California to Mississippi Motorcycle Shipping

California to Mississippi Motorcycle Shipping Rates by Bike Type

A standard cruiser or sport bike from Los Angeles to Jackson runs about $675 to $950 on an open carrier, and about $950 to $1,325 enclosed. Gulfport, Biloxi and Tupelo are different drops, so ask carriers for a quote by city and do not assume the Jackson number applies.

Heavier bikes add to the base. Tourers and Gold Wings often cost $50 to $100 more, trikes and sidecars $150 to $300 more, and non-runners need a winch. Tell carriers before pickup. Mention it when you ask for quotes.

The Gulf is the trouble spot. Hurricane season runs June through November, and when a storm heads for Gulfport or Biloxi, trailers can be held back and roads can close. Give yourself a week of slack for a coastal delivery, more in late summer.

Spring and fall are the best times to ship, because the roads are clear and more people want their bikes moved. Quotes sit higher then, and outside the snowbird lanes they tend to be lower in winter. See our money-saving tips for more.

Interstates, Gravel Drives and the Natchez Trace

Jackson is the easy one, because I-20 and I-55 meet there in a tangle locals call the Stack. A carrier coming from Memphis, Dallas or Atlanta passes close by. I-55 is 290 miles long in Mississippi and runs from the Louisiana line through Jackson up to Southaven. I-20 covers 154 miles, from Vicksburg on the Mississippi River through Jackson to Meridian and on to the Alabama line.

On the Gulf, I-10 serves Gulfport and Biloxi, and the short I-110 spur runs into Biloxi. It is only 77 miles long in the state, but it is the whole coast story. I-59 is 169 miles in the state and heads southwest through Hattiesburg to the Louisiana line. In the northeast, I-22 runs 106 miles and is the road for Tupelo and Birmingham.

Southaven, just south of the Tennessee line on I-55, is part of the Greater Memphis area. Name the city and the state when you ask for quotes so the driver goes to the right side of the line.

One road you will not see a carrier on is the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs 444 miles from Natchez to the Nashville area and bans commercial traffic along the entire route. If your house is near it, the driver will meet you on a nearby highway. In the country, a gravel drive or a county road with soft shoulders can defeat a loaded trailer, so ask a feed store, a church or a small-town lot if the driver can meet you there.

How Your Motorcycle Is Loaded and Secured for the Trip

A good driver loads a motorcycle upright. The front wheel goes into a chock so it can't move, and soft straps go around solid points like the frame or the lower triple clamp. The straps are tightened enough to hold the bike but not so much that they bottom out the forks. Hooks stay off your bars, levers and paint.

Summers are hot and humid, and a bike on an open trailer takes the heat without harm, though the seat will be hot. Enclosed trailers add a roof and walls, which helps with the sun and the rain. At pickup, compare the bike with the condition report in front of the driver and take dated photos of your own. You will need both when the bike shows up in Mississippi.