I've used these guys not too long ago. Dan has a vintage snow mobile and motorcycle museum in NJ.
http://snowmobilebarn.com/d-k-service/
He's on the road a lot, and moves Billy Joel's bikes for him.
;-T
Have you tried calling Dan? He's based in New Jersey. After all, I did find you the Calvin!
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I've come to pretty much rely on Federal for all my shipping business. They were once a part of Allied Van Lines but I think they were spun off recently.
http://www.federalcos.com/specialized-moving/motorcycle-shipping/
They are very professional. They do documented inspection before and after the shipment and document receipt of your bike. They palletize everything so they never have to handle your bike once picked up.
I highly discourage the U Ship arrangements
I feel the same way. When I was in the motorcycle business, we used Federal and they were great. I prefer to retrieve my bikes myself, but if I ever have the occasion again, I will probably use Federal.
Below is how my recently departed Lemans 1000 was transported from Arkansas to Wisconsin via a U-Ship driver. Buyer was happy, though. It was cheap and worked out fine. Bike arrived at it's destination none the worse for wear, but I was worried about it until I heard of the safe arrival from the dsrdave, the buyer.
If I had been paying for it and been responsible for it, I'd have never loaded the bike on this trailer.
Though the U-Ship driver was a very nice retired gentleman, he didn't have any soft ties, and had no plan about loading and tying down the bike. Basically, I had to load and tie it down. I supplied the soft ties. Driver did supply the racheting tie downs, though for a few minutes I though I might have to. I cringe at the thought of how this bike would've been secured in this trailer had I not been at home when the driver arrived for the bike.
(http://rocker59.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/1991-LM-V/i-KhgJfFz/0/XL/20141110_194111-XL.jpg)
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Typical uSlip disaster in the making... The golf cart is tied down by the "roof" supports (that ain't no ROPS) and the trailer looks like it's been through a couple wars. BTW, did the "trucker" take advantage of the wood floor and block the golf cart and bike?
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Have you tried calling Dan? He's based in New Jersey. After all, I did find you the Calvin!
Sorry, I didn't. I guess I just thought he was expensive by the looks of his site. I know that's not a good reason. I will try him today.
Is he your brother ;)
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Sorry, I didn't. I guess I just thought he was expensive by the looks of his site. I know that's not a good reason. I will try him today.
Is he your brother ;)
No interest in it for me. He shipped my Stornello from CA for a very reasonable price.
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did the "trucker" take advantage of the wood floor and block the golf cart and bike?
No. I asked if he had any blocking and he just looked at me kind of puzzled.
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No interest in it for me. He shipped my Stornello from CA for a very reasonable price.
I was just kidding! I wonder if they can get one one of their big moving vans down Mike's street?
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Before you use USHIP you might want to read this. :o
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1030226
Marc
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Before you use USHIP you might want to read this. :o
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1030226
Marc
I wasn't planning on using them. I didn't have good luck using them to move a sailboat.
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Before you use USHIP you might want to read this. :o
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1030226
Marc
Wow.... :o
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So I assume a deal has been struck?
I've used these guys not too long ago. Dan has a vintage snow mobile and motorcycle museum in NJ.
http://snowmobilebarn.com/d-k-service/
He's on the road a lot, and moves Billy Joel's bikes for him.
;-T
[/quote
Hey Cam, I finally got in touch with Dan. Sounds like a nice guy. He's at a car auction in Colorado but is going to let me know next week if he can help me. However it looks doubtful :(
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haulbikes.com
no crating, no draining fluids, keep you updated with pick up, route & delivery dates & times.
I'm trying to get a bike from Sioux City, Ia to Arizona.
I've had several good experiences with U-Ship and one bad one.
So I called haulbikes. An ok price until they tell you they are charging a 22% fuel surcharge!
Ouch. At todays gas prices?
Mike
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I am in the process of having a bike shipped from Texas over here to Florida. Tried to do as much research as reasonably possible, seven different companies, and spoke with Paul at Shipping Masters who appear to be a clearing house for other companies. He advised my bike will be shipped using Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping out of Kentucky who have been transporting bikes for over ten years. So far they have been very helpful and advise the bikes are tied down on pallets and transported in enclosed trailers which several companies do not. They also insure the bikes for up to $20,000.00 with more available if necessary. I have found their price to be very competitive. Keeping my fingers crossed!
I also have experience with a privately owned transport company that transported a bike I sold in western New York down to Indialantic, Fl. This same company was used by a relative to transport a bike from North Carolina up to western New York. Both times with great results and good rates. I contacted them about the bike in Texas but they wont be available till March or April.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Jerry
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Before you use USHIP you might want to read this. :o
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1030226
Marc
The thread is informative for sure, but it's hard to blame U-Ship. All they do is set up the auction. When I used them I understood that it was up to me to choose which carrier to trust my cargo with.
