Anyone have experience getting large (1000+ lbs.) shipped to local freight docks?

[Michael Koons]

Need the group's help once again. I've started the process to buy a large Jointer/Planer combo machine and a 20" bandsaw both from the same European manufacturer. I have made similar purchases before, most recently for a sliding table saw that weighed over 1000 lbs. In the past, tools (including the table saw) were delivered to my house on pallets with a lift gate truck and I found creative ways to get them from the driveway to the basement. I was planning on doing the same this time. I called a rigging company and they quoted me $1600 to move the gear for me. I called a friend who's a contractor and he's going to rent a bobcat with a fork attachment and do it for $200. Obviously, that was the route I was going to take.

In the process of placing the order, I was told I'd need to have the machines shipped to a local freight dock due to the size of the J/P. (1000+ lbs.) I'm assuming that at that point I'd need to hire someone to get it from the freight dock to my house which I'm guessing will put me back to the $1600 rigging company. I don't think I'm willing to do that due to cost and hassle. I'd have to rethink the purchase and get somewhat smaller tools.

Has anyone gone through the process of using a local dock before? What was your experience? Any thoughts on options?

[mreza Salav]

If you go with a box truck to a freight terminal they will put the pallet on your truck. The question is how to get it off the truck at your end. If you have a fork lift at your end you should be good then.

[Jeff Duncan]

1000 lbs isn't really a lot and should be manageable with a lift gate….of course then they can't gouge you! What I've done several times is to rent a box truck with lift gate which usually runs in the neighborhood of $150. As an example a 16' Ryder box truck can easily lift 1600 lbs. Then I can just drop it where I want to. I haven't had the luxury of picking up at a loading dock though, my equipment is usually bought used and generally manhandled with a pallet jack. Though the few times I've had machines shipped via freight they did just show up and drop it with their lift gates so…..?

good luck,
jeffD

[Erik Loza]

Hey Mike, one thing you could do is hire an auto towtruck to get the machines from the dock to your site. I've had a lot of guys do this...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?16480-Second-most-expensive-tool-gloat
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?41370-Technomax-CU410-Elite-combo-with-8-5-quot-slider&p=517795#post517795

Then, just make a pathway of OSB or plywood, hire some moving guys with a pallet jack, and let them push the gear back to your shop location. Both those options shouldn't cost more than a few hundred $$$ apiece.

Erik

[Bill Adamsen]

If you can get the equipment through your shop door on a low trailer (or even pickup bed), a chain hoist or engine lift works well for lifting, once off the trailer, pull out from under. If well-bolted to a stable pallet, you can also slide and pull off the trailer. Once on the floor it can be moved pretty easily with a pallet jack. The transfer at the terminal is typically pretty painless, though almost always easier well-bolted to a strong pallet. Getting large items into a pickup bed at a terminal can sometimes be challenging.

[Michael Koons]

I did the plywood/pallet jack trick method with the sliding table saw before. But in that case, I was across a flat lawn. Now, I have a slope between the garage and the basement. Not a huge slope, but big enough that I'm concerned about a pallet getting away from me. Best way to solve this seems to be to rent a bobcat with forks. That way I can get it back there without worrying about going downhill with a pallet jack.

[Patrick Walsh]

Just had the same problem slope and all.

My two machines one 1500lbs and the other 500 ended up being lifted with a crane. The crane placed them on a platform in front of my basement door atop a pallet jack. We then rolled them down a uber solid ramp assisted by five strong men into my basement.

All this could had been avoided could i have got a bobcat into my yard. I could not, think electrostatic coated metal fence cemented into the ground and the door opening to small. All the fence sections were obstructed by my prized rare tree collection or i would had just removed one.

I hired a flatbed tow truck to pick the machines up. I met them at the terminal so i could look the machines over for possible damage occurred in delivery. The terminal was 10 miles from my house. I got quotes up to $400 i ended up paying $150 plus a $50 tip as the driver was really really careful with my new babies.

The crane cost $700, all and all it went really easy. Imop it had potential to go all wrong. For instance had it rained and i had a machine stuck in the middle of yard.

I build houses for a living so i am familiar with moving stuff. If you are also familiar with moving stuff rent a bobcat and ask a friend or neighbor for a hand.

