recieving freight shipment

[Paul Douglass]

I am about to order a new lathe. I am a little concerned about how the shipping will go. If you receive lift gate service, will they set it on the ground for you or just down to the ground and you have to get it off the lift gate? Do you know when they are coming, what day? I'm asking because I work and would need to make arrangements to be there, don't think my wife can lift it. I live in the country and may need to meet the truck because depending on truck size, they may not make it up my private road.

[Paul Heely]

I had my lathe and DC both delivered with lift gate service. In both cases the trucking company called the day before to give me a time range when they would be there. Both times the driver rolled the pallet down the driveway and into the garage, 50' or so. I think the actual "rule" is they have to place it on the ground but are not obligated to roll it anywhere else.

Another option is to go pick it up at the local trucking terminal. Saves on the extra delivery fee if you have a way to bring it home and then unload it.

Good Luck.
--
Paul

[Brodie Brickey]

Like Paul, I had my lathe delivered. They wheeled it into the garage for me. The lift gate service was part of the shipping (via Amazon). I've had other things delivered, like a refrigerator and that was wheeled in as well.

The driver usually has a pallet jack which helps. As long as you don't have the driver threading a needle to get it in, they are very obliging.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

When they delivered my MM-16, the driver pulled it on a pallet jack 100' down my gravel driveway while my neighbor and I moved 3 sheets of plywood for him to roll on. I had to work at it but I finally got the driver to take a $20 tip. He did not want to take it but he went well beyond the call of normal duty IMHO.

[Matt Meiser]

When I ordered a Yorkcraft jointer I had the same experience. But my guy didn't even have to work as my shop has a 12' door and he was able to back up close enough that the lift gate was actually in my shop.

Do be careful on inspection. Note ANY damage no matter how small. If the driver will let you, open things up enough to check inside. Or if you get a good driver and there's damage, he'll call ahead and see if you even want them to bring it out--like the guy who was supposed to deliver our hot tub cover today, but could see the tear in the vinyl through the tear in the box.

[Allen Neighbors]

Make friends with your local Volunteer Fire Dept. Ask them to meet you and help you get it into your shop. Then get the names of those who come, and turn each of them a thank you.
I had to have a utility trailer ready, connected to my riding lawnmower, in order to move it into my shop. The lift-gate was to lower it to the street only. Some drivers aren't as amiable.

[Glenn Hodges]

Paul, hope you do better than me. The trucking company would not deliver it to my house because I live on a dirt road out in the country. I had to go to the shippers dock which was 70 miles from my house. They put my bandsaw on my trailer, and I bought it home. So much for good customer service.

[Dennis Puskar]

Real nice to hear everybody helping everybody.

Dennis

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I'm going to put in a plug for SAIA trucking again. When I got my Grizzly planer not only did the driver help move it into the shop but waited while we uncrated it and checked for any damage before giving us papers to sign off on it. (After driving down a dirt road with two very sharp bends to get to the shop). Forgot to offer him any tip. :o

[Chris Barnett]

Had excellent experience with SAIA when tablesaw was delivered, and again the same with delivery of bandsaw. They placed both in the garage and waited until I was satisfied with condition. I had to go get my lathe and with help of an engine hoist from HF, neighbor and I easily moved it into the basement. Best investment [in my physical well being] has been buying the 2 ton engine hoist on sale from HF, about $130. Must be careful of the back.

[Paul Andrews]

Paul,

Like you, I live in an area where a semi cannot drive to. All the trucking companies use a semi with a lift gate and a pallet jack. My options were to meet the truck and hope we could find level ground and lower the lift gate to the height of my pickup tailgate, then use the pallet jack to load into the bed, or drive the 70 miles to the trucking company. I opted to make the drive rather than chance the transfer with an expensive piece of equipment. Once home the lathe was disassembled one piece at a time and carried to the shop.

[Steve Trauthwein]

I was at work when my 3520b came. It was ordered from amazon.com. I don't know who they used for shipping but the guy used a jack to man handle it down my 30° fifty foot gravel driveway and then made a left for another fifty feet to get it in my basement. I am just thankful that it was not a wet day. After it finally came the wife said she didn't think the box was big enough to hold the lathe. I fretted for several hours thinking they had sent me the wrong one until I got home and saw it!

