I have realized that the rarity of my car is going to make finding parts in my immediate area pretty much impossible. What is the best way that other people have found to get parts (especially large/heavy parts) shipped or delivered from long distances. Is there a particular service that is best to use? What about having a parts car delivered? Or is it cheaper to just drive out and pick things up?

 

You have to answer that question yourself. I've found that FedEx and UPS are much cheaper than US Post Office. I sent an intake manifold and carburetor to Jamesbo a few weeks ago and it wasn't too bad. The package weighed 70lbs. and I spent about $.50 a pound to ship it.

You can also send items through Greyhound bus lines. All you have to do is go to the bus depot to pick it up. I've heard it is very reasonable if you don't have to get it ASAP. Our member 2blu442 should have alot of good advice on shipping parts. He ships stuff all of the time.

 

And I thank you very much for it Jessee

 

No problem. Actually, when I addressed the package the Fed Ex. guy asked me who "The Bear" was. I told him that it was your dog!

I don't think he would have understood about the bear!

 

I move freight for a living(Broker). If you have any specific questions ask. But in general LTL freight shipping 100# and up I can help you with. packaging is always key as the common carriers do not handle these with care all the time. Let me know what questions you have.

One other thing, since all of the product is used, you will only be covered .10/lb of insurance coverage, so you may want to look at buying additional insurance if moving freight.

 

Thanks 72 supreme, That's good to know. All the LTL brokers I ever knew were female hotties.

 

Truck freight items I have had pretty good luck with Uship. Smaller items Fed Ex ground has always given me the best prices.

 

For really small items that need a box, use a USPS flat-rate Priority Mail box. It's cheap and the box is free.

For slightly larger and slightly heavier items, USPS Parcel Post is usually the cheapest, though not that fast.

As the item gets larger and/or heavier, UPS Ground or FedEx Ground is the best way. This is how I ship and receive 95% of my stuff. My preference is UPS.

Finally, there comes a point in size and weight where it's either cheaper or necessary to use a freight service. Just beware that you typically have to paletize it and drop off and pick up at the terminal at both ends.

 

any advice on cross border?(canada) sent a pair of alternator brackets for $20, thought it was steep. mailed it not courier

 

Greyhound bus lines is a great way to ship large parts that are under 100 lbs, like doors, hoods, finders.... by far the cheapest. only problem is that the person that is shipping the part to you has to be willing to take it there and not all terminals deal with the package express.

 

USPS for international by far

 

USPS Parcel Post is usually the cheapest, though not that fast

Ah ha! That must be how my parking brake switch is coming!

 

As mentioned, usps parcel post is the cheapest for small items up to 10 pounds or so. BUT, be aware that USPS does NOT automatically insure every package for up to $100 like UPS and I believe FedEx. Plus, with the post office, you have to wait literally one month BEFORE you can even submit a claim. And, even though they claim to have tracking ability, they don't have true tracking ablility like UPS or FedEx. Only certain methods of usps shipping offer tracking and even with those, the information is so delayed that you'll likely have the package(if you do get it) before the tracking info is updated. So their "tracking" is pretty much useless.
Bottom line, ONLY ship usps if the item is small, you don't need it in a hurry and you don't care if you actually get it.
If you are shipping something rare/ of value, UPS is your best bet.

 

Ryan mentioned packaging - got any advice for typical car parts? Small, fragile stuff is pretty self-evident, but what about larger/heavier items like manifolds or heads?

 

"what about larger/heavier items like manifolds or heads?"

It depends on whether you're the seller or buyer. If you're the seller, the buyer usually pays for the shipping cost so there is no reason to skimp on packaging.
Bubble wrap is fairly inexpensive insurance against careless package handlers. You just need to keep in mind when figuring the shipping that the box will be quite a bit larger than the part itself. The size of the box can also affect/increase shipping cost even though the weight won't be that much more.
If you're pricing items with shipping included, you need to take into consideration the hassle you will encounter IF the item is damaged in shipping as a result of poor/skimpy packaging. If there is a claim, UPS for one, can and will deny a claim if they feel the item was not properly packaged. FYI, as the seller/shipper, you are the one who has to initiate the claim. Not the buyer/receiver of the item even though the receiver may have to be willing to be available to allow UPS to inspect the package. For their base $100 or less insurance claims, pictures of the damaged package will sometimes be enough.
If you are the buyer, you really don't have much to say about how the seller packages the item unless you know them "personally" like someone here on the board etc. I've requested some ebay sellers package things a certain way and have gotten mixed results. Most are happy to comply but I have had some either not reply at all or say that they have no control over how things get packaged. With these people, it's usually a good idea to make sure that the item is adequately insured.

