Which bucket (yet again)?

tracdoc · Nov 1, 2005

Toolz,

Another shipping option you may want to explore for such a long distance would be houeshold moving companies (Bekins, United, Mayflower, etc.). If you are not in a rush, their rates may be a lot better. Your shipment of course would not be a full van load, but it could well complete a load coming across country. Rates are very tightly regulated, and with a reputable national carrier there is less likelihood for a "scamola" problem

MossRoad · Nov 1, 2005

<font color="blue"> is that a project, MR, perhaps an FJ 40?? </font>

Yes. A project that I started in 1985 the month before I got married, had a house, then a spouse, then two kids, etc... just like the grapple bucket, I'll finish it when I need it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

(71 FJ40. Fiberglass body. Chevy 350. Hard cab. Convertable half cab. Lots of other dreams... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)

toolz_not_toyz · Nov 1, 2005

Well, the irony in this shipping situation is that I just moved here from Virginia in June. I had considered buying then and taking everything with me. The problem was, my old classic gas-guzzling project pickup truck wasn't going to make it across the country on its own let alone haul a trailer with a PT and accessories. So that meant I'd have to rent a truck and trailer and when I priced that out we were looking at something like $2000 (including fuel and motel stays, etc.) for essentially a trip I didn't want to undertake.

It's taking some doing to get that quote from Overnite, apparently. I did make my opinion known about the $5K door-to-door shipping cost. It's pretty much unacceptable. The more I thought about it the more it bugged me. I went so far as to look up what I paid to have our three cars shipped (door-to-door) last June: $3750. So how does a tractor and maybe two pallets of accessories come to $4980? It's just so uncompetitive with the competition which has a MUCH better reputation and support network (translation: exponentially lower rate of depreciation).

Sure I could go with Overnite (which will hopefully end up much cheaper). But you'd think when you're spending over $18000 on a tractor the least they could do is deliver it to your door for a reasonable cost the same way a local dealer would. I guess my feeling is that Power-Trac should eat some of the cost in order to remain competitive since their lack of a dealer network becomes more problematic the farther you travel from the factory. It's the cost of doing business with the model they've chosen.

pah · Nov 1, 2005

This subject probably deserves it's own thread however. When I bought I arranged my own shipping thru a broker. I saved over $1000.00. When I told Kristie she laughed and said that happens all the time. That attitude and a totally outrageous quote for 2 attachments less than a year later in my mind makes their claim that you save 35% buy buying direct from the factory a joke if you live any distance away.

BillCroasmun · Nov 1, 2005

I actually work in the IT department of the Freight division of FedEx. I don't want this to come off as an advertisement (not that I'd ever get any benefit from this anyways /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif ) but we have a Expedited Freight Solutions team that specializes in finding the right "mode" of freight (air freight vs ground freight, TL vs LTL, expedited, non-expedited, etc. etc.) to meet a customers need.
In this case lowest cost vs speed. They will most obviously give a FedEx solution and cost but they will also tell you the mode. If the best mode is not a FedEx only mode of shipping you could then shop around with other carriers offering the same mode. Make sense? The EFS number is 800-398-0625.

Again, I hope this comes off more as an informational note than as an advertisement which is not my intentions. I'm sure there are other carriers offering the same service I just don't know their numbers. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

toolz_not_toyz · Nov 1, 2005

Well the quote is in from Overnite and it's just under $1700. Less than I thought it would be. I had considered looking into using a broker and may still do that.

tracdoc · Nov 1, 2005

Toolz,

$1,700. via Overnite for that distance doesn't sound unreasonable. I would expect that the national moving carriers would probably charge somewhat more than that, but still worth a check. The interstate rate was somewhere around $0.60/lb Fuel prices may have changed that.

I hope you don't "jump ship" from PT after doing so much homework.

MossRoad · Nov 2, 2005

Well, that beats $5000 at least. $1700 doesn't sound too bad, considering the $500 to Indiana four years ago when fuel was less than 1/2 the price it is now. You're almost three times as far and fuel prices have gone up, so it sounds reasonable.

toolz_not_toyz · Nov 2, 2005

I absolutely agree that $1700 for that distance sounds great. Just can't figure out the huge difference in price between Overnite and door-to-door private carrier. The private guy must be wanting to tow this with a Rolls Royce or something. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

As for jumping ship after all this time...it's unlikely. I just can't see how a CUT would help me. I mean, how do you everything else when all you have is a FEL, a back hoe, and a mowing deck??? We already know that a PT is better for digging post holes (which I plan to do for expanding the deck, building a garden shed, etc). I would have to forego the 4n1 and get a boxblade. What about forks? I've never seen them used on a little CUT...don't even know if they're available. And so on.

jfh28 · Nov 2, 2005

I just had mine shipped door to door for less than the cost of the sales tax. Made my decision easy. The door to door guy was cheaper than the freight company quote.

I would suspect distance is the determining factor. Keep in mind the door to door guy is traveling the distance to you and then dead heading back. Overnight is going to a terminal near you and loading up with a paying load to travel back with. Also if it's a multi-day trip to you then the door to door guy is also losing the income he could be making by making multiple deliveries. Everyday he is driving to you, he is not able to take on another delivery job. He is probably most effecient in a delivery radius of there and back in one day. He'll make the most money that way. 5 separate deliverys in one week versues the 1 to you. From what I understood, PT is keeping him pretty busy.

Doesn't make it any easier to accept for you, but could be the explanation of the difference.

Jack

I absolutely agree that $1700 for that distance sounds great. Just can't figure out the huge difference in price between Overnite and door-to-door private carrier.