| Author | Message | ||
     Lake_bueller |
I'm looking for some help/advise on shipping. I bought a unassembled S1W (frame, body & rims). The parts are in Texas and I'm in Wisconsin. I've tried getting prices but I'm not having any luck. The best price I received so far was $400. I paid less than that to have a complete bike shipped across the country. If all else fails, I'll take a few vacation days and drive down after the new year. Thanks in advance!!! Dennis | ||
| Mikej |
Have the seller go down to a bicycle shop and get a couple of free bicycle cardboard boxes. Then go to the UPS web site and get the maximum envelope dimensions and have the seller cut one of the boxes to fit that height/width/length. Stuff in the frame with padding and packing, and then cut down the other box to fit over it as a lid. As long as it weighs less than 100 pounds or so it should go UPS for way less than $400. Then have him go down to his local U-Haul store and buy some medium or large size boxes and pad and stuff the bodywork into those. I did something similar to this with some Blast bodywork shipped to California (only used the original Buell boxes) and shipping was way less than $50 for the bodywork, way less. The rims should ship the same way. Or have him go down to a MailboxesEtc and hand them the parts and say "send this stuff to Dennis at the Pack. Remember, you are shipping parts, you are not shipping a bike, never tell the shipper it is a bike, just parts. Otherwise just call DailyDirect and tell them you have a partially disassembled bike to ship up from Texas and you'll get that +/-$400 quote. Just some thoughts. Road Thing or Blake or any of the other Texas folks can probably help as well if they are close to where the parts currently are. Oh, and make absolutely certain that he has drained _all_ the gas out of the gas tank and has left the cap off to let the residual gas in the tank evaporate off prior to shipping. Shippers frown on gas fumes in their vehicles. | ||
| Daves |
Road Trip! Ride to the edge! Dave Iowa HD/Buell (Buell Cycle Center) | ||
| Jst |
I've shipped frames using FedEx ground. It was about $35.00. I've done complete bodywork in 2 boxes for $40.00. The wheels go in a third that'll be about $40.00 as well. Their size requirements are less restrictive than UPS. Fed Ex ground is also cheaper. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Jst....How did you box the frame? Or will they ship it unboxed (with some type of good wrap to prevent scratches)? | ||
| Mikej |
Lake, I had a Jeep rear axle housing shipped from Oregon to California. The guy just wrapped it up in butcher paper and some padding with a lot of shipping tape. The UPS shipping was around $50 or so for that, not counting the near hernia the petite 100Lb UPS driver almost had when she lugged that thing into the office lobby. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
I'm running into an issue that FedEx & UPS are saying the item is too big. It's starting to look like Forward Air may be the best bet. They'll provide the crate (designed to ship motorcycles) and ship from Dallas to Milwaukee for $243 (insured). The guy in TX is willing to go to Forward Air to pack the crate. I'll just have to drive to MKE for the pick-up. No biggie  I'll still take any other suggestions. | ||
| Fullpower |
look into truck freight maybe lynden, sealand, there are a ton of trucking outfits around. my xb12 was only $228 freight from washington to homer alaska. about 3500 road miles............. good luck, dean | ||
| Mikej |
Believe it or not, try the post office. The USPS does ship oversize stuff like skiis and pool cues and hiking staffs and such. A frame doesn't weigh much and isn't much bulkier than a bicycle which is why I suggested cutting down shorter one of the bicycle boxes to stuff it into. Here's an idea, head over to Doc's or someplace and ask them how a frame was received the last time they got one in. Or ask some company like Paugho or others how they ship frames (pretend you're looking to buy one and ask about the shipping details). They will go UPS, you just have to get the linear h/w/l dimensions within their envelope constraints. There is no way it should cost anywhere near $243. For that kind of money just have the guy take it all to a local airport and ask about direct freight terminal to terminal. Or do like my dad did once when shipping a valve grinder to him from his brother in another state, ship it Greyhound, they do cargo shipping too. Or just send me the details and $350 and let me keep the change and I'll let you know when all the stuff arrives.  | ||
| Dave |
FedEx was the cheapest for me to send an S2 tail section ($25) to East Troy. The Post Office was the most expensive at almost $100. After I cut down the box, someone else at the Post Office said they could not even take it due to it's dimensions. DAve | ||
| Josh_ |
MailBoxes Etc and other stores will build the box for you and handle shipping. I've been doing lots of stuff FedEx green, but nothing really oversized. My sister might be driving up for Christmas (Dallas-StLouis) I could ask how big her trunk is | ||
| Jst |
Dennis, I made a custom box for it. I only left about 1" around the perimeter for padding. No complaints from the buyer though so I must have done it right. I did strap it after it was boxed. UPS will take a bare padded frame. You have to ship it "Special handling" It may work out to be more than boxing it. | ||
| Pammy |
You can send a frame Fedex, sans box/crate. Provided there is no wiring, etc. on the frame. Just tape cardboard on the edges that stick out the most. Then wrap all the tubing of the frame in the soft plastic packing wrap. put a label on it and send it. There is another company that brokers shipping, called Unishippers...1-800-471-7447. I use them all the time. Very easy to work with. | ||
| Road_thing |
Lake: Where in Texas is it located? r-t | ||
| Blake |
Lake, Got your email. Me not know. Me ignorant. Me lazy. You please forgive me for no return email. You post. Very better idea. Me not know. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
R-T: Located in Plano. Blake: You feel okay?!?!? | ||
| Road_thing |
Sorry, Lake, Plano's out of range for me. Blake's a lot closer, but he seems to be having some kind of language difficulty... r-t | ||
| Nevco1 |
Language difficulty...LMAO !!! He read like the Chinese Crooks I used to work for spoke whenever you cornered them with a serious question.  | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Thanks for all the input!!! We're going to try the FedEx Ground route. It looks like I'll be having an "Ice White Pearl" Christmas this year!!  edited by lake_bueller on December 06, 2003 |
