Receiving Shipments

[Anonymous Poster]

I was looking at ordering an attachment "tiller" from a company and need to find out how can a large truck get this item to my house. Are there trucking companies that will let you drop off loads on their shipping docks and then load the item onto your truck or trailer? How do normal folks get large items to their house??

 

[thcri]

My experience is usually the trucking company will take it right out to your house and drop it off. On an item that large you may want to have something like a FEL to take it off of his truck. But if the shipping address is your house, they will take it there.

Just my experience.

murph

 

[markie61]

I once got a large load that would have cost an extra $50 to come to my house (charge for moving to a special single-chassis truck with liftgate.)

I had the sender ship it to the terminal. When it arrived, they used the forklift to put it on a trailer for me.

Simple and saved a little $.

Mark

 

[Inspector507]

But the driver only has to be to get it to the back door of the truck. It's your baby after that. This has been my experience anyway.

 

[RedDog]

Since I work for a trucking company, I think I can answer your question(s).

Your best bet is to pick it up at the trucking companys dock. This will save you a (residential) delivery fee, and a (liftgate) fee, if one is needed.

If you must have it delivered to your house, you had better have a way of getting it off of the trailer. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif The driver will not wait long for you to round something up to unload it.

I have refused to go to some homes because of trees, low wires, etc.

Good luck,, /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif RedDog

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I recently ordered a box blade and finish mower, the trucking company delivered them to my residential address. I had to use the FEL to unload. Some do offer a liftgate on the back of the truck to get the load on the ground.

 

[WCarlson]

You have just hit upon the primary argument for a fork lift attachment for your FEL. With one you can have the truck deliver to your site and offload it yourself saving the $50. charge for a lift truck. Another solution if you have a merchant near you who will do it, is to have it delivered to a commercial address with a loading dock and then pick it up there. Prior to purchasing my fork lift attachment, I had made such an arrangement with my John Deere dealer, who was happy to do it for the good will. However, I didn't feel right when the item was something he sold or could get, ergo, the fork lift attachment. Good Luck.

Bill

 

[Wingnut]

My experience has been the same ... and the driver is NOT paid to help you unload it ... so I get the stuff delivered to the dock and they're very happy to use their forktrucks to load onto my pickup ... and then it's fairly easy to get off the truck with the FEL ... much easier than trying to get out of a trailer. Hmm ... maybe I'll have to build some forks after all ... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

pete

 

[DFB]

Yep, if the truck delivery comes to your place your usually responsible for unloading the item off of the truck. Driver's don't usually help. Most can't even give you a exact time of day for delivery either.

I also find it easier to pick up at the terminal. I've went this route twice over the past year. For me there's several close by. You'll save money on the freight charges too. Normally someone working there will be willing to assist you in loading your truck/trailer. They did for my plow. Put the pallet right on my truck with a forklift.

Be aware some places have no outside ground level access. Seems hard to believe but true. If you can't level up your vehicle to the loading dock and can't move the load by hand you'll need to figure another method yet. The second time around, the truck terminal (different carrier) had no ramp or ground level door to use. Luckily for me, this was pickup was for an unassembled trailer. I had to unband the shipping pallet and load it all piece by piece. Good luck. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DFB

 

[Soundguy]

Actually.. in some cases.. they 'are paid to help you unload'.. if their company offers the extra services such as lift gate and/or forklift attatchment to their truck.. for a fee of course.

I've had many truck shipments to my address, and where appropriate paid the lift gate fee out of convenience.

Other times I have had dock shipments.. and they are usually more than happy to forklift a pallet onto your trailer.. but sometimes are leary of loading the bed of a truck.. depends on what you are getting.. and who is running the lift.

I was looking into ordering a tractor from northern one time.. and your options were to pick it up at the dock.. fully assembled, but strapped down to a pallet... no fluids installed, delivered on a flatbed... again, dry and crated.. or for an extra 100 bucks, uncrated ( but dry ) on a flatbed with a liftgate, or a rollback, to roll off into your driveway.

Just depends on what your comfort vs wallet ratio is at,. and what the company offers..

Soundguy