Louisiana Motorcycle Shipping: Rates & Free Quotes

In This Guide

Quick Facts
Ship My Motorcycle to Louisiana
Cost to Ship a Motorcycle
How Getting Quotes Works
Shipping a Motorcycle From Louisiana
I-10 and the Atchafalaya Bridge
Louisiana Shipping by Season
Rides and Rallies
Military Moves
Challenges & Tips
FAQs
All Louisiana Routes

Louisiana Motorcycle Shipping at a Glance

Main Highways	I-10 east to west, I-49 north from Lafayette, I-20 across the north, I-12 north of Lake Pontchartrain, I-55 up from LaPlace
Main Metro Areas	New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport-Bossier City, Lafayette
Typical Transit	1-3 days to Houston, Dallas or Mississippi, 2-5 days to Chicago or Atlanta
Popular Routes	Louisiana to Texas, Texas to Louisiana, Florida to Louisiana, Louisiana to Georgia
Tight Booking Weeks	The Cajun Country H.O.G. Rally near Lafayette (April) and any week with a storm in the Gulf
Weather Watch	Gulf hurricane season, June through November
Phone Quotes	1-800-590-6492, available 24 hours a day

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Ship My Motorcycle to Louisiana: Cities, Bridges and Bayou Roads

Look at a map before you pick a drop-off. Louisiana is cut by water, and a delivery that looks close on paper can mean a long drive around a river or bayou. New Orleans sits south of Lake Pontchartrain, and the Twin Span carries I-10 across the lake's eastern end between the city and Slidell. Hurricane Katrina broke the old spans in 2005, and new ones opened in 2009 and 2010.

Baton Rouge and Lafayette are the simpler ones. Both are on I-10, with I-12 starting in Baton Rouge for the run toward Hammond and Slidell, and I-49 starting at the Lafayette exit and heading north. Both sit on the I-10 corridor that carriers use between Houston and the east.

Rural Louisiana takes more planning. Some rural addresses sit down narrow levee or parish roads where a tractor-trailer cannot turn around. Offer a gas station, a parish lot or a big feed store parking area, and the driver will take it from there.

Coming from out of state? The busiest lanes are Texas to Louisiana, Florida to Louisiana and Illinois to Louisiana.

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Louisiana Motorcycle Shipping Rates and Transit Times

Last updated: October 2026

Louisiana is mostly short and medium hauls, and the prices follow. A 250-mile trip on an open trailer costs about $325 to $450 and takes 1 to 3 days. At 750 miles it is about $450 to $600, and at 1,500 miles about $600 to $850 with 4 to 8 days on the road. After the first few hundred miles, each extra mile adds less.

Add 30% to 50% for an enclosed trailer. A crate is $150 to $400 extra, a trike or sidecar $150 to $300, and a heavy tourer like a Road Glide or Gold Wing about $50 to $100. The rows below are open-trailer estimates for a standard bike, counted from pickup. Allow one to three days to schedule that pickup.

Route	Distance	Transit Time	Open Carrier	Enclosed
New Orleans, LA to Chicago, IL Louisiana to Illinois	~925 mi	2-5 days	$475 - $650*	$675 - $900*	Get Quote
Baton Rouge, LA to Atlanta, GA Louisiana to Georgia	~525 mi	2-5 days	$400 - $550*	$550 - $775*	Get Quote
Shreveport, LA to Dallas, TX Louisiana to Texas	~190 mi	1-3 days	$325 - $425*	$450 - $600*	Get Quote
Lafayette, LA to Houston, TX Louisiana to Texas	~215 mi	1-3 days	$325 - $450*	$450 - $625*	Get Quote
Los Angeles, CA to New Orleans, LA California to Louisiana	~1,875 mi	4-8 days	$675 - $950*	$950 - $1,325*	Get Quote
Orlando, FL to New Orleans, LA Florida to Louisiana	~640 mi	2-5 days	$425 - $575*	$600 - $800*	Get Quote
New York, NY to Baton Rouge, LA New York to Louisiana	~1,360 mi	3-6 days	$575 - $800*	$800 - $1,125*	Get Quote
New Orleans, LA to Baton Rouge, LA	~80 mi	1-3 days	$300 - $400*	$425 - $550*	Get Quote

*Estimates for a standard motorcycle, updated October 2026. Distances are approximate road miles. Real prices depend on your bike, the pickup and delivery locations, open or enclosed transport, and the time of year. Complete the form at the top of this page or call 1-800-590-6492 for free, no-obligation quotes so you can compare prices for your exact route before you book.

