Courier service for heavy stuff

[yoboseyo]

It's a long shot, but I'm looking to have a 40kg package shipped to me and the quotes I've gotten are exorbitant, and some require pallets because they don't move them by hand. What courier service do you guys use or can recommend?

[woodPixel]

Mate!

E-go.com.au (using the pallet service) or TransDirect.com.au

For both, join up and you get a discount. For heavy loads, EGO is always best, but they are slow. This is as they are a heavy mover of big parcels, not a fast mover of small ones. Its their thing. Joining as a Platinum member provides substantial discounts.

At the time I gave you all that timber I send a truly astounding amount of timber to others all around Australia.

[yoboseyo]

E-go.com.au (using the pallet service)

Thanks!

Got the best price out of all I've found so far from this.

Transdirect had a lower quote, but for loads of over 25kg they need you to provide a forklift or fork out for a truck with a hydraulic tailgate? For 25kg? Do you even lift bro?

[woodPixel]

They simply need someone on either end to help lift.

Being a courier is a hell. They lift all day. I'd reckon at the end of the day they'd be buggered.

If you have a trolley or cart, use that, they will be grateful. Help them out. I have a thread on this somewhere..... its on being ready. Couriers like it when you are ready.


The tailgate on either end is to scare away the idiots. Being sensible will get you a long way. Dividing up the package into multiple parcel will also help... one is charged for the CUBIC WEIGHT not the parcel dimensions. There is a base rate of 300kg per cubic-metre. Exceed that and you pay more. Simply divide the package down, it will cost no more, plus avoid the extra charges.

There are also options of dropping big parcels at the depot. This usually saves you 30%.

[yoboseyo]

Oh, I'm more than happy to help them lift. I thought I would call them up and ask if I can do this instead of being charged $100 more for extra equipment. I just don't want to book the service and then have pickup refused even though I have a helping hand but they go "nup -the fine print said you need a forklift"

Anyway, thanks for the tips - this is exactly what I wanted to know

[rrich]

Here in the US. . . . .

I had a band saw delivered. We struggled with a pallet jack and lift gate on the truck. It was FedEx Freight. it took about 30 minutes to get it into the garage. The driver worked his rear end off to get into the garage. I tried to give him $20 extra but he refused. Finally I asked when his birthday was. I put the $20 on the seat of his truck saying "Happy Birthday". The odd thing is that about a month later I got a call from the foreman of the warehouse saying that the next time I ordered anything from Grizzly to please specify them as the shipper. Yes, I did for the jointer / planer.

[malb]

Transdirect had a lower quote, but for loads of over 25kg they need you to provide a forklift or fork out for a truck with a hydraulic tailgate? For 25kg? Do you even lift bro?

There are limits to single person lifts and transfers with OHS legislation and rules, some people may be willing to chance it with assistance from the customer, others may not. I used t be good to about 50kg myself but I'm down to about 10 kg as a safe limit these days, (back, knees, and one arm are giving in unpredictably). What happens if you insist on being the second in a 2 person lift or transfer with the driver, and your item is damaged because of a failure at your end of the lift, not the drivers, do you try and claim against the couriers insurance? Also, most items are processed through multiple depots/sorting facilities so would require handling at every step, not always convenient or possible to arrange 2 fit and healthy people at every stage of the journey.