Time For A Transportation Thread

[launderess]

Seems a good time as any to strike up a conversation on a matter near and dear to many of our hearts. Shifting large appliances around the country! *LOL*

Sadly not all of us own vehicles large enough to transport big appliances. Even worse when something good pops up it invariably is rather far away. This means often hiring a shipping company.

After a bad experience with Home Direct (never again....), have been using UShip with pretty decent outcomes. They've tightened things up over the past few years as such rates have gone up. This from what one can see is because many of the fly by night cowboys are gone.

Used Craters and Freighters once (to ship a Pfaff ironer from Florida to New York), and while the thing arrived well packaged and crated, it also cost a pretty penny.

 

[turquoisedude]

UShip does seem to be the best option out there these days.  Although some quotes submitted can be outrageous, one can strike up a relationship with a UShip bidder and deal outside the system.  I was most fortunate to make the acquaintance of a fellow who owns a maple syrup production business in upstate Vermont who makes a journey to Nebraska (occaisionally Wyoming) a couple of times a year and has an empty van for his trip back to Vermont.  He's been incredibly good about picking up items on his way home, even when they are not strictly on his optimal route home.  He's very careful and I think he gets a kick out of seeing some of the vintage equipment getting saved.  

 

Funny but I was telling PhilR yesterday that once upon a time, UPS was willing to pack up and ship a dishwasher from Seattle to Vermont.  They won't do that anymore, but it was a very reasonable way of getting a '62 Mobile Maid cross-country!

 

I haven't used Craters & Freighters for years; come to think of it, You-Crate either.  They just got too danged expensive...  

 

Of course, as long as the poor old Focus wagon is roadworthy, I'll keep using it for short and medium haul trips.  This year's 'goodies' (a '57 Speed Queen washer, that '59 GE Princess Dishwasher I got for parts, an Inglis dishwasher and 2 Frigidaire 1-18s) have all been transported by yours truly.  

 

[launderess]

My Hoover TT came crated via UPS.

If you pack/crate the thing correctly UPS will ship anything that fits within their weight limits. For larger/heavier items there is always UPS freight.

UShip can often be a bit of a pass the parcel. Sometimes you get great shippers, others not so. Of the one who bought our Maytag wringer less said the better.

However it is worth noting the only items delivered with damage (AEG washer) was via a major shipper (Home Direct). Nothing sent by Uship has ever arrived worse than when it was picked up.

 

[goatfarmer]

Several members have used YouCrate successfully.

Homepage | You Crate®

You Crate®; is a self service moving and storage company with commercial crating options. We move on your schedule.

www.youcrate.com

 

[launderess]

IIRC UCrate works well when seller or whomever is willing to do the crating. These days it is all you can do with some sellers to even agree for an out of area deal to happen. You notice more and more CL listings are saying things like "no shipping", "local only...".

 

[gyrafoam]

It's always good to know someone who can move something. I got a great recommendation from a friend and used them to move a machine back in May. The lady was very reasonable and I was flexible about a delivery date.

U-Crate and U-Ship = U-lose. I'm not going to pay three times more for shipping than I pay for the appliance. They priced a loyal customer out of their market. Sometimes I just take a flower van from the office and make a marathon trip like I did to get the Norges out of Michigan. I will probably do that to make a run to Nebraska and Missouri before too long.

 

[arris]

Shipping

I've had quotes for shipping that were outrageous !!! I went through Uship and found a reliable kid that ships for extra money, he picked up my washer in Indiana had it to upstate NY the next day.... was reasonable too. I kept his name and # if I need to ship anything again.... He's from Michigan dropped my washer off and was on his way to NYC.... Very nice kid !!!

 

[spacepig]

I've used a couple of different providers via U-ship. I've only needed to use them for 2-3 items and while it can get pricey, it was actually much cheaper than renting a U-haul box truck.