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How Getting Quotes Works

You don't have to call company after company. One request goes out to the carriers that run Louisiana lanes, and the offers come back to you.

1. Send one request

Fill out the quote form at the top of this page, or call 1-800-590-6492 any hour of the day. Give us your pickup and delivery cities, the year, make and model of your bike, and the date you want it picked up.

2. Carriers respond

We pass your request to carriers that move motorcycles in and out of Louisiana. You can receive up to ten free quotes without spending hours calling companies one by one.

3. Compare the offers

Look at price, pickup date, and whether the carrier offers open or enclosed transport. You can check any company you're considering on the FMCSA SAFER system.

4. Choose your company

You pick the company you want to work with. Ask that company about its insurance coverage, deposit, and payment terms before you commit.

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Shipping a Motorcycle From Louisiana to Anywhere Else

Houston is the nearest big city across the Texas line. From Lafayette it is about 215 miles, which a standard bike on an open trailer covers for about $325 to $450 with 1 to 3 days on the road. If your bike lives in Lafayette and you want it near Houston, or in Shreveport and headed for Dallas (about 190 miles), you are on short lanes where drivers are plentiful.

Going farther takes some planning. New Orleans to Chicago is around 925 miles and about $475 to $650 open, 2 to 5 days, and Baton Rouge to Atlanta is about 525 miles at $400 to $550. On the Louisiana to Georgia lane, one way north is I-59 from Slidell through Hattiesburg and Birmingham.

Short hops cost more per mile than people expect. New Orleans to Baton Rouge, about 80 miles, still comes to about $300 to $400. A truck is a truck, and the driver wants a full load. If you can ride the bike instead, that is the cheaper choice.

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Louisiana Motorcycle Transport Across the Atchafalaya Basin

The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge is the one every driver knows. It runs about 18 miles over swamp between Lafayette and Baton Rouge, and it is one of the longest bridges in the country. Trucks have a lower speed limit than cars on it and have to stay in the right lane, and the two river crossings on the bridge (the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel and the Atchafalaya River) are narrow with no shoulders, so accidents there are common. When I-10 closes, US 190 is the alternate route.

That makes timing on the Lafayette to Baton Rouge leg a bit loose. Ask the carrier for a window and not an exact hour.

Other roads worth knowing: I-55 meets I-10 near LaPlace and runs north toward Mississippi and Memphis, while I-59 joins I-10 near Slidell for the trip toward Hattiesburg and Birmingham. In the north, I-20 crosses from the Texas line at Waskom through Shreveport and Bossier City on its way to Monroe and Mississippi. A bike going from Shreveport to Texas uses I-20 west, a short haul.

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Hurricane Season and the Rest of the Year in Louisiana

The Gulf decides a lot here. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with the statistical peak around September 10, and August and September are the busiest months. Louisiana is often hit by tropical storms, and the low-lying areas around New Orleans face the greatest risk. A storm heading for the coast can fill the evacuation routes and delay trailers for days. Book coastal pickups with room to spare.

Summers are long, hot and humid, and a bike on an open trailer sits in it for days. Winters are short and mild, though north Louisiana is cooler and a cold front can bring freezing temperatures there.

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Louisiana Rides and Rallies Worth Shipping For

Cajun Harley-Davidson in Scott, near Lafayette, hosts the Cajun Country Regional H.O.G. Rally, which in 2026 ran April 16 to 18. It offers guided and self-guided rides through Acadiana. Harley-Davidson's own writeup describes crawfish ponds and rice fields on the way in, and a levee road along the Atchafalaya Basin with a bayou beside it.

If you plan to ride it, have the bike delivered to Lafayette a few days ahead and ask for quotes early. Rally weeks run above normal prices on busy lanes.

Between rallies, riders go for the Great River Road along the Mississippi, the Creole Nature Trail in the southwest corner of the state and Kisatchie National Forest, where the Longleaf Trail Byway runs 17 miles. If you ship a bike in for a week of riding, line up the trip home at the same time, and ask each carrier whether a round trip changes the price.

