Life is good, and things are looking up – you’ve booked long leave, locked the wife & kids up, sent the dog to the local kennels – you’re off to visit Uncle Sam, and most importantly of all – you are taking the love of your life with. Yes – that set of wheels which has got you into more trouble with the rest of the family than have all the temp female office assistants you have ever hired.
The Duc is coming with – yer, life is good……
But just what is involved in getting the beast to the USA?
Will it have to be quarantined, will Uncle Sam be waiting with a 101 checkpoint list, are you going to be shunted around from one office to another, are you going to get there only to be told, “err… sorry, it’s not allowed”.
Well let me share with you what’s involved – it’s up to date and I’ve been through it – so I know what I am talking about. In the process I identify the company I used - I do deliberately (and with the company's specific consent) as I beleive the forum should a channel for members to share information which other members can benefit from. However, if I have broken any rule, I apologise and the moderator should go ahead and modify this post accordingly.
Selecting A Shipping Agent.
It all starts here – get this wrong and you’ll have a “
house of horrors” scenario on your hands for the rest of your holiday. Get it right, and the rest of the procedure is a doddle.
Don’t just choose any shipping agent –
MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE you select someone who has regular ongoing experience in shipping bikes by airfreight – and in this respect I chose James Cargo (
www.jamescargo.com) in the UK. Let me say right now, so there is no misunderstanding – I have no professional association with this company – this is
my experience with them.
You will get 101 stories from as many different agents as you phone. Some will tell you, you need a Carnet certificate – YOU DO NOT. Some will tell you need to have your bike steam cleaned – YOU DO NOT, although I strongly recommend that you should give your Duc a damn good wash before shipping it - as would any proud Ducati owner do in any event. Some will tell you that you need to put a bond down – YOU DO NOT. Some will ask questions about emission or “
noise”. For the record, noise and emission DOES NOT apply to bikes imported on a temp basis. So long as your Ducati is less than 25 years old and has a current MOT then Uncle Sam will be satisfied. Remember, I am now talking about temp imports – which means for up to 1 year max - and not permanent imports, for which a whole set of very different rules apply.
Take my bike as an example: it is actually a 996R – which is not a bike that was ever sold in the USA as a road going bike – the 996R’s which were sent by Ducati to the USA over 2001 and 2002 came into the USA as track bikes. The few USA road going registered 996R’s that currently exist are track bikes which were subsequently modified for road use. Quite what that involved is detailed somewhere on the forum. The point I am making is that even if you have a model that is not on the list of USA, manufacturer approved bikes – do not be put off by stories form agents who raise this or any other similar example of this with you. It is “
not applicable” in respect of temp imports. What is important is that it is registered for road use in the UK and has a current MOT. That been the case, Uncle Sam will tolerate you for up to 1 year on his roads.
The Paper Trail…
James Cargo knew exactly what paperwork had to be filled in before hand and how it had to be filled in. This point was acknowledged by the US Customs agent who I dealt with in LA to get my bike cleared, who commented that it was nice to get a complete set of properly filled in paperwork (which actually just makes their job all the more easy – and your bike is going no where until Uncle Sam’s man signs on the dotted line). As a result – customs clearance from the time I presented the paperwork to till the time it was signed off and entered onto the computer system as cleared for release, took a grand total of 12 minutes (yes, folks – I spent 12 minutes in the Customs Office in LA (the blue grey building on the cnr of La Cienega and 111th, about a 1 mile form LAX).
The paperwork you need to have for your shipping agent is:
1.
V5 in your name (US Customs will not allow you to temp import a bike not in your name.
2.
Current MOT (not big deal if it runs out while you are in the USA, but make sure it’s valid for at least 6 months)
3.
Purchase Invoice (Customs want to see you are the legal owner of the bike and that there is no outstanding “lean” or loan on the bike).
Remember, not many people realise it, but a V5 is not proof of ownership. It is proof of registered keeper. So have some sort of evidence that you are the owner – and the best has to be an invoice.
The paperwork your agent SHOULD send you, and ask you to fill in may vary slightly from one agent to another, but it should include the following:
1.
EPA Forms (Environmental Protection Agency forms) – 2 forms, one consisting of 1 page and 1 consisting of 2 pages: respectively they are a document Tilted “Declaration – Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper & Theft Prevention Standards”, (1 page) and, Declaration – Importation of Motor Vehicle & Motor Vehicle Engine Subject to Federal Air Pollution Regulations” (2 pages). Now this may seem all somewhat non-applicable. Never mind, it’s what Uncle Sam wants – so don’t try to rationalize it all – just fill it in, and give it back to your agent. Like a lot of “official” paperwork, it’s all about formalities.
