How to Transport Bike and 2 wheeler from one city to another - Comprehensive Guide. All your questions are answered here.
Almost every Indian family owns a bike or 2 wheeler, sometimes more than one and invariably have had the requirement for transporting the 2 Wheeler bike or scooter from one city to another. While there could be many reasons from relocation of bike, the most common is when the youngster in the family moves to a different city to start professional journey or a young couple moves to new location to start a new life with a new job. Students joining professional colleges in a different city may also want to take the bike along for ease of mobility in the new unknown city.
Documents required for Transportation of Bikes & 2 Wheelers.
Proper and complete Documentation is integral to timely and hassle-free transportation. Customers are solely responsible for providing valid, genuine and complete documents as required by the transportation company and any illegality in documents and any related consequences are customers responsibility.
List of Documents required:
Photocopy of Valid Registration Document (RC Card)
Photocopy of Valid Insurance Document.
Photocopy of Emission Certificate.
Copy of ID Proof of Consignor (Sender) or Consignee (Receiver)
Destination address (with landmark and Pin code) and Contact Details.
While it is advised that these documents should be made available at the time of booking of bike for Intercity Transportation, insurance and emission certificate can be managed without too if the bike is packed and transported in a vehicle and not driven on road at any point during transportation process. Registration Certificate and Copy of ID proof in necessarily required and advised.
Best, Safe & Cost effective modes of Bike & 2 Wheeler Transportation
Transportation of 2 wheeler is different from other goods in multiple ways.
If you are moving your bike along with other household for a intercity or international relocation, the bike is transported in the same container along with other goods. This is the safest and most efficient transportation process.
For moving your bike and two wheeler as a separate stand alone consignment will be costlier and have more chances of damages and delays during the transportation process. There are 2 modes of Intercity / Interstate transport.
Transportation by Road :
Bikes, Scooters and two wheeler are majorly transported by Road as road network connects even the smallest and remotest locations within the country. Another advantage of Road transport is that unlike trains & Air, it is time independent. The bike is packed at customer's place (sometimes at moving companies warehouse), locally transported to the warehouse, loaded onto container for transportation to the destination location / city. The bike is either transported to the customer's place at the destination location or the company warehouse depending on the delivery location.
Advantage of transportation of 2 wheeler by Road:
There is extensive road network connecting even the smallest and remotest locations. This makes it convenient and cost-effective to transport vehicles by road. Sometimes, road transport is the only viable mode of transportation.
Road transport allows convenience of choosing date and time of transportation since the transport companies can arrange logistical support based on customer convenience unlike trains / flights which has specific timings.
Road transportation ensures more accountability of the transporter. Unlike other modes of transportation which involves more than one service provider, road transport firmly puts the accountability on the packers and movers company since they are responsible for door pickup and door delivery of the consignment.
In case of any contingency, its easy to manage the process with the road transportation company. Delayed delivery, warehousing requirement, change in delivery location, change in delivery timings etc can be easily managed with packers movers company.
Disadvantages of Road Transportation of two wheeler
There are few disadvantages of transportation of 2 wheeler by Road. One of the main issues is safety of vehicle during transportation since there are multiple loading / unloading of bike during the process.
Road transportation is costlier than rail transport if you can drop off and pick up your vehicle to / from railway station or warehouse.
Average delay in delivery is higher in road transportation due to factors like weather, road congestion, unforeseen circumstances, breakdown, non-availability of logistics etc.
Transportation by Rail / Railways
Railways is one of the most preferred and cheapest mode of bike and 2 wheeler transportation from one city or state to different city or state, more so when only a 2 wheeler is to be transported and not any other goods along with it. Railways are on the largest cargo and luggage carriers in India and have massive connectivity network across India.
Advantage of transportation of 2 wheeler by Train / Rail / Railways:
Railways are the cheapest and cost effective mode of bike transport since they charge on per kg (or volume) basis which makes it very reasonably charged.
Trains run as per schedule and are mostly on time. This makes railways transport very dependable in terms of delivery schedule.
The Railways luggage booking office are invariably located within the railway platform premises. This makes it easier to book the bike or two wheeler for the train travelers and others too. If you are traveling by train, its convenient to book the bike and then board the train.
Every Railway luggage booking office has a warehouse and they can hold the bike for couple of days with very minimal warehousing charges.
Disadvantages of Transportation of two wheeler by Railways / Train.
The biggest disadvantage of transporting your valuable bike through train or railways is safety. The handling of goods in railways is very poor and unprofessional due to multiple reasons. First, since it's a govt undertaking, like other govt departments the accountability and professionalism is very low. Second, the handling staff is very poorly trained. The goods are very poorly handled during the loading and unloading process with no priority to safety of goods.
