Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

[mhorowit]

What's the group's experience shipping bulky items like a landing gear at the least expensive rate?

Wrapping: I received one package where the shipper had built a cardboard box to fit a horizontal stabalizer. Is building a box necessary or can you do just as well wrapping the item in bubble wrap with a butcher paper outer layer? FedEx seems to want the part in an outer containor apparently so it doesn't catch on anything.

Shipping: Possible carriers = UPS, Railway Express (are they still in business?), FedEx, others? Any pros/cons to one or the other?

[joelharris]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

I have used Greyhound, were very reasonable a few years ago.

If you have a bud who has an account with a freight outfit (Yellow, Old Dominion, etc,) you can get great rates if you run it through on the company.

good luck

Joel

[fearofpavement]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

The last T-Craft landing gear I received came via USPS. I think the cost was about $40 (from Alaska to Georgia). You will want to put it in a box. Some carriers charge an additional fee if it is not boxed. (find a large appliance box and "cut and paste" until it is just right). Be sure to wrap anything pointy such as axles, etc with bubblewrap so it doesn't perforate the box.

[dedrekon]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

If you ship by traditional methods....USPS, UPS, etc.....you need to be very careful on the size of the container, as costs really jump at a certain point. Freight companies not so much.
Bicycle boxes work very well for airplane stuff.......and as mentioned in the previous post, just cut and paste to size.


V

[mhorowit]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

GOOGLING for "freight companies" shows what may be brokers (i.e. Transit Systems, Inc) as well as primary shippers like Belkin.

Anyone with experience with either? Recommendations?

[Winston L.]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

At the factory we just wrapped the gear in cardboard and packing tape so the package was shaped like the gear. We always shipped UPS.

[dedrekon]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

I've used R&L for shipping engines and large pieces....no complaints, they were always friendly, on time and reasonable.


V

[mulwyk]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

Mike:

I've never shipped a landing gear, but I shipped a wing tank recently. I took it to the UPS Store and had them package and ship it. Big Mistake! The shipping was approx. $20 (not bad)...but they charged me an additional $43 for packaging! It took them about 5 minutes to pack it. (I guess their shop time must be $500 per hour ?)

Here's how they did it: First they wrapped the whole tank in a big sheet of that bubble wrap stuff. Next, they took two or three old cardboard boxes and cut them up to build a custom size box right around the bubble wrapped tank. They used 2" clear plastic packaging tape to hold the sides and bottom of the box together. Then they filled the box (with the tank in it) to overflowing with that foam peanut stuff. And finally they made a cardboard lid for their box and taped that on with several more yards of clear plastic packaging tape.

Bob

[mhorowit]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

Ah, rocket science! -

[Ragwing nut]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

We shipped many through UPS. All we did was bubblewrap and ducktape all the corners so it did not damage any other boxes.

Mike

[NY86]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

For real freight I've used http://www.highwayfreight.com/ many times with very good results.

UPS is my choice if I can keep it under 130" length + girth, otherwise it gets rather pricy. i personally would not ship anything without a cardboard cover. To easy to get damaged by another package. Also, UPS charges "special handling" if it's not cardboard covered.

[hangarb7]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

Special Handling, what a joke.

They only charge extra because there would be a chance that they would have to pay out if there was any damage. I have paid for that in the past and the box still came in with gouges, scrapes, black colored smudges, etc.

You must assume that whatever you are shipping, that if it can be mishandled and thrown about, that it WILL be. On heavier items (like 50# and above), put a wooden frame inside the box and attach your object to the frame, which will keep the corners of the item from poking thru the cardboard.

My experience is that UPS, FedEx, USPS... they all handle things roughly. I assume that it works this way... "the boss says to load the truck faster. He wants faster? Well, he'll get faster..."

This past summer, I bought a rebuilt engine from Buck Hilbert in Illinois. 700 miles away. Best friend wifey and I drove over to pick it up. I wasn't about to have it shipped...

Jack D
N44057

[Richard Boyer]

Re: Shipping bulky items like a landing gear

Fedex Ground isn't too bad and rather inexpensive.

No matter who you use pack it well.......