Moving or travelling overseas for extended periods can be exciting and frightening all at once. The excitement comes from the idea of living in another country where everything is new—to you. The frightening part occurs when you realize that you might have to leave certain things behind that you feel you just can’t live without.
Such was the case with a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Armed Forces who was facing a lengthy three-year deployment in Germany. This San Diego Serviceman did not want to leave his baby behind—a beautiful custom motorcycle.
While there were a number of ways he considered shipping a motorcycle overseas, the Lieutenant wanted to make sure he was choosing the safest way for his precious bike.
This is where Valley Box entered the scene. The first order of business was to assess the Lieutenant's needs. He wanted to drop off the bike and have it professionally packaged and shipped with limited involvement (i.e. without hassle). Beyond this, his main concerns were:
- possible damage to the custom chrome
- possible damage to the painted artwork
- the motorcycle remained in running condition
Shipping a Motorcycle: Solution
The Packaging Experts at Valley Box had several solutions that would work in unison within the motorcycle shipping crate to meet the Lieutenant's needs.
First, Valley Box decided to secure the bike using minimal attachments to prevent possible abrasion damage.
Next, tie downs were used to secure the motorcycle to a plywood deck. This would prevent vertical and lateral movement while in transit.
Due to the substantial width of the rear tire, a cradle was utilized.
Finally, banding was used for added strength and security, along with tip-n-tell labels to indicate any rough handling by the shipper.
Shipping a Motorcycle: Benefits
The benefits to utilizing this combination of accessories, attachments and indicators in the motorcycle shipping crate were tough to dismiss. They included:
- Fast handling of cargo for freight forwarder thanks to an easy to handle wood crate
- Motorcycle shocks remained primed
- No disassembly of motorcycle required
- Ready to drive upon delivery
- Tip-n-tell revealed if any mishandling occurred
So did any mishandling occur? We’ll let the Lieutenant respond. “My bike arrived safe and sound,” he said, “thank you for your attention to detail.” To learn more about Valley Box’s in the motorcycle shipping crates, contact a Valley Box Packaging Expert today.
Check out the time-lapse of the packaging experts at Valley Box shipping a motorcycle.
