Best Motorcycle Shipping and Transport Companies

Move.org researched 10 motorcycle shipping companies, interviewed industry leaders, and collected more than 200 quotes to find the country’s best motorcycle transporters.
Best overall
Low prices
uship
uShip
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
$
  • pro
    18 years experience
Extra insurance
Kurt Manwaring
Mar 12, 2024
bullet11 min read

What is the best motorcycle shipping company?

Though there are many motorcycle shippers and motorcycle shipping companies to choose from, not all are created equal. It’s important to find a motorcycle shipping company that has motorcycle expertise, dedicated customer service, and affordable rates. Read on for our top motorcycle shipping picks.

Our top picks
Montway Auto Transport is our top pick overall, and it’s also the best international motorcycle shipping company. Montway's motorcycle transport service has developed a reputation for low prices and excellent customer service, including GPS tracking and carrier vetting.

If you’re seeking low prices without compromising quality, uShip is your best bet. With uShip, you can save an average of $400 in comparison to the industry average. You can also get extra insurance worth up to $500 if you need to file a claim.

When insurance is your top priority, we recommend going with AmeriFreight. This motorcycle transport company’s gap coverage contributes up to $2,000 toward your deductible and gives you 48 hours to find damage. Amerifreight provides an unparalleled level of coverage that also comes with guaranteed prices and great reviews.

The 3 best motorcycle shipping companies


Compare motorcycle shipping companies

Company
Average Quote
Years of experience
Average customer review rating (out of 5)
Details
$979
14
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7
$650
18
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6
$1250
16
4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8

Data current as of publish date. AmeriFreight average quote as of 10/5/22. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Average cost calculated by comparing motorcycle shipping costs for 10 companies across 11 distances.

amerifreight
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1

Top quality with low prices

In 2021, AmeriFreight had the lowest shipping costs and the highest customer ratings (4.8 stars). If you need to ship your car, it’ll be in good hands with AmeriFreight.

Sponsored Content

What should you look for in a motorcycle shipper?

  • Motorcycle expertise. Find a company that specializes in motorcycles. Sure, a run-of-the-mill car shipper can probably get the job done, but you want more for your bike. Look for things like a web page devoted to motorcycle shipping or a company that pops up when you search for motorcycle shipping, which generally means that the website has a lot of useful information that is most relevant to you.
  • Affordable rates. Price matters, but the cheapest motorcycle shipping may not be the highest quality.  The average motorcycle shipping cost is around $880, so try to find a motorcycle mover that costs less without sacrificing quality.
  • Binding prices. It’s not uncommon for your price to increase by about 25% by the time you pay your bill. Look for a motorcycle shipping company that has guaranteed quotes.
  • Years of experience. Longevity is a huge trust signal. Every motorcycle transport company on this list has been helping bikers and other auto shipping customers for at least 10 years.
  • Additional insurance. It helps if professional motorcycle shippers have something more than basic liability coverage to protect your bike on the off chance it’s damaged during transit. The best motorcycle shipping companies have extra insurance perks like cash toward your deductible or gap coverage.
  • Customer reviews.org has looked at tens of thousands of transport reviews. The average motorcycle transport company gets a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, so look for a broker with scores at least that high. We recommend checking out a few different review sites, including popular landing spots like Yelp, Google Reviews, and Transport Reviews.
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How much does it cost to ship a motorcycle?

It typically costs around $950 to ship a motorcycle. However, shipping costs vary depending on things like transport type and distance.


Our reviews: The best motorcycle transport company for you in 2024

Montway Auto Transport—Best overall motorcycle shipper

Best overall
Montway-Center-Color
Montway Auto Transport
Our Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7

Montway Auto Transport is our number one pick for motorcycle shipping. The company has low prices, guarantees your pick-up date, and even works with carriers that allow GPS tracking. It also carefully scrutinizes each driver to make sure your precious motorcycle is in safe hands. Montway doesn’t have guaranteed quotes (few companies do), and its website has an annoying pop-up ad. Still, those are minor irritations compared to what the motorcycle shipping company brings to the table. This motorcycle transport company earns its top spot.

pro
Pros
pro Low prices
pro GPS tracking
pro Carrier vetting
pro Guaranteed pick-up dates
pro Positive customer reviews
con
Cons
con No guaranteed quotes
con Annoying pop-up ads

What sets Montway Auto Transport apart?

