If you are shipping your Vespa or Lambretta Scooter you need to take precautions.
Before your scooter mover arrives for pick up, you should prepare your scooter for transport. First, check your scooter for pre-existing damage. By documenting the condition of your bike, you can avoid problems in case of an insurance claim. To check for and record damage:
- Thoroughly clean your scooter
- Note chips, dings, scratches, or other cosmetic damages
- Write down any mechanical issues or problems
- Take pictures of your bike from several angles, along with detailed shots of existing damage
- Date all records, and show them to your mover when they arrive
Unless you are moving your motorcycle as freight through a carrier, you will not need to drain your gas tank or remove the battery. Your motorcycle does not need to be crated or packaged during the motorcycle transport service.
Remove all loose items from your scooter. Your scooter hauler is not responsible for these items, and if accessories are lost or damaged they will not be covered by insurance.
Make sure your scooter is in good working condition. If it is not in working condition, detail this in your listing so that bidding transporters will be prepared. While it will be avoided at all costs, sometimes your carrier may need to drive your scooter into a motorcycle transport trailer. Fix all mechanical problems before the move and write down any special operating instructions. For successful motorcycle moving, make sure to:
- Inflate tires
- Charge the battery
- Fill the gas tank to ¼ or ½ full
- Check and fix all fluid leaks
There are many alternatives for shipping a scooter in the U.S. Here are some:
- [Forward Air] – The most commonly used service for shipping scooters. Depots are only available at airports, so your proximity to one affects its usefulness. Pickup service is not offered – you must deliver the scooter to their terminal yourself. You can use your own crate, or one of Forward Air’s at cost. They do offer motorcycle crates. For pickup, you must dispose of the crate if a non-Forward Air crate was used.
- [Greyhound] – Yup, the same company that offers bus service. They will ship packages for very cheap, however, you must break down the scooter into smaller parts in order to fit. Whole scooters have been shipped this way for very cheap. Be sure to package the parts well and you shouldn’t have a problem. Probably the cheapest alternative, but…you get what you pay for.
- [UShip] – A bidding style shipping service. Basically, you bid on available space offered in other people’s stowage area.
- [Freight Quotes] – Whether shipping across the country or internationally, you can compare the rates from over 40 different companies at once.
- [Freight Rates] – Regional and international shipping service. Low freight rates.
- [American Freightways] – is USA’s friendly freight Shipping Company and American Freightways is one of the full-service freight shipping company which offer a wide range of truck freight options.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me
