Pony Express? (shipping heavy monitor from OH to WA)
 

I have made a deal to buy a broadcast monitor located in Ohio. I live in Washington state. It weighs around 150 pounds.

The two shipping quotes that I've gotten, from UPS Freight and Craters & Freighters, are both around $675. I posted a listing on U-Ship and got no bids. (I may give U-Ship another try, though.)

Is anyone heading this way from the Midwest, with enough room in the truck to haul this item? Any other ideas for shipping?

Thanks!

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

greyhound?

I have had very good luck shipping large CRTs via Greyhound. Properly boxed, they travel unmolested, and the price is reasonable. Uh-oh, I see they have a 100 # weight limit.

How about trying Rideshare on Craigslist both in your local area, and in Ohio?

Sure, a rideshare ad seems worth a try. Costs nothing, anyhow.

Phil Nelson

Where in Ohio is the monitor?

Near Cleveland, zipcode 44141.

I just discovered that you can't post the same (or very similar) ad in more than one CL city location. Maybe I'll run it in WA for a couple of days and then delete and run it in OH.

Phil Nelson

I got a reasonable shipping bid by posting on U-Ship. However, the monitor would need to be crated.

I posted an ad in that area CL asking for someone who can build a crate, but no nibbles so far.

Anybody know a carpenter in the Cleveland area who could do this? No fine cabinet-making required. Just bolting the monitor to a pallet and building a 3/4-inch plywood box around it.

Phil Nelson

Try getting in touch with spkrman57 or piece-it pete on AudioKarma. I'd bet that either would be more than willing to help.

Thanks for the tip!

Phil Nelson

After lots of dithering, the monitor is secured to a pallet, stretch-wrapped and boxed. I re-listed it on U-Ship and got a very reasonable bid from a LTL (less-than-load) shipper.

Does anyone have experience using a LTL shipper?

Naturally, I'm concerned that this monitor (with CRT in place) might be dropped or speared by a forklift, put at the bottom of a stack of pallets, etc. It is covered by a cardboard box, but it could not survive traveling halfway across the USA at the bottom of a pallet stack.

Not having used U-Ship before, I'm not sure how much you can discuss things with the shipper beforehand (or if that's even possible) . . . .

Thanks!

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

I've used UShip several times with good results. If you select one of the many small operators, you can talk directly with them about how they load and transport the item.

Thanks, that sounds encouraging. I'll give it a whirl.

Phil Nelson

Arbie's Team Transport is on uship, that's who moved the prototype set for me from Jersey. Got the CRT here in one piece, but I'm not sure they do west coast stuff.

I have also used several LTL shippers on USHIP, with good results. I think with your monitor on a pallett it should ship safely.