Good luck with your delivery. Let us know how it went.

Regards, Steve

[Bobby Perry]

When my Jet was delivered, the driver unloaded it and set it in my shop. He was as excited about it as I was and he helped me unpack it and set it up. I was his last delivery that day. I think he has a lathe now.:D

[Reed Gray]

When my Beauty got here, it was on a lift gate truck. The driver used a pallet jack to get it on the gate, got it down to ground level, and off the gate. He then said we can get it up the driveway, so he and my 2 friends pushed it up over the drive way lip (about 1 1/2 inches), and up a 3 ft rise by 20 ft run drive. I told him we probably couldn't wheel it on the gravel to the shop because the 'path' through the logs wasn't wide enough (the pallet was side ways, not length wise), and the last 15 feet was about 2 inches deep with compacted chain saw shavings. We were able to get the pallet off, the mobility wheels on, and wheel it back on some 3/4 plywood. My friend who got my PM got it into his little VW.
robo hippy

[Paul Douglass]

Well based on all these comments I placed my order today! We will see how it goes. Ordered a Nova 1624.

[Doug Miller]

You won't have any trouble. The 1624 only weighs about 250# in the box. Even if the driver can only drop the box, the individual parts are easily carried by one person. You will want some help to assemble, especially when you put the leg assemblies onto the bottom of the ways. Pay special attention to the legs. They do have a direction to them. Double checked mine and still had two of them perfectly backwards. Finally straightened them out after a year of use. You're going to love it.

[Paul Douglass]

I've been toying with the idea of mounting it on a cabinet I have that has draws and enclosed cupboards. Trying to figure in a some down draft dust collection.

[Steven DeMars]

I met a guy @ a Houston Woodworking Show in the MiniMax display area. He had bought a MM16 months previous. When I asked him how hard it was it to move it through a doorway, he told me the following.

Told me the freight company called early one morning to advise him a large heavy crate was headed his way. He waited & waited. No truck showed up all day long. He called the freight company a few times and kind of "grumbled". Late that afternoon, here comes the freight truck backing down his driveway . . . . .

The reason the driver waited to the end of the day was so HE COULD SEE THE MM16 ! ! ! out of the box . . . . The driver helped him get it into his shop and un-crate it . . . . . The driver returned the next day, Saturday to help him assemble / set it up. Oh yea, he said the driver even brought over some lumber in the rough to try it out . . . :o

[Gerald Shultz]

My shop is my rear entry garage. My Oneway (900 lbs) showed up out front. I slipped the driver a $100 "cash" and he proceded to back his 40' trailer 2 blocks down my long long long alley complete with a Dog leg turn. And with a hand powered pallet jack and a lot of blood sweat and tears put the thing through a 4' door in my shop. Now your gonna say "$100 chump" but seeing what that driver had to do it was cheap.
Jerry

[John Abt]

Paul,

When I got my 3520, the driver wheeled it into my shop and placed right where I needed it. They're not obligated to do it, but most drivers are more than willing to help. Let the trucking company know about your private road and they may be able to downsize the truck.

Good luck.

John

[Paul Douglass]

OK, got my lathe today. Here is how it went. I e-mailed Wood Craft to see if they had any idea when to expect my shipment and would the trucking company call me in advance so I could make arrangements with work and get help off loading it. Got e-mail response in less than 10 minutes. Gave me the phone number of the company and statue, it is in my area and should be delivered today. Got nervous because I wanted to talk to the trucker about getting up my private drive. Anyway after several calls to different companies involved with getting my lathe here, and I talking to the driver (her, with a beautiful southern accent, we don't here that much in these parts). She stated that it would be delivered tomorrow because of the load they had.

After discussion, I found out there terminal was only about 18 miles from me so I offered to pick it up if I could find someone to help me get it in my truck. She was the only driver working at that time said she would meet me there and load it with a fork lift. We met, she jumped out of her truck went into the warehouse got the lathe on a fork lift and gently put it in the back of my truck. She could really handle that forklift. I think it worked out better for both of us. One less delivery for her when they are short handed and easier for me. :):)

Oh YA, she wasn't bad look'n either!!