Costs for shipping car parts

[Gary_Ash]

This week, I had to ship 5 cast aluminum parts to a friend.  They measured 14.5 x 5 x 5/8".  I had this all figured out: go to the local post office, grab a large flat rate box (23-11/16 x 11-3/4 x 3) and send it for $22.80.  Problem: no free flat rate boxes this size at P.O., no longer listed on USPS web site on shipping supplies web page, though shown on their shipping price pages.  You can get 12 x 12 x 5-1/2 boxes that ship for $22.80. 

 

I bought a box of similar 24" size at the P.O. for $5.95, packed the 13 lb of parts, then paid $64.20 to ship it to Colorado from Massachusetts with $500 insurance in 4 days.  Did I feel screwed?  You bet!

 

Today I got smarter (too late).  The on-line quote from FedEx for similar service and insurance  was $43.21 and the UPS 4-day ground price was $34.05, though you may pay more at a UPS store in the mall.  I live 2 miles from a local UPS distribution site but they will no longer accept shipments from individuals.

 

It is also clear to me that companies with commercial shipping accounts pay far less than individuals at home.  However, you can't see those rates on line, only if you are a commercial customer. I guess the expectation is they are getting multiple deliveries and making multiple shipments from one address.

 

In the past, I have shipped an old 6 volt generator in a medium flat rate box cheaply, current price coast-to-coast is $17.10.  If it fits, it ships, no matter the weight up to 70 lbs.  So, the moral of the story is, if you can fit parts in a USPS flat rate box, that's the way to go.  If not, UPS may be your best bet with FedEx not far behind.  You pays your money and takes your choice!

 

If you want to ship an engine or other really large part, put it in a rectangular wooden crate capable of being handled by a fork lift and deliver it to a YRC/Yellow Freight terminal for shipment to a terminal near the other end.  Cheapest rates are for crates that other things can be stacked on top of.  Cost is by volume not weight, so make the crate really strong.  Declare the shipment as "used auto parts".  Delivery to a home with lift gate service adds a lot to the price.  

 

End of rant.  I feel better now.

[pkhammer]

  Gary, you just explained in great detail the EXACT things I have learned about shipping. Couldn't agree with you more! If it can fit and ship in a USPS flat rate box or envelope, great! If not, put in a plain brown box and go UPS. If you sell thru ebay as I do a lot, take advantage of purchasing and printing your own shipping labels for any service at a greatly reduced rate thru ebay. Slap on the label, drop it off at the nearest PO or shipping point and be happy! I too miss the large USPS "game board box"!

[Fordy]

Rant is entirely valid. The cost of buying parts from overseas suppliers and getting them shipped to me in Australia is ridiculous. For example, latest project is a Triumph Spitfire. Lots of parts available ex UK and by the time they arrive it virtually doubles the purchase price. Same thing goes for buying from the US. The crazy rip off rates must surely be impacting heavily on the businesses that do (or did) a large volume of mail order. It's got to be greed somewhere in the chain.

I was after a heater box for the Spitfire ex UK  - cost 35 quid - shipping to Australia 200+.  Got the same thing off eBay ex UK with a similar purchase cost but with the sweetheart deals on shipping through eBay that portion was only another 40 pounds. Who's pocket does the 160 pound discrepancy go into if the vendor goes to do shipping themselves?

Edited January 21, 2023 by Fordy (see edit history)

[hidden_hunter]

I probably wouldn't use the language of some, but in the case of here in Aus I do wonder how much has been caused by the transition from employee to "contractors" (well sham contractors)

 

Went from knowing who the postie was and leaving a 6 pack out at christmas, to someone that just tosses your packages over the fence

[auburnseeker]

Anyone shipping anything domestically or overseas should look into Pirateship.  I use them for all my shipping period. They offer huge discounts on Both UPS and USPS.  I can often ship stuff for 40% off or more.  Sometimes on international stuff using UPS I can save 60-70% off window or UPS site prices.  There is also Cubic rates for up to 5 or 6 states away that are even cheaper than media mail. 

