Pallet Delivery on Semi Truck? Rent a Loading Dock?

[Megan Farwell]

My husband and I run our business out of our home and we are going to begin having large deliveries every few weeks. Our supplier can ship via UPS but they said it we could save a lot on shipping costs if we were able to have the deliveries sent on a pallet and delivered to a location with a loading dock. Does anyone know if there are businesses that would allow us to have a pallet delivered to their location every few weeks? Basically rent/use a loading dock for a few minutes until we load the product into our pick up from off the pallet? We are in Indianapolis if that makes any difference. Any guidance would be appreciated!

[Greg R Bradley]

All you really need is a business with a fork lift that can take it off the truck and then later put the pallet into yours. Far more of those businesses than ones that have a truck high door and a ground level door nearby. People generally pay us $20 to do that but it is usually local businesses where we just drive the pallet over to them.

Or if you have a reasonably level driveway you could just buy this: http://www.uline.com/BL_1900/Straddle-Stackers?keywords=Electric%20Pallet%20Jack

Large deliveries to a home would violate the law where I am. If you may have that problem, lots of UPS trucks or a big semi pulling up to your house could be much more noticeable than your pickup coming home with a pallet in the back.

Also, I would investigate UPS hundredweight pricing. Depending on what you are buying, the vendor might be able to ship several hundred pounds of product for the same price if it is 10 50 pound boxes or one 500 pound pallet.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

If the deliveries are on pallets, they will be delivered by a trucking company who probably has a local dock. Maybe your deliveries could be made to the trucking company's dock for your pickup. No rental needed if that company is doing the trucking.

Before I retired, I often had large parts shipped in by truck and picked them up at the trucking company's dock.

[Davis Young]

Like Ken said, if it is not too far away, you can have your shipment held for pickup at your local terminal. That's what I did when I got my Unisaw. They forklifted onto my truck and saved me about $80 for the lift gate surcharge. Make sure to tell the shipper to note the request when they fill out the bill of lading.

[Ed Labadie]

On the last truck freight delivery I had, the freight company called to schedule the delivery. I told them no, I'll pick it up at the terminal.

Worked for both of us.

Ed

[Bill Ryall]

Another vote for picking it up at the terminal. I do it fairly frequently since I don't have a forklift or loading dock at either my real job or my shop.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

Same here with the trucking company terminal. I had my DC shipped via fedex and picked it up from their terminal which was only a few miles from home. Saved myself over $100 in shipping costs.

[roger wiegand]

I just pick stuff up at the terminal, they are very cooperative about loading it into my pickup. Much easier than trying to deal with residential delivery by an 18-wheeler and cheaper than paying for a lift gate delivery. Of course I have to unload by hand when I get home.

[Megan Farwell]

I hadn't even thought of picking it up at the local terminal and that is a great idea! Thank you all for your input.