What Is A Motorcycle Shipping Cost Estimator?
As with any type of service, it’s important to do some research before settling on a company to ship your motorcycle. Not only will you find a host of different services and options available from companies you look into, but you’re also likely to find prices that can vary, sometimes drastically. Because this is the case, one of the best things you can do to help save some money is to determine exactly what service you need and how much each company is willing to work with you to settle on an affordable price.
One thing that’s important to keep in mind when evaluating costs from companies that ship bikes is that some of them may be significantly cheaper for a reason. It’s an unfortunate reality that there are some less established companies in the industry that are less than reputable or, even worse, simply out to make a quick buck. Before we get into the details of how a shipping cost estimator works, let’s quickly run down what to look for in a company before you contact them for a price quote.
The first thing you want to look for when assessing motorcycle shippers is how long they’ve been in business. An established track record of successful deliveries and satisfied customers should be the hallmark of any reputable motorcycle transporter. The second thing you want to look carefully at is the quality of their website. Does it thoroughly explain all of their services? Does the website answer questions you have about the process and how they arrive at costs? Does their website contain ample information to help you make an informed decision or is it simply a one page stand-in which basically operates as an online pamphlet of their services?
Motorcycle Shipping Cost Factors
Any cost estimator, whether an online tool or a person you speak with over the phone, basically operates on the same pricing criteria. Ideally, the best way to get an estimate is to gather all the pertinent information you’ll need to get an estimate and contact several competing companies with the information (after comparing them on the basis of the criteria mentioned above) and see which offers the most competitive rate, along with quality service, of course. In many cases, this can be done easily and quickly through an online pricing tool that more established websites tend to have available, but it can also be done on the phone or through email.
What Details Affect The Cost of Your Motorcycle Transport?
- The motorcycle specs: size, weight, year, make, model
- Transport distance and difficulty of delivery process
- Method of transport (for example, enclosed transport, storage, etc.)
- Delivery date requested--faster delivery is more costly
- Fuel costs at the time of transport
- Insurance coverage requested (minimum insurance is included)
Taken altogether, these are the main factors that will affect how much you can expect to pay for transport of a bike. As you can see, the information you need to supply is rather minimal: location, destination, and the specs of your motorcycle are pretty much all you’ll need. By simply inputting this information into an online motorcycle cost calculator or estimator, you can often get an accurate price quote in seconds! It is advisable that you contact shippers directly if there are any speciality services requested as that can be more difficult to get accurate pricing for with a cost estimator if it doesn’t include the full scope of their services.