Enclosed shipping only

Montway ships all of its motorcycles on enclosed carriers. While most companies let you choose cheaper open transport shipping, Montway knows that motorcycle lovers want an extra safe shipping experience. By using only enclosed motorcycle transport, Montway eliminates the worries that are often associated with an open trailer:

  • Montway’s enclosed carrier shipping protects your bike from the elements, including rain, snow, and dirt.
  • You never have to worry about road debris hitting your chopper because it’s tucked away inside a fully enclosed carrier the entire way.
  • It’s nearly impossible for thieves to make off with your motorbike when it’s inside a transport truck.

It would be easy for a company to lower its rates by offering open transport (usually about $200 cheaper than enclosed shipping). But Montway doesn’t believe in providing a service that it doesn’t feel is good for your bike—even if that means its prices are higher than they would otherwise be.

Impressively, Montway’s prices are still below the industry average even though they’re inflated by enclosed-only shipping.

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Prepare your bike for delivery

Check to see if your saddlebags or tour packs are secure and don't accidentally leave your helmet on your bike!

Reasonable rates

Montway’s prices are on par with the average cost to ship a motorcycle (around $940). That’s stunning, considering the company doesn’t offer open transport services that typically run about $220 lower than enclosed shipping. And you may see some savings if you look only at rates for enclosed shipping. For example, the industry average for enclosed motorcycle shipping is just under $1,000.

Montway enclosed motorcycle shipping prices
Company
Enclosed transport
Amount below industry average
Montway
$979
$90 ↓

Data current as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Average cost calculated by comparing motorcycle shipping costs for 10 companies across 11 distances.

How does Montway Auto Transport keep its rates low?

It seems to boil down to experience. While many companies base estimates on seasonal trends, Montway negotiates discounted and set rates with the best motorcycle shippers in the country. That means Montway can get you low rates even when prices are high everywhere else. And it’s all because Montway has spent 14 years building relationships with reliable motorcycle shipping carriers.

Safe drivers

Montway is all about safety when it comes to motorcycle shipping. In addition to offering only enclosed motorcycle transport, the company also carefully vets each of its drivers. While Montway carefully scrutinizes each carrier’s paperwork to make sure it has the necessary certifications and insurance, the motorcycle transport company also looks for safety trends in its massive internal database.

Here’s some background.

Montway has used more than 15,000 drivers to ship nearly 750,000 vehicles—including motorcycles. And it tracks safety details for every shipment. Each time a carrier makes a bid to ship your motorcycle, Montway checks out its records to see if the drivers are up to par. If they aren’t, Montway won’t use them.

That means you’re left with the cream of the crop. And just to be extra safe, Montway uses only enclosed shipping for motorcycles. Put it all together, and you can see why Montway has an average customer review score of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Want to use our #1 motorcycle shipping company?


uShip—Best low-priced motorcycle shipping company

Low prices
uship
uShip
Our Rating
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6

uShip can save you about $400 compared to the auto shipping industry average. That kind of savings is almost unheard of. The online marketplace lets you sort through bids to find the safest and most affordable drivers rather than trust a broker to do it for you. While uShip doesn’t have guaranteed quotes and the customer service is a bit slow, you can find a shipper in all 50 states.

uShip even has extra insurance worth up to $500 if you need to file a claim. When it’s all said and done, you often end up saving hundreds of dollars. And all you have to do is spend a few minutes learning how to navigate the uShip website.

pro
Pros
pro Pricing control
pro Driver profiles
pro Extra insurance
pro 50-state availability
con
Cons
con No guaranteed quotes
con Below average customer reviews
con Slow customer service

What sets uShip apart?

It’s a marketplace (rather than a broker)

uShip is unlike almost any company out there. While most bike shippers are either brokers or carriers, uShip is an online marketplace for motorcycle shippers. That means you can work directly with auto transport companies rather than hire a broker to act as a go-between. As a result, you can often save more money and find safer drivers than you can in other places.

Two features highlight uShip’s unique value compared to a traditional auto transport broker:

  1. Pricing options. Brokers conduct auctions to find low-priced truck drivers to ship your motorcycle. You trust the brokers to find the lowest rates and not rip you off. uShip lets you make the decision. There’s no trust involved. You simply scroll through the options and pick the lowest one. Easy peasy.
  2. Rating system. Brokers don’t usually tell you anything about the drivers they find to transport your bike. uShip gives you a detailed profile for each carrier and calculates a star rating based on the reviews of uShip customers. You can even browse individual uShip customer reviews to sort out the good companies from the bad ones.
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Why are uShip auto transport reviews below average?

uShip’s 4.2-star rating for auto transport is likely below the 4.6-star industry average because the marketplace penalizes carriers for canceled shipments—even if the customers cancel for reasons that have nothing to do with the company.

