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Thread: Transport

  1. #1

    Transport

    I want to buy a CNC but I'm running up against the difficulty of getting one onto my property. From what I'm told the shippers wont unload them off their truck. Was curious how everyone is getting the machines delivered to their home or shop. I've seen the tow truck option and have called several tow truck operators here (San Diego County) and they think I'm crazy. Can anyone tell me how they've done it? Thank You.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Iowa USA
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    4,441
    Look up Lift Gate service or consider CNC Router Parts/ AVID kits. I had a local towing company with a flat bed pick up at freight company and deliver to my house a 1000 lb surface grinder.
    Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10

  3. #3
    Shipping weight on mine was about 500 lbs. so a friend and I picked it up from the FedEx terminal and FedEx used a forklift to load it onto my friend's trailer. When we got it here at our house another friend was waiting with an engine hoist to offload it into the shop. That worked pretty good, actually.

    David
    David
    CurlyWoodShop on Etsy, David Falkner on YouTube, difalkner on Instagram

  4. #4
    You just need to contact your local rental yard (sunbelt or whomever) and have then drop a forklift the day before for you to unload the machine and get it placed and then come back and pick it up the day after. Its an expense but its simply part of the expense of moving a machine your unable to handle into your space.

    Larger machines companies hire riggers to handle the offload and placement of the machine.

    I cant remember the weight of our machine. perhaps 2000lbs? Our lift has no long forks. We had a lift with long forks dropped one day prior, offloaded the machine and set it in the shop in about 40 minutes. They picked up the lift the next day. $600 bucks but for the ease, peace of mind, and safe handling, of the machine. Gravy.

  5. #5
    Thank you for all your suggestions. I considered renting a forklift for close to 600. It's a good suggestion, part of the cost of doing business I guess. Tried the tow truck route and no takers as of yet. Trailer idea is a good one. Thank you all.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Vic Sinai View Post
    Thank you for all your suggestions. I considered renting a forklift for close to 600. It's a good suggestion, part of the cost of doing business I guess. Tried the tow truck route and no takers as of yet. Trailer idea is a good one. Thank you all.
    The problem you will run into with a roll-off is if they are charging you by the hour and you flounder or have problems youve got an $85/hr truck and driver sitting there while you figure out your solution. When it works (small machine which it sounds like yours is) it can work well. Only you know your site/location and how handy any option would be.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    I used a roll-back tow truck for the "last mile" delivery of my CNC machine and highly recommend it. The LTL carrier charged with the final delivery met us at a business parking lot down the street and we transferred the crate from the trailer to the roll-back using the latter's winch. The roll-back driver set the crate right up close to the doors of my shop so I'd be able to construct a short ramp to get it into the space using heavy casters. Anything larger than a benchtop 2x4 machine isn't likely going to be able to use lift-gate service. My 4x4 machine would have required a forklift with LONG forks to get it off the trailer if it had even been possible to get the trailer onto my property...which wasn't even remotely possible.

    The toll-back cost me a whopping $100 and was easy peasy. Do note that not every tow company will do this work. In some states (like PA) they need additional insurance to handle non-automotive pickup/delivery, according to the driver I used who does a LOT of this work in addition to specializing in classic vehicles.








    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
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    14,760
    If one of your friends or neighbors has a tilt bed trailer its the most useful thing I know of for moving a variety of machines easily. I modified my one ton trailer, added hydraulic steering dampers from tung to bed so it drops down very slowly. It would be a long list of shop machines that I have moved with this trailer, the last large machine I moved was a 1200 pound 4 by 8 foot ShopBot CNC Router. I pick machines up at the local truck terminal, they load them with a fork lift. Once I am home I can slide the machine right onto my shop floor without lifting up or down. Got a of lot miles on my trailer hauling my ATV as well

