I just had Federal pick up '96 Harley FLSTN with a Liberty sidecar attached in Fort Meyers FL and bring it to El Dorado Hills CA .. I asked repeatly if they could handle a side car rig -- each time they assured me that they could ..and they were set up to handle the shipping with their PROFESSIONALS and Special MC moving equipment. Their Allied Agent in FL put the entire rig on a palet and added a plywood sheet to fit under the side car. And used ratchetes to secure it to the pallet.
It was received by Colonial Van & Storage in Sacramento. It sat 3 days in their warehouse because they had no drivers to deliver it . So I drove 25 miles into Sacramento to see it.
I walked right into their side warehouse door unchallenged where upon I wanted to throw up when I saw it listing on one side. It looked like it had been sitting outside for weeks covered in dirt. The attempt to put it on the makeshift pallet forced it into an odd angle and the third wheel was not touching on the pallet . Kinda suspended in mid air. The rachet tie down had cut into the side car , all the way down to bare fiberglass. The head guy in charge at the warehouse says "thats the way it came and it should not have been put on a pallet."
They didn't know how they would get it off the pallet ...I had to get out of there before I killed someone.
I wait 2 more days and they finally say they were going to deliver it on Monday 11:30am
I call them at 11am and ask if they were on their way yet? .. they ask me if there is a tow company nearby .. they wanted to have a slidebed meet thieir truck and transfer it to the slidebed so they could get it to the ground. Again I am amazed at the events taking place by these PROFESSIONAL's. I tell them just get the rig to me as soon an they can and tell them the name of the local tow company.
They finally show up in the afternoon with 3 "furniture mover" guys. They open the back of this bob tail truck and there sits the rig kinda on and kinda off the pallet .. what takes place next is a real comedy act as they try to get the bike off the pallet ... nearly hitting the sides of the truck several times .. they start objecting when I take pictures of the "Circus" ..the bottom of the rig is dragged off scaping the plywood and pallet .... then they roll it to the lift gate ... it's too long to fit on the gate (this is where a slide bed would of been much safer to unload it to the slide bed from the back of the other truck) So the 3 stooges get it on the back lift of the truck with the front tire resting on the very edge of the back platform ... I can't bear to watch anymore -- somehow they got lucky and got to the ground .... now to inspect ... shattered glass meets me when I look inside the sidecar .. seems the rig came loose inside the truck and they broke off the mirror when a rachet let go ?? they did try to clean up the dirt -- wiping it down with god only knows what ... the guy then has the guts to ask for FULL payment.. I point out the scratches and what was I goning to do about the side car frame and it must be tweaked from lifting it the way they did ...he says file an insurance claim ...he wants his money ..
The girls at their main office, who I worked with were really nice and tried to be helpul during this Nightmare.
I was charged $1,331 to ship it from FL to CA ....they were recommended highly by a dealer buddy of mine (who used them to handle the original Kyle Petty NASCAR MC ride) and the AMA.
I am waiting for an insurance adjuster to come and look at the damage ....and see how much of my time wil be wasted getting the repairs done
I wanted to share this as a head ups becareful using Federal to handle your sidecar rig ..
we'll see if they refund part of the shipping charges for the inconvience they have caused due to inept handling the rig
I realize it's a little late now but we have used Daily Direct for hauling sidecar rigs cross country. 1-800-Haulbikes. They're not the quickest in the world but the rigs have always arrived unscathed. Their semi rigs are designed for motorcycle hauling and there's no need to empty the fluids and disconnect the batteries or none of that. Just roll the rig on an oversized lift gate roll it in and strap it down and go..
They also haul a lot of the current high budget Choppers to the dealers so they don't have heavy hands.
Lonnie
About five years ago I loaned my small custom built cargo trailer (the one I tow behind the bike) to a friend for his trip to Oklahoma with a buddy on their bikes. In Oklahoma something on the trailer broke. They decided rather than search for the part to fix it, they'd follow the advise of someone who knew and shipped the trailer home. I can't recall just now the name of the trucking firm (since gone bankrupt) but it was a nationally recognized firm. They were assured just as you were of proper and professional handling. When George went to pick it up on this end he was dumbfounded. It looked like it had been in a wreck. He called me but I couldn't run to the southern part of the state just then so he hauled it up to me. He offered to buy me a new trailer. I told him just take it to a body shop and have it repaired and let the truckers insurance make it right. It took the better part of the summer but I finally got it back looking as good as when it left. Then later found out that due to a glitch in the paper work, the truckers insurance company refused to pay. George paid. I said I'd split the bill with him and his response was an emphatic, "No you won't!"
Cuzerdog,
Man, what a bummer!
It's such a PITA when things like this go sour...
Thanks for the head's-up. At least I know who NOT to call!
I had a bike (a Moto Guzzi) and a hack (TX Sidecar) shipped by Federal/Allied from Atlanta to Carlsbad, NM late last year. The hack had never been installed and it was shipped as delivered from the factory, i.e,. on a pallet.