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U-Ship is aiding illegal trucking- The feds and every state require that anyone hauling stuff or people for profit meet safety standards and have insurance adequate to cover any damage they could do. U-Ship never checks to see if any of their truckers are legal, and thus most of their truckers meet no safety standards and only have the minimum required liability insurance for a light truck in private use. Thus if they crash and destroy your bike, their insurance will refuse to pay for any damage to your bike and you'll probably have to pay towing and storage charges just to get it back. To sort the "wheat" of responsible haulers from U-Ship's "chaff", make sure they have a DOT number and motor carrier authority, then run those numbers to make sure they're not stealing somebody else's DOT number and authority- U-Ship truckers have been known to do that.
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The thread is informative for sure, but it's hard to blame U-Ship. All they do is set up the auction. When I used them I understood that it was up to me to choose which carrier to trust my cargo with.
Exactly. There are sad bike shipping stories out there to be had for sure but you can't point and blame U-Ship for your own failure to do good research
U-Ship is aiding illegal trucking- The feds and every state require that anyone hauling stuff or people for profit meet safety standards and have insurance adequate to cover any damage they could do. U-Ship never checks to see if any of their truckers are legal, and thus most of their truckers meet no safety standards and only have the minimum required liability insurance for a light truck in private use. Thus if they crash and destroy your bike, their insurance will refuse to pay for any damage to your bike and you'll probably have to pay towing and storage charges just to get it back. To sort the "wheat" of responsible haulers from U-Ship's "chaff", make sure they have a DOT number and motor carrier authority, then run those numbers to make sure they're not stealing somebody else's DOT number and authority- U-Ship truckers have been known to do that.
Again, you can't really hold U-Ship accountable in the way you would an individual company so to speak; they are mainly and only a kind of website devoted to connecting people with individual contractors who each have their own differering levels of insurance and that kind of thing. Again, this is why it is ever so important to do the research. But the issue here is not so complicated. You want to spend the dime and go with a company you can literally hold accountable or you can trust your own research/judgment and go with a U-Ship contractor. Even with my one bad experience (mostly my fault), I had 3 other bikes shipped no issues whatsoever. I would use U-Ship again without hesitation if given the time to research the companies placing bids on my shipment.
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Again, you can't really hold U-Ship accountable in the way you would an individual company so to speak; they are mainly and only a kind of website devoted to connecting people with individual contractors who each have their own differering levels of insurance and that kind of thing.
I disagree. U-Ship takes a good sized fee for their service ( on top of the transport bid, and it is something you have to look through their finest print to find in advance). They are profiting from each transaction and are a company, so there should be some accountability.
If it was an enthusiast website I could see some latitude. But they are a business. $500 million dollars in revenue since 2004.
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I am in the process of having a bike shipped from Texas over here to Florida. Tried to do as much research as reasonably possible, seven different companies, and spoke with Paul at Shipping Masters who appear to be a clearing house for other companies. He advised my bike will be shipped using Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping out of Kentucky who have been transporting bikes for over ten years. So far they have been very helpful and advise the bikes are tied down on pallets and transported in enclosed trailers which several companies do not. They also insure the bikes for up to $20,000.00 with more available if necessary. I have found their price to be very competitive. Keeping my fingers crossed!
I also have experience with a privately owned transport company that transported a bike I sold in western New York down to Indialantic, Fl. This same company was used by a relative to transport a bike from North Carolina up to western New York. Both times with great results and good rates. I contacted them about the bike in Texas but they wont be available till March or April.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Jerry
Sent you a PM
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I'm trying to get a bike from Sioux City, Ia to Arizona.
I've had several good experiences with U-Ship and one bad one.
So I called haulbikes. An ok price until they tell you they are charging a 22% fuel surcharge!
Ouch. At todays gas prices?
Mike
Fuel surcharges are a normal part of the trucking industry.
What was the shipping rate? If they are quoting linehaul + fuel, that is normal in the industry.
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I received the same price. Higher then most MC shippers and a 22% fuel surcharge effective 12/14/15. They were the only one I spoke to that added a fuel surcharge.
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>What was the shipping rate? If they are quoting linehaul + fuel, that is normal in the industry.
I think the quote was $640 Iowa to Arizona plus the 22% fuel surcharge.
Mike
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>What was the shipping rate? If they are quoting linehaul + fuel, that is normal in the industry.
I think the quote was $640 Iowa to Arizona plus the 22% fuel surcharge.
Mike
So, $780 to ship your bike in an enclosed semi-trailer from Iowa to Arizona.
On the high end, for sure, but their equipment is top notch.
I've never used them, but they seem like a very professional outfit.
