Technical Shipping with Greyhound

MAJOR UPDATE IN LAST POST !!! I feel I need to post this so some poor bugger like me doesnt go through the same thing.Bought a very hard to find deckild for my 47 Olds fastback off ebay..299.95. Made arrangements with seller to ship with Greyhound Bus Lines. He stated he has had good results and that should also be one of the cheapest ways.$96.45
After waiting three weeks decided to call Buffalo terminal and use the "tracking" # to find out where it was.I understand its not going to be fast.Their phone system wasnt working so I drove there.All they could say is its "in transit" Okay fine. Wait another week and call again. Now they tell me it was not being sent to Buffalo but to NYC.?????. Cant again find out where it is just that its"in Transit". They try and find out from NYC terminal if its there and to ship it on to Buffalo. I wait two more weeks,NOTHING.
Talked to Buffalo again today and was told They never got back to us. Really???
I got the # for the boss in NYC and left a message. The guys in Buffalo didnt have a real good opinion of the NYC guys...Great.

Sooooo. All I cant say is never again with Greyhound,what a piss poor system they have.I really want the decklid and will end up having ebay get me my money back.

 

Ha ..... yep. My experience was not as detailed as a FedEx or UPS tracking system either ..... but IN TRANSIT eventually worked for me.. I already knew to call the shipping terminal destination as often as possible so they are all annoyed with my name at least. I delivered pizza to the guy that answered 3 of the 4 times.

All was well ...... a OT driver's fender from Dallas to Miami ..... and I got a phone call that it ARRIVED even. Nice !! About two weeks if I recall correctly. They ship along as their luggage compartment space dictates. I want to say for 80 bucks or so too. Slow, but cheap for oddball sheet metal sizing was my reasoning to pick them. I was happy. Good luck.

Oh ..... and hip hip hooray (!!) for Domino's pepperoni and cheese bribery. Cheap insurance for this guy. Courtesy call line two !!

 

I used to do well with greyhound but I have heard some real horror stories. Sometimes their shipping doesn't make much sense.

I tried to have something shipped to the lee's Summit Depot once and they insisted that there was no Lee's Summit service with them ( I have ridden the Greyhound to Lee's Summit before). So I had to go down town KC and fight my way through the pimps and panderers to get my stuff. The only upside to it was that the missus saw a guy trying to get some sweet young thang to go with him and started me a fight with him, I do like a good fight. It cost me 69.95 to send her back to Podunk Minnesota and my knuckles hurt for a couple of days but it was money well spent, and I do like a good fight.

I hear that everyone is using Fastenal (SP?) these days with very good success.

 

I used to ship a lot thru greyhound up north and had good results but back then I loaded my parts under the bus myself and the parts stayed on that same bus to get to my partner up north. Damage usually happen at loading and unloading when they are transferred to a different bus(es) to finish the journey. I heard they don't let you load your items anymore yourself.

Then we switched to Fastenal when we found out they shipped because they were a lot cheaper and they were closer for both of us. but Fastenal went downhill the last few years because they hire out their routes between stores instead of doing their own hauling. They do have a few routes themselves but very few. You also have to put everything on a pallet now or at least when I stopped shipping.

My partner died so that ended the shipping so things might have changed the last year or so and remember we only shipped instate back and forth and did very little cross country shipping. Being that said, we really couldn't complain about greyhound or Fastenal.

 

Just used Fastenal to ship a floor pan. Yes it needed to be on a pallet but was cost effective and got their in half the time they estimated! Would definitely use them again.

 

have received set of whitewall tires within the State & '51 Ford grill out of State via Greyhound - both arrived OK - but, the storage area at local depot was a mess.

 

I had a fender for a Falcon shipped from Washington to So Cal. Took 4 days, they called when it got there, and other than the pimply faced kid at the terminal who couldn't find it - It was a fender for god's sake, he stepped over it three times while looking for it - all went very well.

 

I worked for a company years ago and we used Greyhound at a customers request. Went off without a hitch.

 

Good luck with greyhound several times. Luck goes both ways

 

I used to send Porsche and Ferrari cams within state (CA) to Dema Elgin in San Francisco, (his shop was NEXT DOOR to the Greyhound terminal!) Also to Ray Litz Comp. Engr. in Alta Dena (CA)
Never a problem.
Then I shipped a '37 LaSalle tranny crated by humble self in a 2" X 2" framed box, skinned with 1/2" OSB. Final finish was 2 coats of Flecto Varathane, and I emailed the buyer with notes how to get the box open!
Sent it to Kansas...Buyer emailed me with praise, said "Wow, for 2500 you even built a box that I'll use!"

Greyhound seemed to be the Chariot of the Gods...until 2 LaSalles later, built a box for a nice little rebuilt (by me) Borg-Warner '54 Ford type Overdrive, pre-T86.
All went well, got it stowed below the passenger compartment, I watch the bus depart.
Customer calls in a week: NO TRANNY. I go down and have them run a trace...last place they reloaded it was the New Mexico terminal. (this is a central holding facility, according to them)
30 days was my 'sweat period', as it was insured for $300. Finally, a sleepy-eyed clerk handed me a check for the $300.
I had sold it for $250, the guy was real polite...so I then sent him the whole $300.
He went on the Ford Barn, did a reverse rant on "honest people: That Atwater Mike chased my trans down, got the insurance, refunded my money with a $50 interest!"
It was worth it. Like I said, nice guy.
I wouldn't even ride the big dog again. Phooey!

