VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Best way to ship parts?

What is the best way you guys have found to ship parts?

Who do you use?

Costs?

Do you use different methods for larger vs. smaller parts?

Thanks.

For doors, fenders, & hoods (31-35)i use Grayhound. Small stuff i use DHL or USPS. I've got away from UPS. Too high & too much damaged. Haven't used Fed-ex, but a friend of mine says he likes them. The shipping stores are even more, usally 30% plus.....Joe

It really depends where you live and the size and weight of the shipment. Grayhound is good unless you aren't near one of their terminals or one they will interchange with, heavy items like blocks, machine tools be prepared to pick up at a freight terminal dock, many of their home delivery trucks don't have heavy duty lift gates.
I try to use USPS and UPS because of where we live in the boonies. Fedex uses contractors out of Abilene and the item may lay on their dock for a week or two, their contract delivery guys are usually low lifes driving a rental van and they fail to deliver anytime that they are too stupid to call for directions. When given a choice USPS is #1, UPS is #2 Dhl and Airborne are both equally picked for #3 and Fedex is one that rates a high pucker up rateing.

I have been shipping parts for about 30 years now. Done them all too. For me, and many dudes that I know, the post office is the LAST on the list! I ship nothing of value through the post office and I refuse to do so! I used UPS ground for about 20 years and they did a good job. Their daily tracking is great and it's free too. And, the first $100 worth of insurance is free also. However, about two years ago I switched to FedEx ground because their ground service is one to two days faster than UPS ground, and their rates are around 20 to 30% cheaper. They have free daily tracking as well, and the first $100 worth of insurance is also free.

I deliver everything to the main FedEX shipping dock.......I will not use one of those stupid Mail Box places because they are a rip-off on shipping rates. They are anywhere from 30 to 50% higher than the normal rates.

:) :grin:

..It depends on where you are... the only way to know is to order stuff, and if it works for you ok, if not make a change, It seems to me that once a good service is able to find my place they work well until they change drivers, then we start all over. It is like any other service business, good employes in the ditches and decent equipment are the critical mass. Corporate management is superficial and sometimes even a hinderance to the operation, once the package clears the shipping hubs. I have shipped out using a package shipping place. It cost more but we needed a special sized and protected packing for a fragile gift. It was ok if you don't mind the extra cost, it arrived on time and safe and sound.
By the way, I hardly ever find a need to ship anything over night or next day, the post office ships just as quickly regular parcel post as UPS and Fedex does , the post office's express mail is more reliable here than the other quicky shippers. It seems crazy to have something shipped by air from Oregon or Washington to Dallas, then pack mule to Abilene, then sit on the dock for a week waiting on a contractor to do whatever they do.

Thanks guys, a lot of food for thought...I will go to the main depots of shippers and get some quotes.

I have not shipped stuff before so this is all new to me.

I asked because I stopped at one of the UPS stores just to ask how much it would cost for them to pack and to ship a luggage rack to get an idea of costs and it blew me away...a few dollars short of $100...I see what you guys mean by stay away from these stores.

I have been surprised to see some of the larger stuff I get coming by the USPS.

I guess if I sell something to one of you guys I will need to ask which method of shipping will work best for you.

One possible way to ship volume goods to Norway: :)

http://www.norusonline.com/indexenglish.html

You send to Tennesse; items go in a container to Oslo once a month.