    I recently added a second hydraulic damper to make it easier to drive the ATV on and off the trailer.
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    Last edited by Keith Outten; 11-22-2020 at 12:50 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Cleveland OH
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    195
    It also depends on how crazy your trying to go - A trailer would be a good option for a 4'x4' machine. You can pickup from most major trucking terminals (Pre Covid - Several do not allow it anymore) You can go that route & Call ahead. Grab a box truck from Penske with a lift Gate & you should be good to go. Most Moving box trucks have a ramp available as well if you dont want to spend $500 +, But its very limited on Size & Weight. Moved our First UV Printer this way.
    If your looking at a larger machine than a tow motor would be a great option, We had a heavy lift tow motor brought in & it cost us $800 for two days. Well worth the peace of mind when dealing with heavy equipment & Ensuring no one gets hurt.
    You can also try to work with a local shipper & See if its possible to uncrate your machine on there site - This was possible before Covid now many places are more strict on onsite visitors.
    I would find the best route and make sure to not cheap out on this part - The worst thing to do is to damage a brand new machine dragging it off a truck or having someone get hurt.
    3X Camfive 1200 48" x 24" 100watt Tube
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Bonenfant View Post
    A trailer would be a good option for a 4'x4' machine.
    Don't assume that as it depends upon the size of the crate if it's a fully assembled machine...see my photos up above for my 4x4 Camaster delivery. The only way I could have picket that up from the terminal with my 5'x8' utility trailer would have been to construct blocking to raise the crate up above the wheel wells as it was wider than 5'. Also, I would have had to make a 2 hour, 30 minute drive (each way) to the trucking terminal that got the last leg for the LTL.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Rochester NY
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    147
    About the forklift rental idea - will they rent to someone with no prior forklift experience? And is this really a good idea? There's gotta be a learning curve to operating one, not sure I'd want to get my education on a new cnc. This from someone with no experience, am I being over cautious here?

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Don't assume that as it depends upon the size of the crate if it's a fully assembled machine...see my photos up above for my 4x4 Camaster delivery. The only way I could have picket that up from the terminal with my 5'x8' utility trailer would have been to construct blocking to raise the crate up above the wheel wells as it was wider than 5'. Also, I would have had to make a 2 hour, 30 minute drive (each way) to the trucking terminal that got the last leg for the LTL.
    And with any traier/rollback option you have all the issues of your time/weather/scheduling and so on. Leaving something sit on the dock while you coordinate with mother nature, the tow company, and so on is that much more exposure to a fork-stab and so on. A lot of factors at play given time of year and size of machine. Vic never mention's the size of the machine but if its anything that's not fully boxed if you get caught in a weather pinch (even if its boxed) it'd be no fun. A smaller machine like yours wouldnt be bad to protect.

    We do the rollback option occasionally with loads of hardwood. Its a handy option for sure but for anything a bit larger the ease of just picking the machine up, moving it in, scooting it around, shift it 6" left, 12" forward, the lift is well worth it.

    Our machine came on a truck loaded front to back with machines in the delivery order so there was no option for leaving it at a terminal. It had to come off when the truck was there or the driver couldn't go on.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2018
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    Lancaster, Ohio
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    1,346
    Quote Originally Posted by richard newman View Post
    About the forklift rental idea - will they rent to someone with no prior forklift experience? And is this really a good idea? There's gotta be a learning curve to operating one, not sure I'd want to get my education on a new cnc. This from someone with no experience, am I being over cautious here?
    yes there is a learning curve, not something to get on and go
    I hired a local lawn care company to unload a wide belt sander out of the back of my pickup and put it in the garage, $75 for 2 men and a skid steer, would do it the same way again
    I can and do run a skid steer, forklift, loaders, etc. Sometimes it is cheaper and better to hire someone to do things for you.
    ron

  14. #14
    Thanks everyone. I guess the size of my machine will depend on how I finally choose to get it to the door and the help I can get. Thing is I would pay any one, any reasonable amount to do it. I just can't find a lot of takers. Got some quotes from rigging companies ranging from 1200-2000 just to get it the last few miles. Now, I have that kind of money but I didn't get it by spending it that way. You've heard the saying "a fool and his money." There are some small machines from Camaster and ShopSabre that can be delivered to my door, but it just seems like a shame to spend that kind of money, even for the smaller machines, when just a little more can get you a bigger platform. Thanks again everyone.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    65,675
    Vic, you just have to be realistic about what you can handle yourself and what you really need to leave to others, combined with the nature of your delivery location. I absolutely agree with you about going bigger if you can both fund and fit it. You can easily cut little things on a big machine, but the opposite can be, um...quite difficult. I love my 4x4, but regret not finding a way to squeeze the 4x8 in at this point for only a few thousand more investment.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

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