2.
Customs Form – Conditions of Temporary Importation Under 148.45CR
In addition to the above, you
must have:
1.
Insurance for the USA. This is not negotiable – Uncle Sam’s customs man will ask for it, and that aside you may like to consider the whole matter of insurance from this perspective: get pulled by the Gestapo in the land of “milk & honey”, and the first thing Herr. Officer will ask you for is your Insurance. Have none – well, you have a problem on your hands – it’s as simple as that. And 2nd’ly throw your bike down the road, through a hotdog stand, into another car, injuries or not to you or anyone else, if the Gestapo are involved and discover you have no insurance – you have trouble on your hands. Oh, nearly forgot – you must have your insurance with you whenever riding no if’s, no but’s – it’s a belt & braces scenario.
For the record, I used
Fernet Insurance (
www.fernet.com) – who do offer short term insurance (min 3 months). Remember, you are going to pay more as the USA companies:
a) do not recognize UK no-claims, and
b) do not have a legal way of verifying your past driving history.
A word of advice: DO NOT fill out the forms on-line, even though the option to do so is available. Phone them up and discuss it with a rather pleasant young lady named Phyllis – who will run through each section with you in detail and explain it, putting it into context. The online forms may look simple enough, but USA insurance works in a very different way to UK insurance – with loads of small type and “inclusions” and “exclusions”.
Lastly, but NOT compulsory is a POA (Power of Attorney). This gives the shipping agent the authority to clear your bike for you USA side, and deliver it to whatever address you want it delivered to.
The Actual Process…..
James Cargo sent me all the above forms by email. I printed them out, filled them in, signed on the dotted line and returned them, along with copies of my USA insurance, V5, MOT, and Purchase Invoice.
James cargo came and collected the bike.
They arrived in a properly kit out enclosed transit van – with solid smooth floor and tie down points for the tie down straps. The bike was pushed up a ramp and tied down properly.
I next saw it (5 days later) in LA.
The morning after I arrived in LA, bright and early I went round to Customs (
located in LA on the cnr of La Cienega Blvd & 111th streets – a low grey/blue modern building located about a mile from the airport), and presented all the above paperwork. The agent I dealt with myself regrettably I can’t name – but he was not a “care less” type civil servant. He got stuck into the task at hand – and it took him 12 minutes to complete the formalities – which culminate in entering and formalizing the clearance on a computer system that the bonded warehouse can view at their premises – confirming that the “shipment” is formally cleared.
There is no formal inspection of any sort of the bike – it all hangs on the above (i.e.
been cleared on the computer system).
I was given a piece of paper/document with a reference number on it, and off I went to the bonded warehouse – about ½ mile from the customs office – where I found my dearly beloved, ironically in an official BMW packing box!!.
This was lifted by a fork lift and carried outside (
no hidden charges – no charges, period), and placed in the car park, where, with screwdriver and box knife, I removed the outer packaging.
The Duc had been tied down to a solidly built wooden base with 5 canvas straps – it was going no-where. This base had a wooden box frame to it, around which was double core corrugated cardboard – really solid stuff and more than adequate for the purpose. No sharp edges anywhere. The dash area and tank had foam pack around it.
Included as well, was a courtesy “bag” from James Cargo – consisting of a good quality canvas shoulder bag, a decent set of waterproofs, a baseball cap and a key ring, and a reflective safety vest (nice well made stuff, not cheap junk).
In addition to this, for no extra charge James Cargo provide you with an “Emergency Contact Service” i.e. have an accident and whoever comes to help you will find on you (should you decide to carry it) details which give them a 24hr UK number, which is a number monitored by an appointed James Cargo staff member. James Cargo will then do whatever they need to do i.e. contact a designated next of kin, provide the authorities/ambulance with whatever info they need to know ect ect… a courtesy service, and jolly decent
In summary - its a starightforward procedure folks - no hidden suprizes, and so long as the paperwork is done properly (and you have chosen a shipping company that knows what they are doing and who has experiance), you are going to have no problems at all.
James Cargo knew exactly what to do and how to go about it. They collected the bike on time, and they delivered it on time – during which time they cared for it professionally (
it was properly crated and packed). I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone who a) wanted to get their bike from the UK to the USA, b) and wanted it done with zero hassle.
I have no financial interest in James Cargo or their USA agent.
If anyone has any questions on the subject, I am more than happy to answer.
Neil 996R
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