i need help shipping a transmission and some other parts. any idea how i can ship a transmission without having to empty my wallet? Thanks Mike
A few years ago I bought a pair of bulky Impala fenders from a guy in Texas and they were shipped to me here in NE Ohio. The seller used Greyhound bus lines to ship them. Cost was $100. Not sure about a transmission but might be worth checking with them.
Fastenal requires NO fluids in whatever is being shipped. As Ricco said, a complete wooden crate that is capable of being fork-lifted will be needed, so make sure there are "stringers" underneath. Caveat; Fastenal or their 3PL does not always handle things nicely.
Shipping costs have risen dramatically in the last year, and more information of type of transmission and "other" parts would help, especially if all are going to the same destination. The major package carriers have size and weight limits, as well as Greyhound and Fastenal. I have used Central Transport in the past for LTL shipments, and most trucking companies rates have risen as well.
Back to the question in Post # 3, where are you shipping this transmission to? You might be able to do a HAMB relay if you provide some information.
Depending on the transmission size and weight, look at sending in a ‘tote’. I have received and shipped T-5’s in that manner, and IIRC, a early Ford top loader. The tote was a heavier duty version and the lid had a decent flat flange. I added screws, washers and nuts spaced appropriately to retain the lid to the box. Inside, lightweight material, such as 3/8” plywood cut to shape as bulkheads supported the input shaft and tail housing. If an Automatic trans, a adequate sized pallet works well with the trans strapped and/or bolted to the pallet. Ray
Try posting your specific needs on this thread: @ https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...transporting-availability-needs-here.1240769/ Jim
Scribner makes plastic transmission crates. My last trans came in a wood crate (I saved it just in case) but recently I came upon these because I had to ship a trans overseas. I know they're not cheap but they're cheaper than losing the trans in shipping because your wood crate broke in transit. If you build one from wood, Google it first. There are some great tips out there. That's where I learned.
As stated before, what transmission? A turbo 400, or a ‘ 40s era Chevrolet? Size matters! I’m probably going to purchase a ‘40s Chevy myself and don’t expect to pay an exorbitant fee.
A dry Muncie 4 speed weights 68 lbs by itself. The last one I had shipped to me ran $105 in 2015 by FedEx.
I have found that shipping companies can break anything, and they take the word "fragile" as a challenge. Pack well. That being said, size does matter, so the best thing is to check and see just what size puts you in the next higher shipping rate. Often you can find a way to get something in a smaller package. I have been thru this several times and will tell you that shipping can balloon rapidly. Ordered 2 sets of cast iron Cadillac heads on different ocassions. Guys packed em in individual boxes and cost was about $100 each time. Ordered a set of Cad Aluminum heads. Guy said HE would pack and ship. Sent him the money for the heads and an additional $60 for shipping. Was willing to send him some more if shipping was higher. He decided he didn't want to put the effort out to pack it, and what the hell, somebody else was paying anyway. By the time UPS got done, the box was huge and full of packing and the shipping ended up being something like $350. I called the UPS office that shipped it and they told me the guy got $5,000 worth of insurance......which was of no benefit to me because I paid with Paypal. If he had packed it and used the right boxes, they said about $120. I sent him another $60........which I didn't have to do, but felt that was fair. So start with finding where the size breaks are. Got a couple more stories. One was $1,000 to ship an item to Montana. Friend had a business and got me a discount to $500. Still too much for what I sold the item for. I found a site called freight quote.com...........and it ended up costing me about $230. They provide you with a list of companies and what each will charge you.........rather than just one quote. Prices were all over the place, but the $230 company did what I needed. I did have to take the item to their local freight office. https://www.freightquote.com/
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