Fortunately, no problems at all and the movers were pretty accomodating in terms of shipping arrangements. The hack & bike were delivered separately by the sellers to the shipping terminal and then shipped together.
Actually, this was the third bike I've had shipped by the company and they've been fine each time.
I can certainly understand your anger/frustration etc--I'd be hopping mad myself, but in fairness, I thought I'd present a more positive example.
Classic case of "your mileage might vary."
Jaguzzi,
In your cases it was probably solo bikes and unattached sidecar. These units are easily hauled by the Allied jobbers since they have prepared pallets available for solo bikes and the sidecar was well crated and didn't need one. Only a standard lift gate is needed to load and offload. Not so with sidecar outfits since there are so many varitions of size and shape to deal with.
We used Allied (et al) once for a sidecar outfit and the hoops we had to jump through for shipping cost two people almost a full days wages and a half tank of petrol to get the thing sent off. Never again, for a hack rig, solo maybe.
In their defense however, the outfit arrived on the other coast unharmed but it was pricey.
Our other guys at Daily Direct are door to door, roll on, roll off, no draining, disconnecting or sealing required.
Works for us so far.
Lonnie
Northwest Sidecar
We use Eagle one express. These are bikers driving truck and all they haul are bikes. We have only ever had one bike damaged. The driver rolled it off the truck and did not have the key turned on so on BMW power brakes there was not much brake to stop the bike and as such he sat it down causing very light scratches. The way they handled the claim speaks well for them. They gave me their charge card and asked when fix let them know what it cost them.
Jay Giese
Dauntless Motors Corporation
866-638-1793
Clarification.
Yes, Lonnie was 'zactly right, separate scoot and sidecar in my case.
Jaguzzi
Federal is expensive too!!!!!
Whats popular is not necessarily whats best..
This is a good post for everyone to list who they use so we have a better choice than whats listed in magazines.
I used federal several times because they were listed in the AMA magazine --- one time the bike had $2,000.00 dollars in damage!!!!!!!And they acted like nothing ever happened!! Turns out that the bike got damadged in Ohio on its way to New York. I had to get copies of all the documents because the truckers list the condition of the bike when they recieve it and drop it off at transfer stations. Took Time but I got my money but the damage was done.
Lenny
I think they guys have listed some great sidecar shippers in the above posts....
and I appreciate everyones comments and how we have shed some light on shipping complete rigs
Pete at Liberty Sidecars has kindly agreed to repair the rig ... just waiting for Federal to send an Allied adjuster here to see the rig and god forbid ship it to Pete to fix .. I think I better demand it goes to WA with Eagle thats mentioned above ..
what really gripes me is not the money. it's the time wasted .... I hate paper work and hassling with insurance companies....I am sure Federal is a good company just blew it accepting a sidecar rig into their pallet shipping program...
and my bad luck continues ... you may want to avoid being around me ... the day before my rig was delivered.. a 18 yr old girl "on a cell phone" hit me at 60mph while I was stopped in freeway traffic on Highway 50 in Folsom CA .... I was driving my favorite cage .. a 1970 El Camino SS454 LS5 360hp... and now I get to deal with more insurance adjusters who think that this 2 owner rare beast is only worth $3,000 max ( I was offered that for just the motor) ...
but I think I have come up with a billion dollar idea.. create a cell phone that will only operate in a cage when the emergency brake is fully engaged ....
John
I'm with Jay; Eagle One Express hauls bikes ONLY, and they are fabulous. No crating, no draining fluids, and if they can get the biggest tractor-cab in the world to your door, that's where they'll pick it up. Can't say enough good things about them.
Originally written by Uncle Ernie on 3/10/2006 6:47 PM
I'm with Jay; Eagle One Express hauls bikes ONLY, and they are fabulous. No crating, no draining fluids, and if they can get the biggest tractor-cab in the world to your door, that's where they'll pick it up. Can't say enough good things about them.
Good reading!... as Jay is shipping my sidecar (Ural) early next week... means it will get here in one piece... he also told me a lot of good things about that Company.
Will let you know when here if you are still thinking about making a jump down here to lend a hand ot two... will be prepared... garage is cleaned up... amd so is the kitchen!!! Sape bedroom cleaned up... I am louzy at electrical stuff... but have a few Auto Stores around here... will be quite a new Adventure soon...
Be well... Ara
When I moven from Pittsburgh, PA to College Station, TX I had, at that time on Triumph T120 with a Steib TR500 and a Triumph T110, plus many trunks of books plus clothes, etc, all personal effects. How to do it. No drama. Bought a 1955 Ford F350 PU w/ 4-sp, for $400, built siderails, frame over top, fitted two full motorcycle crates on top, had crates extending from front edge of cab clear to the rear of the 10 ft bed. Got a few buds to help load the load bikes and sidecar into PU, then loaded buds with a load of Bud, same at other end to unload. No worries and no damage. Picked up a few interesting hitchers on the trip down. Probably not recommended for everyone. Finally unloaded the PU to my lawyer for $200. He still uses it on his farm. Houses pigs.
