Interstate Courier or Freight Co. for small machinery?...

[Batpig]

Dear Folks,

I need to bring up a small piece of machinery that weighs about 55kg from Sydney up here to Brisbane. The thing could easily sit quite happily "as-is" in an out-of-the-way corner of any sort of truck, but it appears that the main players in the Freight-game that deal with "non-account" customers (namely Pack & Send), insist that items over about 30 or 40kg should first be sat on a pallet. This would obviously take up a certain standard-amount of costly space on their truck, no matter how compact the piece of gear in question...

So I'm just wondering, have any of you been able to find a Carrier of any sort that deals with non-account customers, who will pick up a bit of gear that is easily liftable by 2 men (or a single strong bloke), and cart it interstate - door to door - without the extra expense of "palleting" it?

Many Thanks,
Batpig.

[blackhole]

Courier, Parcel Delivery & Shipping Services in Australia:Same Day Delivery

They will pickup or you can take it to a depot.

[bsrlee]

Have you thought of using a furniture removalist? If the thing is boxed up in a strong ardboard box they won't even know or care what it is, its just 'stuff'. See if any of the Brisbane companies have trucks going back 'light' from Sydney.

[Batpig]

Thanks Blackhole - I've just come back from getting a "Quick Quote" off their website, and they are indeed very competitive if the item is already on a pallet. But it looks like they wont come into actually putting something onto a pallet for you at the collection end (which is why Pack & Send are so much dearer I guess...)

Dear Bsrlee - Yes, good idea, and I've certainly seen that suggested on other forums here and there, but in a similar vein to the above, the thing would already have to be in a fairly big, fairly strong box (about 1.1m L x 0.5m H x 0.5m W), with a base in it that was strong enough to support about 55kg. That's a big ask for the seller/sender to come up with. Good idea though - get the thing into a strong box somehow...

Thanks again,
Batpig.

[munruben]

the thing would already have to be in a fairly big, fairly strong box (about 1.1m L x 0.5m H x 0.5m W), with a base in it that was strong enough to support about 55kg. That's a big ask for the seller/sender to come up with. Good idea though - get the thing into a strong box somehow..

Why would it have to be boxed at all?, When I moved up to Brisbane from Sydney a few years ago, I had some of my woodworking machines on board the removal van without being boxed, just covered over with a sheet to protect other stuff from getting damaged. I would certainly approach one of the removal companies in Brisbane to find out exactly what is required. I use to see ads in the newspapers at one time for cheap return removal trips from Sydney back to Brisbane, maybe they still advertise. Worth a try. I had the same problem getting a generator shipped up from Sydney and in the end one of my friends brought it up for me on one of his trips up here.
You could always put up a thread in the forum to see if anyone is heading this way shortly with a truck or van and could pick it up for you. If not seems like you will have to grin and bear the extra cost unfortunately. Good luck.

[blackhole]

make pallet (or crate)
load pallet onto truck
load machine onto pallet on truck ( >35kg = 2 humans)
tie machine to pallet
thank driver
truck drives away

[Batpig]

Dear Guys,

make pallet (or crate)
load pallet onto truck
load machine onto pallet on truck ( >35kg = 2 humans)
tie machine to pallet
thank driver
truck drives away

Blackhole - I think you forgot to add "drive down to Sydney with pallet" in-between the 1st and 2nd lines of the reply (if only 'twas that easy...)

John - that could be a very elegant solution. I will most certainly look into it today...

Many Thanks both,
Batpig.

[damian]

I sent a motorcycle to adelaide years ago with a removalist. No packing. They were cheap too!

[bsrlee]

Too bad you are not in Sydney atm, there are heaps of 'abandoned' pallets outside various building sites near my home, no brand, just waiting for the council cleanup next week.

Or there are the piles of various sized pallets in the back streets of Botany near my mates workshop.

[glenn k]

Hunter express they charged me $36.50 to cart my 9" Hercus bed and saddle from Sydney to Melbourne. $28 to get it up.

[Batpig]

Dear Gents,

Hmmm!... Sounds like I've found myself at the wrong-end of things, as per usual...

Best Wishes,
MPF.

[HappyHammer]

Hunter express they charged me $36.50 to cart my 9" Hercus bed and saddle from Sydney to Melbourne. $28 to get it up.

Try booking it through www.e-go.com.au I use these guys all the time and if you pick it up from your nearest depot you get a 25% discount.

HH.

[glenn k]

Try booking it through www.e-go.com.au I use these guys all the time and if you pick it up from your nearest depot you get a 25% discount.

HH.

Yes thats who I used they handed it to the other company. I couldn't find their name. Good value