Advice on shipping a heavy hitch

[crispyboy]

OK guys need some advice here. I am working on a deal to purchase a used Hensley Arrow hitch from someone 400 miles away. What do you think the best way would be to ship this. It weighs approximately 150 lbs (my guess) and is currently sitting on this pallet. It would need to be shipped from a business with no loading dock to my residence or somewhere reasonable I could go pick it up. I live within 15 miles of a major town. The seller mentioned something about U-ship but I don't know anything about this. The small items certainly need to be boxed up and kept on the same pallet.
Most advice will be appreciated.

 

[mwilson]

OK guys need some advice here. I am working on a deal to purchase a used Hensley Arrow hitch from someone 400 miles away. What do you think the best way would be to ship this. It weighs approximately 150 lbs (my guess) and is currently sitting on this pallet. It would need to be shipped from a business with no loading dock to my residence or somewhere reasonable I could go pick it up. I live within 15 miles of a major town. The seller mentioned something about U-ship but I don't know anything about this. The small items certainly need to be boxed up and kept on the same pallet.

Most advice will be appreciated.



View attachment 85270

Truck Freight (LTL such as Yellow/Roadway, New Penn, etc. ) will be $150. 00 to $200. 00, educated guess. Does that business have a discount rate structure with a carrier??? For example I get a 70% discount with several LTL's. Won't hurt to ask.

You can contact the LTL's on your own and get quotes.



Myself, I would look at breaking the shipment down into at least two boxes with my goal being to get neither box weighing over 70lbs and ship UPS ground. Even if you do wind up with one being over 70lbs (they will take packages up tp 125lbs) it will still beat LTL rates. It will need to be packed well and should be boxed. UPS will ding you $10. 00 per item if not "encased in cardboard or wood" because they then have to walk it through some if not all of the package handling system at the UPS hub.



Get quotes whatever you do. Works on weight, origin ZIP and destination ZIP. The LTL's will ask about docks when you get quotes.



EDIT- I have zero experience with U-Ship.



Mike.

 

[Simplysmn]

Going from a Business with no loading dock to Res is going to cost more then Business to business . Start by getting a quote for a 1 skid shipment from Business to Truck Depot and then just go pick it up from the truck company . Or Get up on U ship and post the shipment and put a target price of $100. 00 dollar's have the Seller b ox as much as possible up so that way they don't have loose pieces and only going 400 miles you will be fine useing Uship there isn't much they can mess up with that big of a hitch.

 

[The patriot]

brake it down into a few boxes and greyhound it.

 

[Ram4Sam]

What the heck... ... Oo. ROADTRIP!!... . your fuel cost might be cheaper than shipping.



Sam

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Try Fastenal

 

[crispyboy]

Those are some good ideas, I will make some phone calls today.

 

[JMetzger]

When I bought my Hensley Hitch It was broke down into three packages & came UPS. I do not know what the cost was as Hensley paid for the shipping. You are going to like the hitch, does everything they say it will.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

U-Ship is easy and has been the cheapest so far to get odd all stuff shipped.

I've shipped the SRW bed that I took off my 2500, and arctic steel to from a Dodge M37 a bed from my 52 Flat fender Power Wagon through U-Ship.

 

[crispyboy]

Jmetzger,
I have a Hensley Arrow and it does everything they claim. The hitch in question is for my sister and BIL who recently bought a travel trailer. I'm helping them to get setup to tow safely and comfortably as possible.

Right now Averitt Express has given me the best quote, Fastenal the second best, Conway off the radar screen. I'll post back when everything has been consummated.

 

[JMetzger]

What Ram4Sam said makes sense about picking it up your self. At 18 MPG & 800 miles X $4. 00 would be $177. 78.

 

[crispyboy]

The shipping (dock to dock) came in as follows:
Conway $232. 00
Fastenal $150. 00
Averitt Express $106. 00

At the last minute Fastenal came back with a quote of $75. It shipped on Monday and I picked it up two days later.

Thanks all for your help.

 

[mwilson]

The shipping (dock to dock) came in as follows:

Conway $232. 00

Fastenal $150. 00

Averitt Express $106. 00



At the last minute Fastenal came back with a quote of $75. It shipped on Monday and I picked it up two days later.







Thanks all for your help.

That is a excellent rate. That would have been very close to the UPS ground for two packages.



Well done!!!



Mike.