 

Very good customer support as well and if you are in business for yourself they have everything at a click clearly displayed for end of the year reports.  You can also look back at anything you shipped easily with a search if you need to check on a certain shipment.  They also have special rates for overseas for less than 4 lbs for USPS.  

 

I have often found damage in shipping,  is items not being properly packed.  Shipping a generator should have rigid styrofoam packing so tight you can toss it around and not move.  I shake every package , that is suspect before taping up the box to make sure there is no movement.  It's the same with quantities of literature and anything else heavy.  People use the wrong packing material.  It wads up in one end,  then the empty space allows the contents to become a battering ram.   Box it like it will be treated like a foot ball or sack of concrete and it will make it fine 99+% of the time. 

[auburnseeker]

I also use them to ship lots to me from other places in the country.  I just buy the labels and mail or email them to the people selling me the literature.  Works great as I get the discount and have instant access to the tracking,  plus the senders don't have to stand in line or front any shipping $$.   Helps encourage people to sell to me.  With some of those lots,  6 or so boxes,  I can literally save $100-$200 easily.  Often shipping priority mail or upgraded UPS services as they work out even cheaper than the regular normally cheaper services. 

[keiser31]

I got a 1926 Chevrolet radiator from a seller through the mail. The filler neck was sunken into the top tank due to improper packing. I got a freshly chromed radiator shell for my 1931 Dodge from Florida. Once again....packing improperly ruined the shell. There is about a dime sized ding with chrome missing because the idiot who packed it, packed it so the louvered grille was loose inside the shell. It punched a ding in the chrome and broke the chrome surface. That was packed and shipped by UPS. Packing correctly IS the secret. I have shipped hundreds of fragile items to many states and countries with no damage because I pack stuff PROPERLY.

[1937hd45]

Sorry to learn about the loss of the "Board Game Box'' from the post office. 

Edited January 21, 2023 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[viv w]

Yes packing is important, one has to pack stuff securely and as light weight as possible, as freight companies use volume or weight to maximize profit. 

 I worked in the post office here during my national service and what people do not realise, is that the counter staff that receive your parcel may handle it carefully, but it goes into the backroom where it is tossed into a heavy canvas bag about a meter cubed, with other parcels tossed on top going to the same destination. Once that bag is full, it gets tied at the top and the bag is dragged and tossed around on its journey, the onward staff do not know what is inside the bag and often the bags get tossed off the trucks. I've seen bottles of booze that have been wrapped in paper as you would put them under a xmas tree and the senders get pear shaped because it broke.

 Fedex and UPS may take a bit more care, but even if they are palletizing the boxes, there is no guarantee that a heavy box may end up on top of fragile goods.

 As regards the high cost of freight, pricing has gone through the roof due to covid the last couple of years. With the grounding of a lot of passenger flights that used to carry some  of the cargo, demand on the planes that only carry cargo soared and demand exceeded supply, so the cargo airlines climbed on the band wagon. A freind of mine is a loadmaster for one of these companies, and told me they had quadrupled the charges, not because their operating costs had gone up, but demand was so high they could charge what they wanted and customers had no option but to pay. Maybe things will revert back, but I doubt it.

BTW, I have a set of Chrysler 65 guages sitting in Canada I was selling for 20usd, a guy in Aussie wanted them but the cheapest, slowest costing to get them there was over 400usd, crazy money. The Aussie guy has said no thanks and I do not blame him.

[joe_padavano]

17 hours ago, E-116-YH said:

Hello Gary & Everyone Else,

                                                         Be careful shipping Generators in medium flat rate boxes, it used to work just fine . Just recently I sold a 1931 Dodge DG-8 generator to a fellow in SC. Look how it ended up getting there. I think the USPS dropped it off a five story building. Yes the post office paid the insurance claim that I filed. 