Low prices

uShip is hands-down the cheapest motorcycle shipping company. We haven’t found another company that comes close to the savings uShip offers. You save nearly as much as you spend. Seriously. The average uShip motorcycle transport company charges about $650, and the typical savings is around $290.

uShip motorcycle shipping costs
uShip average
Industry average
Amount below industry average
$650
$940
$290 ↓

Data current as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Average cost calculated by comparing motorcycle shipping costs for 10 companies across 11 distances.

If you’re looking to save money shipping your motorcycle, it’s tough to do better than uShip.

Extra insurance

uShip has one of the biggest perks in the motorcycle shipping biz: extra insurance. Every company you work with must carry liability insurance. It’s the law. As long as you choose a reputable company, that’s going to be the same no matter which one you work with. But some companies—like uShip—go above and beyond by offering extra cash in case your bike gets damaged.

In this case, uShip has a $500 Ship with Confidence Guarantee that puts cash back in your pocket in the rare event that your motorcycle gets damaged or goes missing. To qualify, you must immediately notify uShip of damage within 15 days of delivery (or 30 days of booking) and follow a seven-step safe shipping process.

It’s unusual to need this kind of benefit, but uShip offers it just in case. That’s the sign of a high-quality motorcycle shipper.

Want a low price to ship your bike?

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How to ship a motorcycle

Start by getting quotes from a few motorcycle transport companies. Read some reviews to make sure the companies are legit. And look for brokers that specialize in motorcycle shipping.


AmeriFreight—Best motorcycle transport company for extra insurance

Extra insurance
amerifreight
AmeriFreight
Our Rating
3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9

AmeriFreight has some of the best insurance we’ve seen from any motorcycle transport company. Its gap coverage contributes up to $2,000 toward your deductible and gives you 48 hours to find damage. You simply don’t find that kind of motorcycle coverage anywhere else. But that’s not all AmeriFreight brings to the table. The motorcycle shipping broker also has a long company history, guaranteed prices, and stellar customer reviews.

pro
Pros
pro Guaranteed price option
pro Gap coverage (up to $2,000)
pro Exceptional carrier vetting
pro Positive customer reviews
con
Cons
con Few customer reviews

What sets AmeriFreight apart?

Extra insurance

AmeriFreight has supplemental insurance coverage that blows other companies out of the water. Like all motorcycle shippers, AmeriFreight uses only carriers that have legally mandated liability coverage. But it also provides additional coverage through an Allied Fidelity Total Assurance (AFta) plan.

AFta coverage costs between $50 and $100 and includes two key benefits:

  1. Time. Most motorcycle shipping companies require you to identify damage to your bike at the time of delivery. That gets tricky if you don’t perform well under pressure or can’t inspect your bike due to bad weather or poor lighting. Your AFta plan gives you 48 hours to find any damage and file a claim, something we’ve never seen with another motorcycle shipping company.
  2. Money. Your AFta plan will contribute up to $2,000 toward your insurance deductible if your car gets damaged and the carrier’s insurance denies your claim. The most we’ve previously seen is $500.
amerifreight-gap-coverage

AmeriFreight’s gap coverage gives you 48 hours to identify damage. The insurance perk ensures that you don’t have to identify dents or scratches if your bike is delivered at night.

To summarize, AmeriFreight offers more additional insurance coverage and gives you more time to find damage than any other company we’ve reviewed. It’s the top of the line for customers who value vehicle safety above all else.

Exceptional carrier vetting

AmeriFreight goes the extra mile to make sure you’re working with the safest drivers. Before choosing a carrier, AmeriFreight verifies that the motorcycle shipping company is properly licensed and registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation. It also makes sure that the company has the authority to cross state lines and even double-checks the carrier’s insurance information.

After that, AmeriFreight does two other things that set it apart from much of the competition:

  1. Driver selection. AmeriFreight has access to more than 10,000 carriers but works with only the top 5%. That means it weeds out all but the best carriers before picking a driver for your motorcycle shipment.
  2. In-house statistics. AmeriFreight also keeps its own records. If a company gets customer complaints or doesn’t live up to its word, AmeriFreight won’t use it again. And since the company has 16 years’ worth of data, chances are AmeriFreight will find a reputable driver for your motorcycle shipment.           
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Don't fall for motorcycle shipping scams

We love that AmeriFreight carefully vets its drivers—especially since it's a huge red flag if a company doesn't perform carrier background checks.

