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Shipping bigger items, really need help

Started by Daren, January 09, 2006, 03:40:20 PM

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Daren

Does anyone know how to ship bigger stuff cheap? I am not going into all the details, but my little custom furniture business is starting to take off (after a year of starving to death). I make and ship small things all the time USPS or UPS. Stuff under 2' square and 40lbs is reasonable and I can get the work. But the bigger stuff, say the size of a dresser or large cedar chest the shipping blows the deal. I didn't mind turning down a little work, but it is getting to be 3-4 jobs a week now, I can't afford to keep doing that. And obviously I would like to make and sell bigger pieces. The ironic thing, I live in central Illinois and get 80 % of my inquires (through my website) from either California, Florida or N.Y. about as far away as you can get. I guess I should have thought the shipping thing through BEFORE I got in this pickle. But too late now, I just need some advice.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

IMERC


look into contract shipping thru the truck lines and pass the cost on to the customer all or in part.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish.... Here fishy fishy....

bushhog

The truck lines will usually give you a better deal on larger items - Yellow Freight is one, but there are many others.  You may want to consider pricing your item - plus freight - as fuel surcharge varies from week to week with most trucking co.'s.


mike_van

Daren, you have to try someone like Roadway, Yellow, or some company with a terminal near you.  Hit the Yellow pages or Google,  they can give you a quote based on weight & dimentions.  Most times you need to deliver the item to their dock, some will pick up at your place, but you need to be able to load whatever it is into a semi. Forklift?  Their dock is a better place.  
I was the smartest 16 year old I ever knew.

Daren

I found this site call FreightQuote.com. Unless I did something wrong, I entered the basic dimensions and weight of a small chest of drawers. It gives you quotes from several carriers,(UPS, different van lines, trucking companies) they ranged from $120-$220. That was a door to door quote, there are no shipping places within 30 miles (exept the Post Office) I took one little thing to Mailboxes Ect. awhile back and got totally hosed. Plus it wasted 1 1/2 hours of my day. I know shipping companies have to eat too, but you can go buy a decent small chest of drawers for that kind money. (maybe not one of mine, but that is the point I want to sell mine, not have them buy at Home Depot)
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

IMERC

Quote from: Daren on January 09, 2006, 05:49:11 PM
maybe not one of mine, but that is the point I want to sell mine, not have them buy at Home Depot


those that buy there don't know any better and you don't need a customer base with that mind set.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish.... Here fishy fishy....

Dangerous_Dan

Check out this link
http://www.uship.com/listing.aspx?packageID=22355
Kind of like ebay, you list what you need to ship/where/time schedule/target price you want to pay and carriers bid on delivering it.
I have not used it but looks interesting, next time I buy something big far away I'm going to try it.
First you make it work, then you trick it out!

Tom

"Hotshot" is/was popular down here in Florida.  These are drivers with small trucks pulling trailers that handle the light loads that the bigger trucks can't really afford to carry.  You see them hauling 3 to 5 used automobiiles from the auction to the dealerships or vice versa.  You see them with loads of insulation, engines, hydraulic's, all manner of parts going from one retail outlet to another.

Find a company that dispatches HotShots.

Here is one link just to see if you are interested in this approach.
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=29002

I found it by googling "hot shot trucker"
and
"hotshot truck"

whitey

 Daren   I am in the same boat as You. I have tried to ship a couple of larger items. One a china hutch both peices were trash on arrival  one was drop shipped out of the truck must have been a30ft tall trailer.the other had a fork through it (blanket chest) . If I can't deliver Or they can't pick it up. Its not worth having your labors get trashed.


      Done ranting     Whitey
you  don't have to be crazy to cut juniper but it sure helps !

IMERC

insure the snot out of it... sell it twice... or three times...
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish.... Here fishy fishy....

Daren

Quote from: IMERC on January 09, 2006, 05:53:17 PM
those that buy there don't know any better and you don't need a customer base with that mind set.

IMERC, I completely agree, but I have to sell to the market I have now until I find the people who get it. I am new to the product business, I have always been service (plumber, welder) and those rates and markets are set and easy to get. I have the making down pat, the marketing... I am having trouble with.
I sold this set made from black locust for $1000 locally, my brother who lives in Florida said his neighbor bought an identical set for $3700. I could have paid a buddy to deliver it and give him a week vacation in Fla. and still made more money... to the right customer.


Everyone else, thanks much for the links, I will check them all out. I really need to get this figured out.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

IMERC

sell to both markets. don't be afraid of your price.  the "right" customer is out there and a lot of them.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish.... Here fishy fishy....

whitey

  Daren.
      Thats what i'm doing . big enough project and you can rent a small van. drive down deliver and fly back. or give a buddy a vacation. Wife and I are going to look at a project next week 500 mile round trip but worth a bundle. will take the measurements build and deliver.
      Whitey
you  don't have to be crazy to cut juniper but it sure helps !

