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Cheapest way to ship 100-300 pounds items?

Low-Alloy

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 9, 2004
Location
Pacific NW (U.S.A.)
Often Ebay has things like dividing heads, rotary tables and such that fit on a pallet and weigh in around 100-300 pounds that I'd like to bid on. But, most times when I check on the shipping it will cost at least 100% the auction price. So the question is: What is the best and least expensive way to ship such items?
 
Buy close to home and pick them up yourself. :D After that everything cost more, Bid what you what to pay include the cost of freight when you make your bid. Theres a Lathe on the bay now, 90 miles away, Theres no way you would what to outbid me your at least $1000 away. If that lathe was in Portland OR the position would be reversed. Theres a Monarch 10ee with problems in Texas $100 bid, thats alot of money to far.
 
What does the price you pay for a wigit have to do with the cost of shipping it? Just because you manage to buy somthng cheeep, do you expect the trucking co to provide you with cheeeep rates?.. Do you sell your stuff ( I really wanted to say CRAP) for cheeeep?

pay te trucking rates that apply to your item... that's all they are moving... WEIGHT..
or... go pick it up yourself
 
Freightquote is probably best if you don't know someone with a deep discount with a carrier...they play carriers against each other more or less.

The bugaboo is crating the thing acceptably so they don't tear the poor thing to hades, recall my thread on the Monarch EC lathe dumped on its end, even after it came to the truck terminal safely.

IMHO, a full wooden jacket is your best defense, and the builder who has an idea what they are doing. Just "band it to a skid" is fine but keep in mind they'll set stuff on top of it, push it with the forks, break the bands and tear it loose from the pallet, etc.

Personal pickup is always best IMHO...takes so many of the variables out of the equation.

I think Mike C. said it best...no matter what completely rare and pristine widget you just missed at a fire sale price, on the next block over, "another bus" will be along in a little bit.
 
If the buyer is willing/able to drop the item off at a local freight terminal, and you are willing/able to pick it up at a local freight terminal, that can add up to some serious $avings.

Andy
 
Freight Quote sent two 8 ft camel back straight edges from IN to WA for a little over $300 on a pallet. I suppose all up weight was about 330 lbs.
This had to be picked up at terminal.

On the other hand they wanted $1900 to take a 16ft long 10,000 lb lathe from OH to TX

Fed Ex freight got $185 to ship the 110 lb Phase Perfect from Rapid City,SD to Houston, TX. I had to pick this up at terminal.

John
 
Matt, John and Andy1234 thanks for the advice. I was mainly looking to see if I was missing a trick like using Greyhound bus, forward air or something. One hundred to three hundred pounds kind of falls between UPS, FedEx, ect., and LTL shipping.

Gary E: I fail to see how asking what is the least expensive way of shipping items weighing in the 100-300 pound range would elicit the snide and sarcastic response you gave. No, I don't expect trucking companies to provide cheep rates. I just don't want to pay exorbitant fees because I don't have an account with them.
 
Matt alluded to this, Do you know someone that does alot of shipping. I get a 65 to 75 % discount just for signing up, heavy shippers get more with the major carriers. So if you can use someone elses account you will save, and the trucker doesn't care where he is delivering to.
RE Greyhound, they used to be not a bad way to ship odd stuff with same day service and cheap 30 years ago. However you were basically giving it to the driver who may or may not remember to leave in the snow bank in North Glenns Falls
 
hey you mght want to check out uship.com it is a sight where people in the business bid on your shipping, you post what it is, where it is and where it is going. it works great if someone is already heading your way with extra space............... Jim
 
believe it or not - fedex freight has been beating the pants off of other shippers on my stuff lately - jersey to mass. 100 lbs. 98 bucks, next day delivery (expected not guarenteed)
 








 
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