Military Motorcycle Shipping Companies

Military Motorcycle Shipping

Questions asked by soldiers who are relocated to a new area are often regarding military motorcycle shipping or the transport of other personally owned vehicles. Every branch of this service has identical criteria for a person to be granted permission to ship a motorcycle to a new area. Personally owned vehicles (POV’s) may be sent with the help of your Transportation Officer.

Valuable information regarding this topic can be received from your state’s Motor Vehicle Department. Through these resources, you may find information regarding necessary licenses, license plates and insurance. You can also ask the MVD for a driver’s manual or a brochure.

Things to Keep in Mind

You can ship one motorcycle at the expense of the government overseas if it is done by you or a member of your family. However, it must be for the strict personal use of the family member or of yourself. To transport a second military motorcycle, you should first contact the Transportation Office and inquire about potential restrictions.

On the second personally owned vehicle, you may have to pay a duty tax for its importation. A motorcycle is considered a POV when shipped by a family member, only if the person had not previously shipped based on the same military orders another four or more wheeled vehicle. Also, you can proceed with the military motorcycle shipping while having a lease on it of 12 months or longer by first getting permission in writing from the company which leased it.

The motorcycle should arrive at the port before your departure. You must obtain authorizations for dependent travel if no personally owned vehicle has been shipped on your orders.

Family members must remain for at least 12 months overseas on tour when the military motorcycle arrives at its loading port. A military spouse can send a motorcycle to the port if they’ve obtained a Special Power of Attorney.

Preparation for Military Motorcycle Shipping

Before shipping a motorcycle, you must prepare accordingly. To prevent leaking while transporting it, drain its fluids, such as gasoline, coolant or engine oil. Release some of the air from its tires and remove or unplug the battery. This will help stabilize the bike and prevent electrical problems.

Usually, military motorcycle shipping is done with a tractor truck, with 18 wheels and a trailer which is around 53 feet long. The truck’s complete length is around 80 feet, while its height is around 13 feet.

The streets around the area you are shipping your motorcycle from and to must permit the access of a truck of this size. Motorcycle transporting companies can bring a tractor to a dead end street if there is enough space at the end to turn it around or if the street permits them to back away from it.

If either the location you want to transport the motorcycle from or the one you want it to arrive at are not tractor friendly, you can take your military motorcycle to one of our distribution centers.

At the exchange point, the driver will take note of your military motorcycle’s condition. For security reasons, the owner must be there in person to sign the necessary paperwork. If he has agreed to a location and date over the phone, but fail to be present, he may be subject to attempt fees.

When engaging in military motorcycle shipping, prepare the forms beforehand, and prepare in case you need to claim for damage or loss of your property. Buying more insurance is also advisable.