How Do You Ship a Scooter ?

[66SIX]

Hello I just bought a Honda Gyro and now have to have it $$hipped .
I need to get it from San Francisco To Vegas .
About a 9 1/2 hr. drive (14 days by scooter) Most regular shipping companys will not take it unless all the fluids & battery are removed (it has a new $70.00 battery ) .And are charging more than what the bike cost . My next step is to try auto haulers , you know... that has to cost a bundle .
I was just wondering if anyone out there knows of a fast , dependable , economical ,way to ship a bike
from point A to B or I would also like to hear your tips or what not to do or who not to use ?
What do I do ?

[nacree]

www.uship.com

You list your shipment (what, from where to where) and independant transporters bid on the shipment (it is free). You can set a price range and there is also a "ship it now" option where you set an absolute price and the first shipper to agree to that price gets the shipment. Just be aware that when you list a shipment you automatically get bids from places like Federal Motorcycles and other commercial shippers. These bids are usually very expensive so you can just turn them down or ignore them and wait for the independant shippers to bid. These are usually guys with a truck and a trailer that move bikes etc. across the country for a living. Uship will also suggest a price range that is again usually very high so just ignore it and set your own price. Try and be reasonable though- no one is going to ship a scooter across country for $50.

There is a rating system so you can check the feedback of the shippers and you should pay close attention to that feedback as far as communication etc. One thing to remember is there are a lot of variables and circumstances involved so you need to be a little flexible as far as delivery times etc. and not be super rigid about timeframes and be ready for the shipper to be a day or two behind schedule. As long as they keep in touch with you I have not found this to be a big deal. Most of them will at the very least call the day before they will actually arrive so you can schedule to be home or wherever you want to meet them for pickup. You also don't have to pay in advance. You pay a small deposit up front and then pay when the bike is actually delivered. Some of them even post GPS tracking so you can gauge their progress.

I have used it many times and it has worked out well. I would not pay more than $150-200 to ship a scooter.

Let us know how it works out,

Nathan

[trains420]

rent a u-haul and take some time to get it. or them other one's. can't remember. ryder.

[Chicago Ben]

I'm a freight broker... if you absolutely need to ship a scooter you can LTL it inside a crate, with residential pickup and drop off on a truck with a liftgate

[66SIX]

No on the U-haul I did think about taking my SUV but its a 9 1/2 hr. drive one way I would probably need to get a hotel . And if you have ever been to San Francisco Its one of the most expensive citys in the world . So gas $200./hotel $250. / food at Capps Corner ( excellant Italian Food )$50. or Fishermans Warf ... S.F does have great food no question .

[66SIX]

I'm a freight broker... if you absolutely need to ship a scooter you can LTL it inside a crate, with residential pickup and drop off on a truck with a liftgate

I did do a LTL (less than a load ) I would have loved to put it in a crate ( I did go for the $25.00 to have it put on a pallet and shrink wrapped ) , But I would have to ship a crate full of air to San Francisco or have a crate built there ... remember S.F. one of the most expensive citys in the world , I also have some Anvil Cases that would fit but how to get them there ? Also to save a few bucks I am picking it up at the Vegas Terminal , I was almost thinking get a bud to drive me to the Vegas terminal and just take a can of gas and ride it home ( never have a bike shipped to a residence ,go to the terminal , then if there is a problem or damage your right there and it costs a lot less )
But Thanks a lot for your advice Chicago Ben bet you didn't think I knew what a LTL was ?
Thanks again Ben you need to specilize in shipping bikes and start renting out the heavy duty plastic crates .

[axo]

Try this..
go to your local junk yards (better) or used car dealers. They buy stuff at auctions online like Copart and sometimes they buy out of state too. I bought the car i own this way, using a friends dealer license at an auction in Georgia, and i am in FL. It cost me $250 to bring the car from Georgia. The big trucks are always traveling across states picking up cars for the dealers.
If you find someone bringing cars from San Francisco to your place, they could arrange to bring the scooter for cheap on their next shipment from the out of state auctions. May be no one is bringing stuff from San Francisco to Vegas but i would try anyway because they have access to the shippers for cheap.

[fastplastic]

go to your local fastenal and ask them about there third party shipping and get an estimate

[Chicago Ben]

I'm a freight broker... if you absolutely need to ship a scooter you can LTL it inside a crate, with residential pickup and drop off on a truck with a liftgate

I did do a LTL (less than a load ) I would have loved to put it in a crate ( I did go for the $25.00 to have it put on a pallet and shrink wrapped ) , But I would have to ship a crate full of air to San Francisco or have a crate built there ... remember S.F. one of the most expensive citys in the world , I also have some Anvil Cases that would fit but how to get them there ? Also to save a few bucks I am picking it up at the Vegas Terminal , I was almost thinking get a bud to drive me to the Vegas terminal and just take a can of gas and ride it home ( never have a bike shipped to a residence ,go to the terminal , then if there is a problem or damage your right there and it costs a lot less )
But Thanks a lot for your advice Chicago Ben bet you didn't think I knew what a LTL was ?
Thanks again Ben you need to specilize in shipping bikes and start renting out the heavy duty plastic crates .

ltl = less than truckload... but yeah you need someone to get it into palletized form/crated.

check this out... if you or whoever you bought it off of can package it up like this:

http://www.mopedarmy.com/wiki/Shipping_a_Moped

[66SIX]

"Chicago Ben" Thanks for the link . That was funny and interesting . One problem I think I got a great deal on the bike and found it on craigs list ,The seller was a great guy and really went out of his way to help me out .I would just feel bad asking him to box it up I already asked him to go to wall-mart and get his moneygram and drain the tank , Really sometimes you can only ask so much .He really helped me out bigtime ,and I wonder if someone asked me to do a bunch of extra stuff what I would say .You could tell he wasnt doing it for the money , he just needed the room . I just hope the bike arrives tomorow at 9:00 am at the shipping terminal and is in one peice . But thanks again for the link Good one .
I went out drinking last night and met a girl while I was playing craps , Lets see won $380.00 drank for free met Angie
( Hubba Hubba ) Gyro will arrive Tomorrow , Things are going good .

[66SIX]

Done ! Finally got my 1985 Gyro .Ended up costing $150.00 for shipping Took 2 days San Francisco to Vegas .

[Chicago Ben]

ha nice job 666