We have had a couple of bad experiences of late with freight carriers and agents. The problems are receiving a freight cost quote before shipping and being billed two to three times the quoted price, due to "Adjustments, reclassification, reweighs and misc. charges". Also double billing has occured.
What has been your experience with having a sidecar or sidecar rig shipped by motor freight?
How was the price, promptness, condition when received and handling of claims, if any.
Any comments will be appreciated.
I bought my Kawk Vulcan 1500 with champion sidecar and had it shipped from Colorado to Illinois last October by Haulbikes.com out of Milwaukee. They ship HDs around the country. It took several weeks, cost 600.00, but came without a scratch on a special semi,uncrated but tied down well. The driver was careful, courteous and put it right in my garage. He had two other sidecar rigs in the truck, told me one HD was bought in Detroit he shipped it to California for the sidecar installation, then picked it up a week later to deliver back to Detroit. Who said the economy was bad??
We've shipped sidecar outfits coast to coast via Daily Direct (Haulbikes.com) and gotten very good feedback from the customer. The nice thing about their program is that you just roll the rig aboard without having to drain all the fluids, disconnect the battery and such as that. The rig can be driven aboard and driven off at the destination. Like all carriers the price is not cheap (what is these days?) but it is door to door and there have been no $$$ surprises or questionable billing.
Lonnie cook
Northwest Sidecar
nwsidecar@aol.com
Hi guys
I bought a harley softail with a liberty sidecar and it was shipped from washington state to New Jersey for about $800.oo . The price was more than their regular price due to the sidecar, but there were no hidden cost and the bike arrived 2 days ahead of schedule.
The company I used was Federal.
I have done it twice, once a bike and sidecar Rig (1974 R90/6 with older Velorex) from Atlanta area in Georgia to Northern Illinois for $550 in late 2000 and then in 2000 just a Ural sidecar from New Hampshire to Chicago and that was $500 AND it was hell finding somebody to transport an uncrated unattached sidecar. Maybe I was lucky but in both instances everything would up here in excellent condition????
Regards,
Dr. Raoul Duke
I have an interesting story as well as some explanation as to freight costs.
First off, I am in the process of having a Motorvation Spyder attached to my '03 Triumph Bonneville. LOC Performance in Plymouth, Michigan is doing the install as well as the custom artwork. Hence my site name SCT100.
Motorvation sent my Spyder via common carrier in a hand built crate from Sibley, Iowa to Plymouth for a little over $200.00. I felt that the price was very reasonable considering the price of diesel fuel for class 8 trucks today. Insurance and operating costs have about gone through the roof for trucking companies and independent operators alike. It's very hard not to have substantial freight cost increases these days. I should know, I own trucks myself and trucking companies bottom lines are looking extremely red.
On the turn of the hand, Motorvation requested my gasoline tank for a spectroscopic paint match as the sidecar was base coated in the Triumph factory colors. I had previously supplied them with the DuPont/Standox color codes but they still wanted the tank in hand and I complied. I sent the tank via UPS and the round trip cost me $206.00. That was just the tank, nothing else. The tank was throughly cleaned, sealed in shrink wrap and carefully boxed. Total weight was about 15 pounds.
I applaud Motorvation for their thoroughness and I criticize UPS for gouging me. I should have sent the tank common carrier too.
As a note, the Carrier was R&L Motor Freight. The crated sidecar left Sibley, Iowa and was delivered to Plymouth, Michigan in 3 days. UPS took the same amount of time to deliver my tank to Sibley, Iowa from my residence here in Southern Michigan and 4 days to return it.
In retrospect, I could have had the sidecar picked up by one of our trucks and brought here, but for a little over $200.00 which is nothing in today's inflated economy, why bother. However, $200.00 for a 15 pound tank in lubricious.
Originally written by Dr. Raoul Duke on 11/8/2004 11:18 AM
it was hell finding somebody to transport an uncrated unattached sidecar.
Regards,
Dr. Raoul Duke
http://jcmotors.com/
http://www.motorcycleshippers.com/
Try J.C. Motors, they shipped me a sidecar from Pennsylvania
to Hawaii for $1,100.00. Other shippers wanted over $2,500.00.
