Projects Who to use for big items;

Who can shed some light on who to use for shipping larger items without breaking the deal due to cost? I found a front bench seat for my 40 Ford project. I don't need it overnight so I'm thinking a standard freight truck. How do you find a Broker that deals with independent drivers that are willing to fill some space for a nominal price without just doing the Lbs. times Square Inches? I know those freewheelers do that but how do you find them?

 

Do any your neighbors Hot Shot? If so they may or know someone in their network who can help.
If not network it towards you till it gets to a location you are comfortable traveling to & pick it up. Lots of stuff been delivered for a steak & a beer.
People are usually happy to help & you don't know until you ask.

 

I don't have any on hand resources and that info is what I'm looking for. The Who part. My other thought was to go to a local Truck Stop and talk to some drivers. I know some of those drivers get to the end of a run and make calls for a return load. Who do they call?

 

So a search for UShip. I sold a transmission to a guy who used it and it worked out ok. Only thin is I just strapped it to a pallet and wrapped it in the clear shipping wrap. Driver said it really needed to be fully crated. He took it any way though. Just a heads up to the seller

 

What about some of the transporters picking up a car in an enclosed trailer that might throw it on for a minimal fee.

 

LTL (Less Than Load, as in less than full load) trucking does this sort of thing.

Out my way, a Hotshot is a wildland firefighter.

I use common LTL trucking for stuff, but my customers are paying the cost.

 

Where does the seat live right now?

 

Some of the car haulers on this site may throw it in along with a car if the planets line up.

 

It's in Northern Michigan now. You guys are giving me some good info. I'll follow up on all of it and add back what I learn as it goes.
Thanks

 

I agree with the U Ship recommendation. You just type in the address of where it's at , address of where you want it, length, height and weight. You should start receiving bids in a day or two. It doesn't cost anything if you don't accept a bid.

 

About UShip, be patient. I sent a SBC back East somewhere years ago, seems the first week or two were quotes in th e 800-1000 range, then started dropping. Haven’t needed to use the site since though.

 

Years ago I shipped fenders, a bumper and a bench seat all strapped to a pallet via Greyhound freight. Just dropped them at the bus station pre packed ready to go. There was a special area for freight/cargo.

 

In case you missed this:
Folks Of Interest - Shout out to Dave's Nationwide Classic Relocation & @32fenderless | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

Word is that Greyhound no longer does freight. Items had to be under 100 lbs and under certain length, width and height measurements when you did. I shipped a lot of stuff with them but the last thing I shipped was a fender that I sent to Arizona and I had to take the box to a minimart 20 miles from the house as they no longer have terminals to accept passengers or freight in this area.
Here you get on at the truck stop/mini mart that I shipped the fender at.

 

Northern Michigan to Pacific North West? Some considerations between you and seller... lot of work is on the sellers end to prep it. I've been the seller on large items several times and it became..... not worth my time and effort.

Agree with comments that it will need to be on a pallet at the minimum. If shipping on a open trailer needs a lot of plastic wrap, closed trailer shippers prefer a crate so they can stack.
Drop off and pick up at a terminal also lowers cost.

Can't help with specific companies, I haven't shipped large items since before covid and everything has changed.

 

I just bought a T-10 transmission on ebay. I used Fastenal to ship it. From Michigan to NC was $143.

There is something about Fastenal having a West and East region and they will not ship from their East to their West. I don't know where the line is between the 2.

 

I used to like the GH service. When I was using it, 15? or so years ago, the only hassle was terminal to terminal, at least that was what I was lead to believe. But sure was a money saver.
Amtrak was a good option as well.
But I think a bench seat would be too large for either back then.
I was thinking of the “go to a local truck stop “. One issue is can the driver access the pick up point, or will the seller need to meet him/her somewhere?
@Pist-n-Broke you’re a long time contributing member, maybe work on a HAMB relay? Might take some time to get it, but wouldn’t cost much if on someone’s on the way in between, probably wouldn’t have to be palleted etc either.

