Getting the bike to USA

Finding a shipping agent.

Got the bike. Now I have to get it sea freighted to USA. Found any number of shipping agents on the web but spending money has never been so hard. Just a handful agents showed interest in my business. Contacted a dozen or more agents online and only three Australian agents responded. One was very helpful and professional BUT 400% more expensive than anyone else.

Two American agents responded but neither had experience in getting a bike from Australia to USA. They both had experience in getting Harley Davidson bikes and Mustang cars from USA to Australia. One of these was the cheapest but seemed a bit flakey when he communicated with me.

I settled on giving my business to Josh Mikkelsen, of 'Ship My Bike Australia' an Australian company. www.shipmybike.com.au Josh communicates promptly and appears to know what he is doing.

Josh gave me the opportunity to provide my own crate for the bike saving $800. A local motorcycle dealership, Barry Francis Motorcycles, gave me two metal crates free of charge. I had to cannibalise one crate to modify the other.

The cargo transit insurance I obtained from Wayne PARRY Insurance Brokers of Hawthorn, Victoria. Very friendly, professional and they gave me an affordable premium of $152.

Container space has been booked on the ship Cap Spencer (Maersk Line). The ship departs Melbourne on the 21st November, '08 and arrives at Long Beach, California on the 12th December, '08. The bike crate is about 3.5 cubic metres in volume and price charged, by Josh, for that volume is $1015.

The quote I received from Ship My Bike did not include the cost of an agent in USA to arrange the logistics at the other end. The cost of that service is in addition to the quote given by Josh. So at the moment I am communicating with Schumacher Cargo Logistics of Gardena, California. Uncertain of the cost oftheir service at this stage but will post as soon as the quote comes in.

The crated bike has to be delivered to the Melbourne depot at least two days before the cutoff date of 14th November, '08.