 

This damage is caused by an incompetent person packing the item. Sorry, but stuff happens. Heavy packages WILL be dropped. Stuffing a generator into a flat rate box without appropriate padding and supports is asking for trouble. Businesses who ship items like this for a living will either use expand-in-place foam packaging or contoured, pre-fitted cardboard or styrofoam supports to protect tabs and other parts of the item that are vulnerable to damage. The shipping company isn't the root cause of this problem, it's a lazy, incompetent seller who packaged it with inadequate internal supports.

[John348]

1 hour ago, joe_padavano said:

 

This damage is caused by an incompetent person packing the item. Sorry, but stuff happens. Heavy packages WILL be dropped. Stuffing a generator into a flat rate box without appropriate padding and supports is asking for trouble. Businesses who ship items like this for a living will either use expand-in-place foam packaging or contoured, pre-fitted cardboard or styrofoam supports to protect tabs and other parts of the item that are vulnerable to damage. The shipping company isn't the root cause of this problem, it's a lazy, incompetent seller who packaged it with inadequate internal supports.

I agree Joe 100% I ship generators all of the time in flat rate boxes and never had a problem, but I spend the extra time and pack it like I am the one receiving it, after all it is flat rate

[TTR]

Just to make you guys feel better, I regularly ship fairly large (6' x 3' x 2', 150-250 lbs) crates containing NLA and obsolete style windshields and other large curved glass for vintage cars and have a business account with couple of major LTL freight carriers. An average coast-to-coast (or anywhere within lower 48) cost for each shipment is around $250-$350 with my "82% discount" from "retail" pricing.

 

As for the E-116-YH's shipping problem, I agree with Joe P., the cause appearing to be inadequate packing rather than the carrier, regardless who that is or who works for them.

Shipping things to have them arrive safely is easy. Just pack/-age them properly.

 

In nearly 30 years of packaging and shipping aforementioned crates (with windshields and other automotive glass inside) to all corners of the world, never really had one arriving to intended destination broken (although about 20 years ago, one long distance buyer made such BS claim), but then again, for each shipment, I spend nearly $100 on materials and +/- 2hrs for building a crate and packing it, using construction/professional grade air, battery and electrically powered tools and equipment to get them done efficiently/quickly enough.

Edited January 21, 2023 by TTR (see edit history)

[28 Chrysler]

I have lost sales do to the increases in rates by the U S Post office, Fed Ex, and U P S.

One was a 18X18X6 box that weighed 5 1/4 pounds the cheapest was over $50 from the west to the east coast.

[pont35cpe]

I got hosed too. USPS extra $20 for "non-standard length".  What`s standard? Oh yeah, box was 30 1/2" in length. Was it the 1/2"?

Edited January 21, 2023 by pont35cpe (see edit history)

[californiamilleghia]

if you go on the USPS website you can order free boxes and they have sizes not at the Post office .

 

And at one time Greyhound was a good place to ship large bulky things , not sure if it still has decent prices.

[keiser31]

16 hours ago, E-116-YH said:

Hello Gary & Everyone Else,

                                                         Be careful shipping Generators in medium flat rate boxes, it used to work just fine.  Just recently I sold a 1931 Dodge DG-8 generator to a fellow in SC. Look how it ended up getting there. I think the USPS dropped it off a five story building. Yes the post office paid the insurance claim that I filed. 

Hopefully, the guy can get an end plate from another generator to fit.

[Mark Shaw]

I had a lost USPS small package.  So, I filed a claim via the USPS website.  It took weeks for USPS to finally deny the claim. 

It reminded me of this video:  

 

 

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[auburnseeker]

I will say that the whole insurance deal with USPS is a mess.  Basically pack it well and hope for the best.  Insurance really is a waste of money as they rarely honor a claim and the hoops to jump through make anything except very valuable items not worth it.   

Pirate ship offers insurance through another provider.  I'm not sure how they are to deal with.  I have only bought it a couple of times at request of the buyer. 

 

Side note I had a guy send me a beautifully rechromed rear bumper for my 1948 Cadillac.  He strapped the 4 rechromed guards to it and when it arrived it had a goose egg shaped dent in one end with the chrome popped and only one guard.   I had to eat everything as the shipped gave the run around about filing the claim, that I had to do it,  but in actuality the seller did,  so nothing happened.  They also just  wrapped the bumper in thin cardboard.  I shipped a NOS rear bumper to a 1969 Pontiac executive to a guy in the Netherlands and built a wooden crate for it.  His arrived unscathed. 