[Scott DelPorte]

Hi Michael
I often use my pickup to get machines from the freight dock to my house rather than rely on lift gate service. If the pallet is not too large for a pickup bed, you might be able to get a friend/neighbor/coworker with a pickup to help you with that portion and save some money over hiring riggers. I have fit a 24" bandsaw in the bed of the pickup, and a 16" planer (in separate trips) but not sure of the dimensions of your particular machine. Once I get it to my house I use the forks on a tractor or skid steer to unload it, just like you propose. I have decided that 1000 pounds is about the max that I want to deal with using my own equipment.

Frankly, I prefer to pick up machines at the dock rather than have the lift gate service. Its more convenient for me to just go get it after work rather than wait for a delivery, and it means a quicker delivery. It seems like lift gate service has always added another day or two to delivery time, and they can't (or won't) drive the box trucks down a hill on my driveway to the shop. Pickup trucks have no problems with it however.
Thanks
Scott

[Tom M King]

I'd use the trailer that comes with the Bobcat, or the one the friend will use to pick it up on.

[David Eisenhauer]

I moved both my Delta table saw and Minimax band saw with my pickup from the freight loading dock (they loaded direct to the bed of the pickup) to my shop. I cobbled up some temporary ramps to slide the loads down to ground level onto a cobbled together rolling platform gizmo I made to roll the units (on pallets) into the shop. Worked well. Used a come along where needed for final positioning. This was pre rentable pallet jack or powered dolly days.

[john jean]

i moved a 20 planer with a rental truck it also had a hydrulic lift gate, backed up to the big trk put it on the lift gate moved it ti the garage

[Michael W. Clark]

When I picked up at the terminal, had to let them know in advance (a day or so) that I was picking up with a pick-up. The reason for the advance notice was to allow them to stage the item to bring it down the ramp. You can't use the dock with a pick-up or typical trailer because the bed height is too low.

The item will need to be small enough that there is no issue coming down the ramp with it if your terminal is set up that way. A 1000# item shouldn't be an issue for most forklifts, even on a ramp. All our shipping lifts were rated 5000#+ in the foundry but you don't want near that much on a ramp.

A tractor with forks is fantastic if you don't have a liftgate.
Mike

[Michael Koons]

Thanks for all the input. This was EXTREMELY helpful.

I'm thinking the trailer idea might work best. If I can get these guys on a trailer towed by my truck I might be able to drive it around to the back yard and very close to the basement door. If that doesn't work, I can always rent the bobcat to get it around the house.

Are there any issues with the people at the dock loading the gear onto a trailer that's close to the ground? I imagine they do it all the time but just wanted to check.

[Scott DelPorte]

Before you order your machine, the shipper can tell you which freight location it will be shipped to. You can just call that location and find out if they can load your trailer or not. If that location cant, I bet you can find one that can.

[Michael Koons]

For those following this post to research something similar, I found a great post from last year that shows something almost identical to what I need to do...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?220962-Italian-Invasion-My-New-Toys

It convinced me that the trailer would be the best option.

[Bill Adamsen]

Michael: The vendors I've used (Old Dominion and Yellow) can either load off their dock, or bring the pallet out with a fork. My trailer sides are about four inches higher than the bed (which always concerns me about forks) and I like to place the weight just ahead of the axel (more tongue weight). The operators seem very good at extracting their forks without having to use extra skids, and then pushing the pallet forward or back with the side of the fork for the right tongue weight.

Getting it off is another thing altogether. A strong fork like a Lull is the cat's meow ... but where there is a will, there is a way.

[Mike Wilkins]

Unless you get lift gate service and have some assistance at your home, you will have to come up with some innovative and creative ways to move this machine to your shop.
In 2007 I took delivery of a sliding table saw with a 1000# weight rating. I arranged to pick up the machine at the trucking terminal after renting a U-Haul trailer. They used their forklift to place it onto the trailer. It was on me to remove the machine from the trailer, solo, and move it into my shop.
This is where you use your brain, not your back to move a heavy machine. Using furniture dollies, a hand truck and careful movements, the machine was moved into the shop without the use of colorful dock-side language.
It can be done, just carefully and using some sort of wheeled conveyances to move things along.
Good luck and don't forget to alert us of your new gloat.