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Military Moves Around Barksdale and Louisiana Bases

Barksdale Air Force Base sits along the south side of I-20 next to Bossier City and Shreveport, and is home to the 2nd Bomb Wing and its B-52 bombers. Moves in and out follow orders, so dates can be short. Get quotes once the report date is in hand, and mention the base gate or a town address when you do. Ask each carrier whether it has a military discount.

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Louisiana Motorcycle Shipping Challenges and Tips

Water and weather cause most of the delays. A few habits keep them small.

The Atchafalaya Bridge

Eighteen miles of bridge, with no shoulders at the two river crossings, mean one accident can back up trailers. Treat delivery times on I-10 as windows.

Hurricane Evacuations

When a storm threatens the coast, the roads fill with people leaving and trailers can be delayed. August and September are the busiest months for storms.

Levee and Parish Roads

Narrow levee and parish roads make big trucks hard to turn. Expect a handoff at a parking lot on the nearest state road.

Tip: Watch the Tropics

If a storm is forming in the Gulf, ask the carrier early whether it will hold the pickup or reschedule. Moving the date a few days is easier than losing a slot.

Tip: Pick Lafayette or Baton Rouge for Rural Deliveries

If your address is deep in the country, ask the carrier to drop at a nearby I-10 city. The savings can cover a short ride home.

Tip: Document the Bike

Remove loose gear, leave about a quarter tank and photograph every side with a date. The prep guide lists the rest.

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Louisiana Motorcycle Shipping FAQs

How much does it cost to ship a motorcycle to Louisiana?

Short lanes are the cheapest. Lafayette to Houston, around 215 miles, is about $325 to $450 on an open trailer. A New Orleans to Chicago trip of about 925 miles is roughly $475 to $650. Enclosed adds roughly 40%.

Can a carrier deliver to New Orleans?

Yes. New Orleans is a regular stop for carriers running I-10. Tell the dispatcher your neighborhood, in case the driver needs a meeting spot nearby.

How long does it take to ship a bike from Los Angeles to New Orleans?

Los Angeles to New Orleans is about 1,875 miles and takes 4 to 8 days on the road. Allow a few extra days for pickup scheduling, so the whole job runs one to two weeks.

What happens if a hurricane hits while my bike is in transit?

The carrier decides, and the usual choice is to hold the bike somewhere safe until roads open. Ask each carrier before you book how it handles storm delays, and keep your phone on so the driver can reach you.

Is the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge a problem for motorcycle transport?

Not for the bike, but accidents on the bridge are common and can back up traffic, so delivery times can slip. Lafayette to Baton Rouge is the leg where that matters. A looser schedule helps.

Can I ship a bike to Shreveport or Bossier City?

Yes. Both sit on I-20, and Dallas is about 190 miles west, which makes Shreveport to Dallas a short lane. Give the dispatcher your side of the river.

Should I choose open or enclosed for Louisiana?

Open works for most bikes. Choose enclosed for a classic, a custom paint job or anything that should stay out of Gulf rain, humidity and road grit for several days.

How should I get a bike ready for a Gulf Coast shipment?

Wash it, photograph all sides and empty the saddlebags. A clean bike makes scratches and marks easy to spot at delivery, and wet Gulf weather will hide them on a dirty one.

For more questions about motorcycle shipping, visit our Motorcycle Shipping FAQ page. Choosing a company? Read questions to ask your motorcycle shipping company first.

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Motorcycle Shipping Routes From and To Louisiana

Pick the route that matches your trip to see estimated rates, mileage and transit time for that lane.

Ship a Motorcycle From Louisiana

Ship a Motorcycle To Louisiana

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Motorcycle Shipping in Nearby States

Related Guides

How to Ship a MotorcycleThe full process from quote to delivery.
How to Prepare a Motorcycle for TransportA checklist for the day before pickup.
Money-Saving Tips for Motorcycle ShippingWays to lower the price of a quote.

Helpful Links for Your Louisiana Shipment

FMCSA SAFER System - Carrier Safety CheckVerify any carrier's safety record, licensing, and insurance status before you book.
511LA - Louisiana Traffic InformationLive traffic maps, cameras and road closures from Louisiana DOTD, worth a look around storm season.
Louisiana OMV - Title and RegistrationOfficial Office of Motor Vehicles information on titles, registration and plates if you are moving to Louisiana.

Call now, 24 hours a day, at 1-800-590-6492 or complete the quote form on this page to find the best Louisiana motorcycle shipping rates and when a truck will be in your area.