A LITTLE TICKED OFF

[RegL]

Hope you guys don't mind if I vent a little. Here's the situation. Was supposed to have a grapple bucket and mini-hoe delivered today between 10am and 5pm. I wait around all day and late this afternoon my answering machine has a message from the trucking company. Driver called in and says he can't go up my street because the truck won't go under the power lines. I called the dispatcher back and it seem they are trying to deliver with a 50 foot long by 13.5' high tractor trailer and this driver has already taken down several power lines lately ( I think he's a bit gun shy ). He says if he sends the truck back out, can I drive my tractor down town to unload the stuff there. I have a set of clamp on pallet forks for my cut and I could pick the 600lbs off the truck in my yard but not to excited about bouncing it a mile and a half up the road. I,m of the opinion that since I payed for door to door, and they took the job from power-trac, and knew the address that it's their responsibility to put it on a truck that can get it here. Would like to here if any of you guys have experienced this kind of thing or what your thoughts were about it.

 

[shvl73]

I would think it's a little hard to know the dimensions for every street as far as clearance for powerlines, trees, etc. Most common carriers use standard height trucks, ie: 13'6". They fit where they fit, they don't where they don't.

 

[44trxfun]

I'm with you Reg. If for no other reason, for this one. If you damage anything (another car, your implements, etc.) on your bumpy ride home, who's liable? I would guess you even though you're doing the trucking company's contracted business, since you paid for door to door delivery. I'd make them deliver it to your house and save yourself that potential risk.

 

[JerryG]

A lot of trucking companies won't even take a load that is not going to a commercial address. At least they are getting it as close to your home as they can. Just go get it.

 

[NJBill]

When you ordered, did you inquire about the extra chargs for 'drop gate', or tail gate service??. I believe these things can be arranged so that you get delivery to the door. I hope that I am understanding correctly, for the time when I can place an order.!!

Bill

 

[shvl73]

I think the problem is that the truck won't fit down the street. You can pre-arrange all you want but, if it won't fit, that's it. It might have been prudent for the carrier to insist all door to door deliveries must accommodate a tractor-trailer rig, but now it's too late for that. Most trucking firms charge more to deliver to a residence because homeowners can be less prepared to unload freight in a timely fashion. In this case it would be best if the trucking co. reduced the rate to commercial delivery & the recipient makes arrangement to retrieve the items. There is another option, the intended recipient can insist that they paid for home delivery (that turns out impossible with the co.'s equipment) & demand nothing less, then the trucking firm can promptly refund the freight charges & return the items to the point of origin on the next truck out.

 

[MossRoad]

That seems like a good compromise. Ask them to knock some $$ off the bill if you paid to have it delivered to your door and they can't.

When I had our PT425 delivered it was to the truck terminal and I picked it up there in my pickup truck.

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

Let me get this straight. When you order a PT and have it shipped, they don't unload it for you? They just show up (if possible) and it's up to the customer to get the thing off of the truck along with any accessories?

And getting the truck to show up at your door is an extra charge over and above the shipping costs?

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red"> Let me get this straight. When you order a PT and have it shipped, they don't unload it for you? They just show up (if possible) and it's up to the customer to get the thing off of the truck along with any accessories?
</font>
When my 1845 came to my house a couple of years ago, it was on a large car hauling trailer, behind a pickup truck. The driver had no idea how to drive a Power Trac. He handed me the paperwork and keys, and I backed it off the trailer and then picked the attachments off one at a time. Set a new record for holding my breath.
Some PTs are shipped on pallets, if bound for places like Hawaii. I imagine most carriers just have to try to figure out how to load and unload without prior experience driving PTs. I imagine they'd love to have the buyer help any way available.

 

[shvl73]

The company you purchase from will be best equipped to tell you their delivery method. Some dealers that post on this site are dealing with trucking firms that offer lift-gate service door to door. I imagine it still requires the destination to handle standard trailer truck dimensions. A lot of common carriers however do not have lift-gates & more commonly deliver to commercial addresses with fork lifts or loading docks to handle the bulky freight. Delivery to residential addresses is available at extra charge (usually) with the homeowner responsible to remove freight from the tail gate. This can be difficult & time consuming which is why the different rate. A few $ to the driver can usually enlist some valuable assistance & make it easier. Some drivers really bust their butt all day with nothing more than a pallet jack to move freight around the truck (which usually isn't level) on pallets that some forklift operator broke so the jack won't fit. A little understanding goes a long way.

 

[MossRoad]

It cost about $500.00 to have my PT425, 60" mower, 48" brush hog, 60" snowplow, large bucket, small bucket with teeth, pallet forks, loading ramps, extra mower blades, hydraulic filter and extra quick attach plate delivered to a trucking terminal in in South Bend, IN. 2 years ago. I specified that I wanted it delivered to the trucking terminal, so that I could pick it up at my convenience AND because I have no way to pick a 1200 pound tractor off the back of a semi truck, and/or no loading ramp that high. It would cost extra to have it delivered to my house in a truck with ramps to unload it. I knew this when I purchased, so it was no big deal.

 

[Bob999]

<font color="red"> Let me get this straight. When you order a PT and have it shipped, they don't unload it for you? They just show up (if possible) and it's up to the customer to get the thing off of the truck along with any accessories?

And getting the truck to show up at your door is an extra charge over and above the shipping costs?
</font>

When I ordered my PT in May 2003 there were two shipping options offered: 1. a "custom shipper" that shipped on a trailer that included ramps for unloading the machine (like Charlie Iliff describes). This shipping option was a Tazwell local individual with a HD Pick up truck and large trailer.

2. a "common carrier" like Overnight that would be shipped in a semi trailer (like you described). The common carrier option was a "tailgate delivery". The receiver was responsiblie for getting the shipment off the tailgate of the truck.

It sounds as if you opted for the common carrier delivery. I know from other purchases that most common carriers will provide additional services for additional charges--services like a ground level delivery--this is usually in a truck that has a power lift gate and typically (but not always) smaller than the large semi-trailers used of long haul shipments.

Also, every contract I have seen for shipping puts the responsibility on the purchaser for ensuring appropriate access for whatever options are selected.

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

<font color="blueclass=small">It sounds as if you opted for the common carrier delivery. </font>

Me? No, not me! I haven't ordered anything. I'm on my multi-year (or until funds available) reconnaissance mission. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

This is interesting information about shipping though. I was wondering how the overnight express guys would get a PT off of the trailer and now I know! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Since I'm in Northern VA, i would probably just buy/rent/borrow hauling equipment to pick the stuff up from the HQ.

 

[RegL]

OK, I have calmed down now and have chalked it up as another one of those learning experiances. After a few calls to the dispatcher the trucks coming back this afternoon and try to get to my house. That kind of tells me the driver yesterday didn't try to hard. Wires are not all that low and if they can't deliver here, they can't deliver to half the streets in the country. At least after today I will have a better idea of what my shipping options are. By the way, when I bought the tractor and three attachments, there was no problem because I had it shipped private carrier. $700 didn't seem bad for $17000 worth of equipment but the lady at PT said it would run the same,even for one attachment and that would be to steep. I have to say, this does make that skid steer adaptor look more attractive, being able to pick up attachments locally. Anyway, I guess when this is all done, that big grin will return to my puss. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[landscapercarl]

Atleast when its delivered it will run. We had one delivered and it wouldn't even stay runing and had to get it fixed before we could try it out. Atleast those days are over with the Robin engines I hope.