I know the suspender snappin', corncob smokin' Guzzisti in all of us would prefer a rate of $200-$300 for that, but the risk of loss for using a $200 U-Ship gypsy would just not be worth it to me.
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Keyboard is also another good shipper that I've used but they do not service western states.
http://keyboardmotorcycleshipping.com/
I used Keyboard for a midwest to east coast shipment, they were super professional, highly recommend.
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I disagree. U-Ship takes a good sized fee for their service ( on top of the transport bid, and it is something you have to look through their finest print to find in advance). They are profiting from each transaction and are a company, so there should be some accountability.
If it was an enthusiast website I could see some latitude. But they are a business. $500 million dollars in revenue since 2004.
I compare them to eBay. eBay controls things by their feedback system, and by enforcing policy rules and forcing refunds as needed. If U-Ship doesn't do that, they should. I know they have a feedback system, but I don't know how much they police their system, eBay-style. I assume if they receive complaints about a shipper, they do something about it, but I haven't researched what they do.
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A feedback system is useless when the "trucker" damages your load and has no insurance to cover it.
Consider this scenario: Guy with a pickup loses his job and needs money to make the payments. So he buys an old trailer and gets listed on U-Ship. With your bike and who knows what else on board he has a blowout and the whole rig ends up on it's side in the ditch. Guy's in the hospital with no health insurance so he's broke for life, and his car insurance refuses to pay for even his vehicle because he was using it commercially and didn't tell them, and no way will they pay for your crushed bike. Consider yourself lucky this was a single vehicle accident- If he'd hit another party they could sue you for allowing him to carry your freight when he wasn't insured to do so.
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:beat_horse
Part of the "research" process for U-Ship is reading the reviews, feedback, method of haul, company background, and extent of insurance for each person/company who presents you a bid. This is all stated right there for you to see.
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I used both Federal and Keyboard shipping and had a great experience with both. Highly recommended. Price wise, Federal may end up being a tad cheaper because of the AMA discount, which I used.
I also looked into U-shipped. I booked one of they services based on feedback, but he later told me it was going to be an open bed vs enclosed, so I cancelled. I was refunded most of the cost, but a portion was kept by U-bid toward the balance of a new request which I did to end up using and went with Federal.
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A feedback system is useless when the "trucker" damages your load and has no insurance to cover it.
Consider this scenario: Guy with a pickup loses his job and needs money to make the payments. So he buys an old trailer and gets listed on U-Ship. With your bike and who knows what else on board he has a blowout and the whole rig ends up on it's side in the ditch. Guy's in the hospital with no health insurance so he's broke for life, and his car insurance refuses to pay for even his vehicle because he was using it commercially and didn't tell them, and no way will they pay for your crushed bike. Consider yourself lucky this was a single vehicle accident- If he'd hit another party they could sue you for allowing him to carry your freight when he wasn't insured to do so.
Exactly.
Most of the time, everything works out just fine. The problem is, when things don't work out, you're screwed.
Theft, crash damage, incidental damage.
Most of the fly-by-night types throwing out low bids on U-Ship will probably get your bike there just fine.
However, if they don't, you're hung out to dry.
Just not really worth it to me, though it must be worth it to many, since the service continues to be successful.
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A feedback system is useless when the "trucker" damages your load and has no insurance to cover it.
Yes, it's useless to you then, but may have been quite useful to check before you picked that trucker.
It's been a couple years since I found a shipper through U-Ship, but I think I received a contract to read and approve before the deal was made. That contract should have documented the amount of insurance coverage and who the insurer was. I can't swear to that at this point though.
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Feedback means nothing. Checking what is listed on Uship or their website is useless. The only way you can be sure is to actually check with their insurance carrier that they have a policy and the DOT to see of they actually have MC and DOT numbers.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=25702690&postcount=15
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Whatever its worth, I have received all of my Quota's with help of U-Ship. One from Arkansas and one from upstate NY (in the middle of winter).
I checked their feedback, both of the carriers had insurance and was very happy with the outcome. Bikes were inspected at shipping as well as when received.
Both bikes arrived as promised, price remained as quoted and bikes arrived in perfect shape.
I am looking at shipping my own Quota this summer to Tucson AZ and will look into U-ship again (and do the homework, as previously).
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I have used JCMotors Shipping (now motorcycleshippers. com) as well as Philly Express. JC was excellent - good communication, adhered to schedule, etc. Philly was OK. Good rates, legit company with insurance, DOT current, etc. Communication was a little sparse (or that could be I was extra sensitive after the problems I had with Huff Services, LLC), but they showed up when they said they would and the bike came through without damage. Pricing was several hundred dollars below JCs bid (Guzzi content).