 

Positively,  I had a guy ship me a 48 Chevy complete grille.  It was basically NOS.  Just super nice.  All he did was wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap and stick a label on it.  No box or anything.  It arrived completely intact.  There was a tiny ding on one end and a small crack in the potmetal top bar,  but I don't know if that happened in shipping or over the years.   I was almost sick to my stomach unwrapping it,  as I figured there is no way it could make it there like that.  When you picked it up,  while wrapped it flexed like you were picking up a bird with it's wings fully extended.  That was after a long battle to get him to ship it and finally a girl from pay pal,  running him up and down the flag pole to ship it to me, so I know I had no recourse if it was broken. 

[pont35cpe]

I once bought a pair of NOS front shocks for a `36 Buick. What i received, was a piece of the cardboard box with my name/address on it, in a zip lock baggie. When i checked the tracking, it stated "delivered".  Claim was denied.

Edited January 21, 2023 by pont35cpe (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

32 minutes ago, pont35cpe said:

I once bought a pair of NOS front shocks for a `36 Buick. What i received, was a piece of the cardboard box with my name/address on it, in a zip lock baggie. When i checked the tracking, it stated "delivered".  Claim was denied.

I had a similar problem where I had purchased a Kent-Moore tool on ebay - a steel cylinder about 6" long an 1.5" in diameter. The seller simply threw it in a cardboard Priority Mail envelope for shipping. I got an empty envelope with one side torn open. I sent a photo to the seller, and he fortunately refunded all my money, including shipping.

[TAKerry]

I just got a pair of cast exhaust manifolds shipped from ILL. to MD. in a computer printer box, UPS. Cost was $65. For a box that heavy I was not surprised.

Whenever I ship I go to my local mail station and give him the address. He can pull up the rates for all of the shippers. Fed Ex usually is the cheapest from my experience.

[edinmass]

On a total restoration for a Pebble Beach car……..shipping is an actual line item that can EASILY run 20-30k by the time you’re done……it’s insane. 

[Mikefit]

I shipped a starter/ generator very heavy built a box out of plywood drywall screws the generator fit very tight in the box in a ways.  Ups charged me $20.00 extra as it was not in a card board box.  How did that  m aww mea difference ????????

[TTR]

7 hours ago, edinmass said:

On a total restoration for a Pebble Beach car……..shipping is an actual line item that can EASILY run 20-30k by the time you’re done……it’s insane. 

I assume that doesn’t include to-from air freight for the car itself, especially if coming from abroad.

[Leif in Calif]

On 1/21/2023 at 6:02 AM, joe_padavano said:

 

This damage is caused by an incompetent person packing the item. Sorry, but stuff happens. Heavy packages WILL be dropped. Stuffing a generator into a flat rate box without appropriate padding and supports is asking for trouble. Businesses who ship items like this for a living will either use expand-in-place foam packaging or contoured, pre-fitted cardboard or styrofoam supports to protect tabs and other parts of the item that are vulnerable to damage. The shipping company isn't the root cause of this problem, it's a lazy, incompetent seller who packaged it with inadequate internal supports.

Correct! In my professional life I often had to ship very expensive glass parts. Glass is heavy (it's made out of sand, which is made out of rocks). the purpose of packing is not so much to cushion. The main purpose is to hold it rigidly in place. 

[1937hd45]

On 1/22/2023 at 12:10 PM, edinmass said:

On a total restoration for a Pebble Beach car……..shipping is an actual line item that can EASILY run 20-30k by the time you’re done……it’s insane. 

Ed, Is that unique to Pebble Beach were the truck and driver are there for the week?

[1937hd45]

Just got the price on mailing a license plate to Australia $37.10, Flat rate Priority mail would be $62.20, always feel bad shipping to Australia and New Zealand they really love the hobby. 

