Not lazy, just milling.
May 31, 2011 7:46 PM Subscribe
What's the cheapest way (speed not an issue) to ship a 2400lb milling machine, roughly 5'x5'x8', 700miles from Albuquerque, NM to Austin, TX?
Am considering doing it myself (renting a forklift at both locations), but I don't know what kind of trailer to rent, who to rent it from, or how to prepare it for the ride. Would appreciate any wisdom.
Am considering doing it myself (renting a forklift at both locations), but I don't know what kind of trailer to rent, who to rent it from, or how to prepare it for the ride. Would appreciate any wisdom.
Call around to several freight companies (YRC, ABF, Conway, Old Dominion, Estes, NBS etc) and get quotes. There can be a big difference (20-30%) depending on their loads and your shipping schedule. The less you care about when it leaves and when it arrives, the cheaper it will be. Be very careful to use the same dimensions/weights/zip codes etc for each company or you won't get the best comparison.
Also look at PODS or the other container type moving companies. They may provide a fork truck too.
You might want to consider building a crate for your machine and transporting it on a trailer instead of a closed truck. A trailer/crating may work out to be cheaper.
posted by jaimystery at 8:24 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also look at PODS or the other container type moving companies. They may provide a fork truck too.
You might want to consider building a crate for your machine and transporting it on a trailer instead of a closed truck. A trailer/crating may work out to be cheaper.
posted by jaimystery at 8:24 PM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: U-haul is not going to be any help.
I've hauled two machines myself and paid someone to put the third one (much heavier than yours though) on a semi trailer. I used uship.com to find a single guy who drives his own truck. I would use uship again if I needed to do it again. I really suggest you at least get some quotes before you bother doing it yourself.
Mine was moved about 300ish miles and I paid the guy about $600 if I remember right. I did need to arrange for forklifts on both ends of course, so it costs a little more.
Before you think $600 is a lot, consider that you're going to need a good heavy trailer so you're going to be pulling 3 tons (if you can even find a suitable trailer to rent - I have my own). You need a big truck for that and you're going to burn a shit ton of fuel. If you drive 1400 miles at 8miles/$4gal, that's $700 of fuel. Getting someone else to do it means he can arrange to carry someone else's stuff the OTHER way, so you pay for the fuel just the direction you need.
posted by fritley at 8:29 PM on May 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
I've hauled two machines myself and paid someone to put the third one (much heavier than yours though) on a semi trailer. I used uship.com to find a single guy who drives his own truck. I would use uship again if I needed to do it again. I really suggest you at least get some quotes before you bother doing it yourself.
Mine was moved about 300ish miles and I paid the guy about $600 if I remember right. I did need to arrange for forklifts on both ends of course, so it costs a little more.
Before you think $600 is a lot, consider that you're going to need a good heavy trailer so you're going to be pulling 3 tons (if you can even find a suitable trailer to rent - I have my own). You need a big truck for that and you're going to burn a shit ton of fuel. If you drive 1400 miles at 8miles/$4gal, that's $700 of fuel. Getting someone else to do it means he can arrange to carry someone else's stuff the OTHER way, so you pay for the fuel just the direction you need.
posted by fritley at 8:29 PM on May 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
I was going to suggest uship. I've never moved machinery that heavy, but uship has been good for me for smaller stuff. Guy with a truck is where it is at, I think.
posted by Forktine at 8:55 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by Forktine at 8:55 PM on May 31, 2011
Look for shipping expediters. Those are the kinds of folks who will have room in a truck sometime in the near future going where you are going.
Or find someone with an F-250 and chuck it in the bed.
posted by gjc at 9:09 PM on May 31, 2011
Or find someone with an F-250 and chuck it in the bed.
posted by gjc at 9:09 PM on May 31, 2011
Doing it yourself I would recommend a car trailer. Over 5000lbs load allowed.
If you can attach the mill to skids you could then draw it up onto the trailer with a come-along.
Paying someone else definitely a shipping co.
posted by pianomover at 10:23 PM on May 31, 2011
If you can attach the mill to skids you could then draw it up onto the trailer with a come-along.
Paying someone else definitely a shipping co.
posted by pianomover at 10:23 PM on May 31, 2011
Ring your local pool (eight-ball, billiards) hall. Ask them who they would get to move full-size pool tables.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 11:49 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by aeschenkarnos at 11:49 PM on May 31, 2011
like jaimystery said, search around for carrier companies that do LTL shipments in your area. That's be the absolute easiest, but most spendy, otherwise I really like idea of calling up the local pool hall
posted by zombieApoc at 5:55 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by zombieApoc at 5:55 AM on June 1, 2011
Best answer: I like the skids, trailer, and come-along idea. Diesel is going to end up being your biggest cost. You don't need a CDL (26k gvcw on vehicle + cargo or 10k on the trailer + cargo...)
Putting it on a truck yourself is going to be problematic because of the weight. While you CAN rent a fork and get it into a 14" U-Haul truck (Max load: 6,190 lbs.), getting it centered over the rear axles is important. U-Haul's largest trailer will NOT have the capacity to move it, though.
posted by SpecialK at 10:37 AM on June 1, 2011
Putting it on a truck yourself is going to be problematic because of the weight. While you CAN rent a fork and get it into a 14" U-Haul truck (Max load: 6,190 lbs.), getting it centered over the rear axles is important. U-Haul's largest trailer will NOT have the capacity to move it, though.
posted by SpecialK at 10:37 AM on June 1, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by dfriedman at 7:56 PM on May 31, 2011