 

The way freight shipping works, carriers look at what is coming out of an area before they take a load going into that area. Some areas have much more freight going in than goes out. Most of them had rather take a load into an area where they know it’s relatively easy to find a load back out, instead of having to deadhead hundreds of miles for a reload. That’s where the LTL and independent contractors come in, they will haul single items where larger carriers can’t afford to load less than a full load. Most LTL companies have set terminal to terminal routes, if your load comes close enough to their route you can pick it up at their terminal you’re in business. But if there isn’t a freight terminal in your area, the independent guys like U Ship would be the better choice. They will bring it right to your door if you have room for their rig, which for most of them is a pickup and trailer, called a hotshot in the business. Depending on how bad some of them need a load, they might even get into a bidding war and you get the benefit of a lower price. Some of them will also do the LTL deal, loading several stops on one load, increasing their profits.

I can’t recommend any certain company, just check their record of service and broker ratings. There are websites to help you check them out. I’m sure some of the guys here on the HAMB that do this for a living could help point you in the right direction.

 

Looks like Greyhound is no longer an option.

https://www.shipgreyhound.com/

 

I shipped a seat from Missouri to Virginia via Central Transport for a reasonable rate. That was before Covid, and like most other LTL carriers, it had to be crated. @BamaMav gave a good synopsis of considerations. Greyhound no longer does this, and from my discussion with Fastenal, they use the Mississippi River as the east-west divider.

 

Yeah, that is too bad. I once shipped a 32 cowl via bus. Something like $30 and it delivered all the way across the Country in 19 hours!

 

There is no GREYHOUND PACKAGE EXPRESS. The stopped last September.

 

Check with Fastenal Blue Lane freight. They have an East and West region and during covid we couldn't ship all the way to the coast. Don't know if it's still that way. Good economical service.

 

LTL is generally the easiest and cheapest in the long run .

but they probably won’t pick up from a private residence .

Probably be a 53’ trailer and require a loading dock .

crated / skidded etc .

cheapest is multiple stops and pickups , different warehouses , trucks etc .


We get a lot of Raymond reach machines shipped up from the states “ laying down “ on a custom skid with fluids either capped or drained , parts removed and skidded etc . Even with the cost of all this still wayyy cheaper then a direct ship standing upright on a flat deck .


my point . Ask the seller what They are willing/capable to do and go from there .

 

At this time the seller is very willing to help the best he can. I'm respectful for that. Not his fault I live 3/4 of the way across the Country. `

 

Personally I'd break it down into sections and ship it UPS oversize in probably 3 or 4 different boxes. The base will be big and expensive to ship but the upper cushions are plenty small enough for regular UPS and so would the tracks and side covers, which removing those would make the base small enough. If you can get enough off of the base, you might be able to squeeze it in under the 130 inch max for regular UPS ground.

The seller will have to do the work though, which can be a lot. I sell stuff all over the country every day and anything that can't go through Fedex or UPS is incredibly expensive and difficult, especially if you don't have a loading dock and forklift. I used Fastenal a couple times and it worked out well but the limits between regions shuts down a lot of it.

Trying to ship it in one piece is going to require an extra length pallet with a crate built around it and a very expensive semi truck ride.

 

I have spoken via P.M. with Mike (the O.P.).

I would love to help him as I have so many great customers up in his area, but he would really like to have his seat before I start back crossing the Northern Rocky Mountain Passes again in the spring. I have told him that I am keeping his info on my board just in case one of the Quality guys I trust with my overflow happen to be going that way.

Several good recommendations posted, especially the Yesterday Tractors site! I advertised on there for a decade or so until one particular clown ruined it for businesses to advertise on there. Lots of good guys there who do tractors & I still to this day get calls from folks who kept my number from there.

Knowing all the horror stories I do about Uship...I would never recommend anyone use it, but in the case of a seat, maybe. It is 90% brokers & the rest transporters who can't get their own bookings, because of lousy service.

God Bless
Bill Squires(owner)
Bill's Auto Works
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ar-transport-hauling-open-or-enclosed.614419/

 

If you wish to use UPS look at pirateship.com. They sell UPS at lower rates that you can get from UPS. They get volume discounts. Have final boxed dimensions and weight and VALUE if you look at pirateship.com

 

I've used them and I agree this is a good idea if you're going to try to use UPS.

 

If my Math is correct the Seat exceeds the UPS 130-inch max limit by 2 times.