Guaranteed price option

AmeriFreight guarantees your quote if you’re in a hurry to get that bike on the road. The company has three pricing options, one of which is a fully guaranteed estimate for next-day shipping. These can be a bit confusing, so we’ve broken them down for you:

  1. Economy Saver Rate. AmeriFreight takes a few weeks to find the lowest bids for your motorcycle shipment. This is where you save the most money, but your final price can sometimes be higher than your initial quote.
  2. First Class Rate. This is your guaranteed price, but it’s available only for customers who need to ship their bikes in 24 hours or less. 
  3. Priority Preferred Rate. AmeriFreight picks the lowest price after giving motorcycle carriers a few days to bid on your job. The amount won’t be as low as the Economy Saver Rate or guaranteed like the First Class Rate. Still, it will be comparable to most other vehicle shipping companies.

Very few motorcycle shippers advertise bona fide guaranteed pricing, so it’s worth paying attention to a company like AmeriFreight.

Want the best insurance for your bike?


Final word: Montway Auto is our top-rated motorcycle shipping company

Montway Auto Transport is our best overall motorcycle shipper. Montway has an outstanding combo of low prices, guaranteed pick-up dates, and GPS tracking.

Want to move with Move.org's #1 pick?

Methodology

Move.org calculates industry averages and identifies pricing trends by following a fourfold research approach:

  1. Compare quotes. We collected more than 200 quotes from 10 different companies. The transport quotes included prices for a motorcycle across 11 distances on both open and enclosed transport.
  2. Mystery shopping. We contacted motorcycle shipping companies posing as customers to gather pricing data and learn how the brokers formulate their prices.
  3. Site visits. We invited several industry leaders to visit our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT, and explain what goes into their pricing. We then compared their answers to information we independently obtained to verify accuracy
  4. Annual calendar. We repeat this process every year and save our data so that we can compare trends over time.

Motorcycle shipping FAQ

Which car shipping companies transport motorcycles?

Most car shipping companies transport motorcycles. Move.org’s favorite motorcycle shipper options include Montway Auto Transport, American Auto Shipping, uShip, and AmeriFreight.

Can I put my motorcycle inside a moving truck?

Yes, you can often put your motorcycle inside a moving truck. While it’s not recommended, moving truck companies will typically recommend that you bleed the bike’s engine and then safely secure the motorcycle for transport via their motorcycle shipping service.

Should I ship my bike on an open trailer or enclosed trailer?

You can ship your bike on either an open trailer or an enclosed trailer. However, some of the best motorcycle shipping companies use only enclosed shipping because it protects your bike from bad weather and road debris.

What is the best international motorcycle shipping company?

The best international motorcycle shipping company is Montway Auto Transport. The motorcycle transport service has developed a reputation for low prices and excellent customer service.

What should I look for when shipping a motorcycle across the country?

You should look for several things when looking for a motorcycle transport company, including low prices, a history of on-time delivery, and positive customer reviews. You should also make sure your motorcycle shipping broker verifies the driver’s interstate transportation authority.

How much does enclosed motorcycle shipping service cost?

Enclosed motorcycle shipping service costs approximately $1,050. Some motorcycle transporter companies like Montway use only enclosed shipping because it's better for your bike. 

What is the best motorcycle shipping company?

The best motorcycle shipping company is Montway Auto Transport. Motorcycle enthusiasts like the transport service because it has safe drivers and low prices, and uses only enclosed auto transport to haul bikes.

Can a moving company give me a motorcycle shipping quote?

Yes, a moving company can give you a motorcycle shipping quote. Some motorcycle owners prefer using professional moving companies like IVL when shipping both household belongings and a motorcycle. Just be aware that this certainly isn’t the cheapest motorcycle shipping option—costs can be on the high end.


Kurt Manwaring
Written by
Kurt Manwaring
Kurt Manwaring brings nearly a decade’s worth of research experience as a business consultant to the Move.org team. He specializes in taking complicated issues (like moving) and presenting them in a way that everyone can understand. His writing has been featured in hundreds of publications, including USA Today, Martha Stewart Living, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Heavy, Slate, and Yahoo! Lifestyle. He brings a BS in sociology and an MPA (masters of public administration) to the Move team. He would love to hear about your moving experiences and questions at kurt@move.org.