I tried to use Cory Huff (Huff Services, LLC) but somewhere after giving me a bid which I accepted and he confirmed the deal, he dropped out of site and did not pick up my bike. At first he returned my calls and gave me excuses or assurances that he would go get it, and finally hung up on me after the third time not following through on his promise. I certainly will not recommend him to anyone other than my ex-wife.
Wolverine Transport sounded good, but we couldn't coordinate schedules. I'll probably give them first shot next time I need to ship a bike as other folks I ride with have used them and been very happy with them.
jdg
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After reading some of the horror stories with U ship, I realize I was just plain lucky, when I used them to ship the beautiful, one owner 73 eldo I bought off of MGNOC classifieds from Oklahoma to Arizona. I didnt research anything, and used the bidder that could deliver it the fastest. Turned out to be a nice fellow, ex bike racer that hauled bikes in a nice enclosed toy hauler pulled by a newer GM diesel pickup. Bike arrived as promised, I met the guy on the interstate, and when I pulled up to the truck stop in Tucson, he was putting around the parking lot on my eldo! I didnt check insurance, or anything , just waited for the driver to call me from the road, which he did a couple of times. I guess I was lucky! Cost me $390.
after reading this , I dont think I would use U ship again, just too risky, IMHO.
Also...I had no idea Albuquerque was such a $hithole !
Rick.
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Also...I had no idea Albuquerque was such a $hithole !
Rick.
It's not the only city on I-40 that is. Little Rock, Memphis, etc.
They have their really nice parts of town, and they have their really bad parts of town. Problem is, the bad parts seem to always be close to the interstate.
Robberies at gas stations near the interstate in the bigger cities are not uncommon. It's best to be weary and gas up at truckstops outside of the cities, if you don't know the area..
Some poor guy got shot at a gas station on I-30 in downtown Little Rock a couple months ago. Just passing through and stopped for gas at random gas station. Problem was, it was in one of the highest crime areas in town. Roosevelt Road and I-30. He didn't know that and paid the price.
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Albuquerque does have one of the best cigar shops in the world, Monty's. http://www.montescigarshop.com/ When I get close to ABQ, I go out of my way to visit there. One of the few places to get a Fuente Opus X all year round. The lounge is fantastic.
When I bought my Norge in Arizona, I was connected with a retired firefighter who was making a trip to Michigan with an empty trailer. It cost me $250 to get the Norge from Phoenix to Iowa in an enclosed trailer. If you happen to know anyone in the area that the bike is leaving from, perhaps they could put you in touch with such an opportunity.
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So, $780 to ship your bike in an enclosed semi-trailer from Iowa to Arizona.
On the high end, for sure, but their equipment is top notch.
I've never used them, but they seem like a very professional outfit.
I know the suspender snappin', corncob smokin' Guzzisti in all of us would prefer a rate of $200-$300 for that, but the risk of loss for using a $200 U-Ship gypsy would just not be worth it to me.
Mike: The $640 base rate from Haul Bikes is pretty similar to other carriers operating quality equipment. $624 from JC and $656 from Federal.
A 22% fuel surcharge at todays gas prices is a rip.
M
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I just ran through the costs for me to drive my Dodge van to pick up a motorcycle. To stay in the $600 range I have about a 1,000 mile radius, including three nights in cheap motels. Interesting.
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I just ran through the costs for me to drive my Dodge van to pick up a motorcycle. To stay in the $600 range I have about a 1,000 mile radius, including three nights in cheap motels. Interesting.
Road Trip!!!
(https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRp4BcxYlUNxGBVP2DFGcw7JEu67QRNppXiCkr_nNJgqAzVLM_h-g)
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I used JCMotors once, and NEVER AGAIN..
They promised a lot and the only thing they delivered was a motorcycle they tipped over in the warehouse.
The pallet was supposed to be oak, but was pine and when the bike arrived the pine looked like a rocking chair.
They were supposed to supply on time tracking but it didn't work. Bike went from Phoenix to Milwaukee in a day after sitting in Phoenix for a week.
They tipped over my bike causing $2500 in damage, probably because of the rocking chair pallet. The pallet was absolutely scary to get off the truck as I didn't want to tip it over again.
And when I complained they didn't care..
To top it off.. My feedback was never posted. Pretty easy to have a page full of good feedback when you never post the negative stuff.. ::(
The best luck I've had was when I went to pick up this..
(http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h276/djpagel/ADVRider/home-1.jpg)
I did it myself, had no issues, and got to meet Rocker59 while doing so. ;-T
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Mike: The $640 base rate from Haul Bikes is pretty similar to other carriers operating quality equipment. $624 from JC and $656 from Federal.
A 22% fuel surcharge at todays gas prices is a rip.
M
In my business, we're currently paying about $0.37 per mile fuel surcharge for full truckload shipments.