 

Shipped an engine to a fellow HAMBer using Fastenal. It was less than 2 other quotes.
Fastenal wanted it in a wooden crate. It was already on a pallet.
I asked why they wanted it crated. They said that they would not be responsible for any damage in transit.
The paperwork states this disclaimer.

Built up the sides & top and covered it with a new HF tarp, and all was good.

Although it may sound obvious, the sender must take the item(s) to the Fastenal facility; the receiver must pickup at a Fastenal facility as well. In other words, not picked up at one's residence, nor delivered to a residence.

 

We have Fastenal here, (Atwater) but I never knew they had shipping...if they do, I'm in!
I buy all my hardware there, they have nearly what McMaster & Carr have. (hot rod type hardware, anyway)
Thanks, Gatz.

 

I have tried my local Fastenal and they looked at me like I had two heads when i asked about shipping.More dumb counter people.Dont know,lots of good stories.I would feel much better if they had a better tracking system like when it goes from this bus at this location,its registered as being such and then moves on.They have no idea where it is.
I guess just make sure the seller has the correct address and sends it to the correct address.Dont know how Buffalo is spelled like New York City.Someone was careless.

 

yes, sometimes the counter person at Fastenal doesn't know that they ship for other people. Another thing they are clueless on or at least were here when I stopped in and wanted to look at their truck. They didn't know their service truck was on the internet for sale. Yes, besides shipping, they resale their trucks to the general public instead of trading them in.

 

I think that Fastenal is going to carry my cowl top and hood to santa cruz. I got to get them ready for louvers first and that means I got to get off my ass and exercise so I can go to PT.

later fellas. If anyone talks to Danny tell him I'm winning.

 

I have used Greyhound and was very happy. Had a 1960 Chevy truck roof shipped from Cali and it was here in a week with no damage. Also shipped 47 Plymouth rear fenders to Florida without a hitch. Only shipping damage I've had was Fedex. They sucked for customer service.

 

I've had good experiences with parts received through Greyhound. Terminals are apparently only as good as the people working there as with anyplace.

 

I had a custom seat shipped by Fastenal, took about 10 days from Oklahoma to Nashville.......it was reasonable and got there safely..........yes it had to be skidded and covered, but that only keeps it safer...............

 

I didn`t know Greyhound was still in business. I haven`t seen one of there buses in years.

 

I vote for Fastenal! A couple of years ago I bought 2 fenders from upstate New York. All did was write the check and send it to the seller and a few weeks later I picked them up from my local store.

 

Grayhound closed most if not all of their regular terminals here in the PNW and how it's take something to the Arco station in Yakima or the Shell station/mini mart in Sunnyside to ship it and then it gets stuck in a back room with the mop bucket. I shipped a 54 Chevy pickup fender to a kid who was here on the Hamb that bent up his just bought 54 pickup and guess he got the fender as I never heard back from him. Years ago I shipped several large pieces including a 64 Chevelle trunk lid to the east coast and 51 Mercury coupe door to New Jersey on the Dog without problems. A buddy of mine worked at the terminal in Yakima then and the pieces went to terminals in the other cities. With most of the regular terminals gone and luggage and freight being transferred at spots where there aren't company employees to load and unload and safely store packages I would think about finding another way to ship.

 

Today is day 17 for me waiting on my Willys parts through Greyhound. They have no "tracking" system period! I don't see how a hood and center section can disappear into thin air! It seems like it has to be either on a bus or in a bus station somewhere. Iv'e been getting the runaround too!

 

I got the # to call NYC boss of shipments.Called three times and left messages.No return calls. These people could give a rats ass about customer service!!!. Others may have had good luck with them but Iam just warning everyone,is it worth taking a chance with a hit and miss company and your hard earned money.I will spend my money even if it cost more to ship with a company that at least can track their own shipments and can read a label.Pathetic

 

They may be cheap but after you have to deal with their ignorant agents and track system, you will wish you shipped with another carrier for twice the price!

 

LOL Greyhound is the same unless you're a bum and just happen to live in the alley next to the depot.

I think that when one is after economy to your door is just out of the question. you pay for convenience for damned sure.

Hey just to lighten things up a bit who remembers this song:

 

Finally got to speak to someone at NYC terminal.Why is it that you can hardly understand what a rep is saying these days????? Said it is still in transit and because its coming from the other side of the country it would take some time....ALMOST 6 WEEKS. Again Pathetic

 

I use Greyhound for large stuff. Sent 4 tires to Northern BC, 70% cheaper than truck lines, 4 days in transit from Ontario. Guess it depends on which terminals you have to deal with.

 

I've used Greyhound twice; the first time to ship a 57-64 Olds-Pont third member, that went off without a hitch. The second, I've bought a 57-64 Chevrolet Positraction third member; it left Boston on the 14th, and has been sitting in Minneapolis, Mn. since the 17th! I've made three phone calls, and they say they will locate the package; I'm still waiting. We're at their mercy. I'm getting ready to call again. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I did find a pullmax today so that took some steam out of my brain cavity!!!

 

- figure in all of the little towns that they stop in - not a straight down the highway at top speed - I have been waiting for 2 months for a couple small pieces that I had chromed by a one of those many swap meet Mexican chrome shops that operate out of Southern California - only about a 7 hour drive that takes UPS about 3 days from LA to Northern Cal - "yes, just shipped"