 

P.S. a 66 parts car just popped up on CL today.
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/ctd/1749292616.html

 

So, say, an aluminum intake manifold tossed into a big cardboard box with a few strips of styrofoam might be considered skimpy packaging? And if damage had resulted, I (as buyer) would have been SOL if the seller didn't care to deal with the situation?

 

Yeah pretty much. If the shipping company does a bad job, everyone gets screwed. I sell a lot of parts, and have had a few bad deals. Most of the time things are fine though.
UPS tends to hire a lot of high school kids, and you should see them in the docks kicking the boxes into the trucks.
Conveyer belt jam? Poke the cluster of boxes with a big stick.

 

I had a crank shipped by ups and now i'm out of 1.200 dollar because rocket racing don't want to be the one at error and ups don't want to take the error so now i have to go threw small claims and try and get my money , rocket racing set or my crank came back 20.000 off , really i think it was from rocket racing nitriding it make sure you pack every thang securely , and it will take a 6 foot drop

 

That simple description does make the packaging sound skimpy but there's more to consider. How thick is the card board that the box is made of, how close to the sides of the box was the manifold etc.
That's why I said that bubble wrap is best and lots of it. Like J said, pack it so that it can with stand a 6 foot drop and you should be ok.
I live in Louisville which is the location of UPS's largest hub. They do indeed hire college students by the hundreds, all part time. UPS pays for their college tuition/education as a benefit of employment.
As far as handling the packages during the sort, things have changed in the past few years since they built their "Hub 2000". I think 90% or more of the sorting is handled by computer controlled pusher arms on the conveyor belts. Lasers read the bar codes and the pusher arms automatically shove the package onto which ever connecting belt the piece needs to go to. Still, the boxes do have to be loaded onto the belts and stacked in the containers by hand. And they do clear belt jams with sticks.

 

If you need to ship parts go to Sam's Club and get sheets of cardboard for free. I had to ship a 47" Philips TV one time and I got a dozen carboard packaging slips from Sam's Club. It worked great. Of course, you probably have to be a Sam's Club or Costco member but most people have one of those big box stores nearby.

Like the beginning of Ace Ventura!

 

From the listing it sounds like the parts I need are rusted away. I found one in FL but haven't heard back from the guy yet.

 

That would seem adequate to me. How breakable is an aluminum intake? Just the corners would be vulnerable and if cusioned and in a heavy box that would not allow movement and taped well on the exterior would be fine. I have made claims thru UPS and have always gotten paid. Too bad that doesnt fix the broken part though. As a seller and if paid thru Paypal the buyer is pretty well protected.

 

I work at a truck dealership garage and we toss out a LOT of heavy cardboard boxes some are 6ft X 4 ft and 2 ft deep,I think any garage would be happy to give them away.

 

One of the best ways to package heavy items (any items for that matter) is to use a box within a box. Make sure the inner box is thick enough so that the item doesn't puncture it, and the outer box thick enough so that it's unlikely to be punctured by the shipping company. There should be at least 2 inches of space between the inner and outer boxes on all sides. Fill the space with your favorite kind of styrofoam or bubble wrap. Wadded up newspaper is good enough if the item is real light.

The inner box distributes the load of the item across a larger area, so a corner of the item doesn't shift its way through the styrofoam. The space between the boxes provides additional puncture protection; something which pokes through the outer box has to extend to a depth of 2 inches (or whatever) -- and then has to puncture yet another box.

 

I had a rear axle shipped to me in NJ from Florida. I used ABF Freight. They picked up at a residence and delivered to my home. The axle was strapped to a palate and they wheeled off truck into my garage. The price was VERY fair (cheaper then Fedex or UPS).

 

Thanks for all the advice!