Ironwood

Charge enough to deliver it yourself. Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Ironwood

Ok , that was a bit short. Look we all could move somewere and sell our wares/ services for more$$ but we compete with all our costs from our production location. Either wholesale it to a person with a better market, invest yourself in market development or take what you can get within your resonable shipping distance. Remember what looks like your competition may actually be a door to a market network, we all have strong points, focus on yours and show it to others better positioned many great "partnerships" arise from win win senarios.

                           REID
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Frank_Pender

That is why you need to buy some of these slabs from me, Reid.   8)


Whitey, parhaps I can help with some special species of lumber for the future job?  Let me know.
Frank Pender

Don_Papenburg

Daren , I got a short ton of granite shipped to me from SD to north central Ill. for $175.oo  I also got a bill for a prepaid dropshiped to Peoria then forward  shiped to Streator 60 miles . The item was less than 60 lb the bill was $178.oo and he was in Streator anyway I was only 4 miles from his last drop in Streator .The original shipper straightned them up .
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Daren

I have a Haulmark 10' enclosed trailer I bought off a church. They used it to haul clothes to needy families, it is like new. It would be perfect for packing and hauling furniture, it is clean and carpeted. I use it for short runs (or talk a buddy into it), but cross country I can't figure out a way to make it work. I know that is why shipping companies charge, insurance, gas, driver... If I spend time on the road, that is time I don't have tools in hand. I just don't know. I do everything custom and never know where the next order will come from. If I could get a steady run to one side of the map or the other, I could fill the trailer and make the trip worthwhile, and spread the cost of shipping to make it easier on each order. I will not ask a customer to wait till I get a full load to get their piece. I am just trying to figure some things out. I can keep on plugging away doing what I am doing, but DanG it, I hate to let orders get away just because of this shipping thing.
While I was typing 2 post where added, Reid if I moved to N.Y. I bet a dollar my orders would come from California and vice versa. The local market is weak, I live in the middle of farm country, that is why I looked to expand my market. It seems shipping is a roadblock. I won't whole sale, only custom. I am always open to "win-win", still looking.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Flyboy

 ;) Daren, For west coast freight check BDR Transport, Bellows Falls Vt. If your anywhere near Chicago, they have 20 or so trucks going coast to coast weekly. They have termanels in LA and SF. They are an LTL (less than trailer load) carrier. Whether or not they can fit into your plan I don't know. BUT, they are good people. I drove OTR for them. Top shelf equipment, air ride trailers, etc. Very little damage. ;)
Flyboy


A "Good Old Jack" -  DT 7500 Kubota 4X4 Farmi Winch - Norwood LM 2000 Band Mill - A Good Son, A Good Dog,

IMERC

Quote from: Daren on January 09, 2006, 10:29:40 PM
I have a Haulmark 10' enclosed trailer


start yur own delivery service.... Employee? Family? Partner?
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish.... Here fishy fishy....

Flyboy

 ;) Daren, BDR runs I90 all the way across NY and up into Ore. and Wash also. ;D
Flyboy


A "Good Old Jack" -  DT 7500 Kubota 4X4 Farmi Winch - Norwood LM 2000 Band Mill - A Good Son, A Good Dog,

getoverit

Maybe it would benefit ALL of us if we could talk a trucking company to become a Forum sponsor?

I know right now there is a woodmaster 781 I would like to have, but it is way up north in michigan, and a 20hp engine I want, but it is in california. Daren has furniture to move, Ried has a mill he wants to move to New Orleans, Peterson has mills going from Los Angeles to all over the country, and it seems like we all have needs from others in the forum, but the logistics are prohibitive.  I want to order 5 gals of anchorseal from Bailey's, and a A.S.S. from logrite...... seems like a trucking company could do well off of just the people in our forum?
I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok, I work all night and sleep all day

Skytramp

Might try getting around the local truck stop, talk to some truckers, maybe someone is going your way with some extra space, looking to make a few extra bucks.  Or if you have an Independant Trucker friend, He might have some ideas.  That has worked for me a couple times with some machinery parts.
Skytramp;
Growing old is inevetable, Growing up is optional

Rockn H

Daren, Like was mentioned earlier, you need to call some LTL companies like Yellow , RoadWay, Consolidated, etc.  LTL means Less than a Truck Load.  These companies specialize in hauling one item per delivery.  Dont' price door to door.  It cost more.  You are a business and you need to get a quote as that.  You will need room for them to get to you and either a ramp for them to use to load the item or be able to load it for them.  If not maybe you can find a business that will let you meet the truck there.  If the customer can pick up the item at a business it will be cheaper for them on that end as well.  Business to business is the cheapest by far.  I wouldn't use any service to find a carrier.  Most of these ,no, all of these are brokers and they are going to get a percentage off the top for their services.
Good luck, I hope it works out.

Patty

Another option is FEDEX freight service. We have used them in the past, it is just another option.
Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings....
We simply continue to fly ........
on a broomstick.....
We are flexible like that.

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