Railways do not provide packing services although there are individuals available at the railway booking office who offer packing services for a prices. However the packing done by these individuals is very basic and outdated, some even use gunny bags which provide absolutely no safety feature. Also, since these individuals are not connected or contracted to railways, they take no responsibility of any damages that may happen during transit period due to poor packing.
Door to Door delivery is not available with Railways. The customer has to drop the vehicle at the Railway booking office and pickup the same from the Railway's destination railway warehouse by himself.
The booking services are not available at all times. The booking offices are open during during regular office hours only and customers have to book or receive the goods during those timing only.
In case of any damages or loss of goods, the claims process is long, tedious and often reaches a dead end without any resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions - about bike & 2 Wheeler Transportation.
What is safe option for transportation of Bike - Train or Road.
Both modes of transportation have challenges in terms of safety and reliability but transportation through professional moving company is safer and better option to chose from. Firstly, there's accountability of the moving company. Since they undertake the complete process from packing, pickup, transportation and delivery, they cannot abdicate their responsibility by putting the blame on someone else.
How much does it cost to transport a bike through packers and movers company.
Packers and Movers charges for Bike and 2 Wheeler transportation are based on 2 parameters:
- Bike make : The heavier and bulkier motorbikes will cost more than smaller lighter bikes. The heavier motorbike costs more for packing, requires more space for transportation and requires more resources for handling (loading / unloading)
- Destination location : The other parameter is destination location. While distance is one part of pricing, the other is accessibility and connectivity of the destination location. A delivery to metro or tier 1 city will cost far lesser than a small town or hamlet having the same distance from the origin city. A 1000 km Bangalore - Mumbai will cost lesser than 1000 km Bangalore - Vishakapatnam moving.
How much does it cost to transport a motorbike by Train or Railways?
The transportation charges by Railways are also based on the same criteria - Weight of bike and delivery location. It should be noted that railways do not provide packing facility and will only booked a packed bike. Customer can either pack the motorbike themselves or get it packed by packers present outside the booking office who pack the motorbikes. While comparing the costs, it should be noted that packers and movers companies provide packing services and door pickup and delivery which the railways do not provided.
Should there be any petrol / fuel in the motorbike?
If you are transporting the bike by train, the fuel tank should be empty of any petrol. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the all the fuel is drained out before the motorbike is packed. The railway booking officer will check the bike before booking the bike and if the tank is found to have any fuel in it, he may disallow the booking. If any fuel is found in the motorbike during transportation, Railways may impose a fine or penalty of Rs. 1000 and file a case against you; which can result in imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years.
How to register complaint for Bike damage during shipping and transportation?
Motorbikes are most prone to damages while in transportation. They are bulky and difficult to handle while unloading / unloading onto the container. Bikes / Scooter / Motorbikes can be damaged by scrubbing with container or other goods. There are many other reasons too.
The first step towards filing a complaint with packers and movers or railways for bike / motorbike / 2wheeler damage is register a verbal and written complaint at the time of taking the delivery at destination location. This is very important if you are transporting your bike with railways. Take photos of damages in presence of delivery person and inform their office.
Very Important that you mention the damages in the delivery acknowledgment document and keep a copy of that document.
If your vehicle has valid comprehensive insurance policy, file a damage complaint with the insurance company too. 2 Wheeler comprehensive motor insurance covers any damage or loss during shipping and transportation and you have a better changes of receiving compensation from the insurance company than from packers movers or railways.
What is the average transit time for Intercity transportation of Bike?
If your are shipping your motorbike / bike / scooter / 2-wheeler by road, the average delivery time is 350 kms per day excluding the day of loading for metro and tier 1 cities. For smaller cities and towns, the delivery time would depend on availability of logistics and delivery schedule should be confirmed from the moving company. Railways deliver the bike within 2-5 days depending on the distance.
Preparations & things to take care before transporting a motorbike or 2-wheeler.
Customers should surely do few 'must' things before they book the bike with a moving company or train for shipping.
- Clean the bike and check it thoroughly for any damages or loose parts. Take pictures of damages and remember to note the condition of the bike (and existing damages) on the booking document (consignment note) of the transporter. This will help you considerably if there is any damage during the transportation process.
- Remove side mirrors and any other attachment that can be removed. Side mirrors (if kept intact), indicators and sides of handle bar are the most commonly damaged parts of motorbike during transportation.
- Check the validity of documents and keep a copy of documents ready (in duplicate). Keep the original documents with you and don't hand over it to the transporter.
-Remove all the personal item, tool kit, helmet (u can keep it in the bike but don't forget to mention it in the booking document) and documents from the bike.
With all the information and resources provided, it should be easier for you to decide the mode of transportation for your bike. For further assistance or information, we are always a call / mail / WhatsApp message away.
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