[auburnseeker]

17 minutes ago, 1937hd45 said:

Just got the price on mailing a license plate to Australia $37.10, Flat rate Priority mail would be $62.20, always feel bad shipping to Australia and New Zealand they really love the hobby. 

What's the weight and dimensions of the box?  I'll check with Pirate ship out of curiosity.  Bet it's under 20.00. 

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, 1937hd45 said:

Ed, Is that unique to Pebble Beach were the truck and driver are there for the week?

NOT vehicle shipping....Fedex & UPS for parts and other sub contract work.........a tractor to Pebble round trip would be 25K for the week round trip. 

[1937hd45]

49 minutes ago, edinmass said:

NOT vehicle shipping....Fedex & UPS for parts and other sub contract work.........a tractor to Pebble round trip would be 25K for the week round trip. 

Ok, I'm slowly learning how things roll out there, still wish to thank everyone that puts a car on the lawn for our enjoyment. Does a car owner get two free passes with every car entered? 

[EricGG]

On 1/22/2023 at 12:45 AM, joe_padavano said:

I had a similar problem where I had purchased a Kent-Moore tool on ebay - a steel cylinder about 6" long an 1.5" in diameter. The seller simply threw it in a cardboard Priority Mail envelope for shipping. I got an empty envelope with one side torn open. I sent a photo to the seller, and he fortunately refunded all my money, including shipping.

There are many things one should and should not do when shipping stainless steel tubes. My first advice would be to buy a stainless steel tube shipping tube from a company that specializes in stainless steel tube shipping. If you can't find one, here are some tips: -Do not use a padded envelope. -Do not double-wall box. -Do not use a cardboard tube. -Do not use a tube with a plastic cap. -Do not ship in a cardboard box, even if it is padded. -You can ship inside a cardboard box, but not the same box the tube came in. -Use the biggest box you can, and fill the box with bubble wrap, foam packaging peanuts, or something similar that will protect the tube from getting crushed. -As a last resort, you can put the tube in a padded envelope, but this is not safe, and I would never ship a stainless steel tube in a padded envelope unless no other options are available.  I hope this helps!

[arcticbuicks]

shipping from Canada to the USA is now crazy,or even within Canada,Greyhound closed a few years ago and really hurt,UPS and others are crazy expensive,and most find Canada post is the way to go but costly,there are border shipping depots on the US side of the border and i have items sent there then i drive down and pick up and bring my items through the border.If i order a set of points from US it can be $25 shipping to Canada lol

[sagefinds]

I've been boxing,crating and shipping for about 50 years. I found that if UPS could break it they would. If it isn't a flatrate box size item,I ship everything FedEx now. I sent two truck wheels separately boxed to a fellow in New Mexico. One got there,the other there was no record of. FedEx paid right away for it. But I was disappointed one day when I was looking for a long,thin box to send some trim,found a round cardboard tube and used it. To my surprise there was a $14 surcharge because a round tube is harder to keep under control in the truck than a square box.

[TexRiv_63]

I went to my small contract post office today, they had a big stack of free Large flat rate boxes. Got home, checked the online rate page and large flat rate is still there at $22.45. Went to my postal account, looked under free shipping supplies and the large flat rate boxes are still available.

[Gary_Ash]

@TexRiv_63Don:  Did you find 12x12x6 large boxes or 24x12x3 large flat rate boxes?  It's the long ones I can't find.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[pkhammer]

 Post office told me the 12x12x6 is the only large flat rate now available and the 24x12x3 "game board boxes" were discontinued.

[Aussi John 1]

Shipping from US to Australia is very expensive, especially on eBay.

 

To ship an item that would fit in a letter envelope can cost $30 to $50 dollars.

 

 Sometimes the shipping is more than the item cost.

[TexRiv_63]

19 hours ago, Gary_Ash said:

@TexRiv_63Don:  Did you find 12x12x6 large boxes or 24x12x3 large flat rate boxes?  It's the long ones I can't find.

I found the 12 by 12s, did not realize there was two sizes. Please ignore my comment!