Advice needed on shipping

[ed-sam]

Try the grocery store. They get apples in a large 2 part box. This is where the top fits over the bottom. I have used them in the past for cowl shipment and they have worked well.
Ed

[Steve D]

Hey Scott,

I know you said you’re all set with the box but a few guys mentioned shipping with a U-Haul box and I did that once with an 18 horse so I thought I’d share it.

It was the "Shorty Wardrobe" box ($7.95). I had to do a couple alterations to it but it worked out pretty good.

I Gorilla Glued shut the pre-cut openings/flaps and cut my own. I removed the throttle handle and lower unit from the motor and shipped those in a separate box. Buyer was aware that some assembly would be required and a slightly higher shipping with the extra boxes. I also shipped a tank and hose to him.

I wrapped the motor in plastic, blocked and braced it in the box with thick styrofoam padding, filled in the empty space with more packing material and Great Stuff expanding foam to fill in the spaces and lock it all in, then more thick padding on top locked in with the expanding foam.

I Gorilla Glued the flap down, went around length and girth with wide clear tape, and topped it off with duct tape.

Rochester, NY to Texas, FedEx Ground, it was a little pricey but buyer was ok with it saying he doesn’t come across too many good used motors down there that often.

So, I sold a motor but it’s a lot of extra work to increase its chances of surviving the trip undamaged. I might ship a smaller one but I don’t think I want to do an 18 again.

[johnny-infl]

– – – – on the subject of selling and shipping – – – –
if you are going to advertise a large item for sale on the world wide interweb.
It would be in your best interest to get the item ready to ship before listing it.
then you will have the box on hand, you can tell the customer the size, weight, etc
of the box…… then you note that the buyer is responsible for the packaging, handling
and shipping fees……. you should not put your hard earned money into free handling charges.
Even if you are thinking of listing it for free – the advice is still recommended for the shipping info.
I sell a lot of stuff on ebay and have learned a lot on how to fine tune the shipping process
so as not to loose money or break even if the packaging and handling fees are going to be costly. (in time and money).
If it is a last minute thing like someone asking here for an item, and you have it, just tell the
person that you will get back to him on the exact packaging, handling and shipping fees……….
Steve – great packing job on that motor, BTW.

jus my Dos Centavos

[fifty20ne]

Steve.

Great Job on packing the 18 HP Johnson. Your shipping method was very well done.
Using the thick foam padding and locking everything in with expanding foam spray
Sealant is an excellent idea for structural integrity. Packing a motor this way takes
Extra time and money, but dealing with an unhappy buyer at the receiving end &
Waiting for shipper to pay a damage claim, if they even will pay? Makes it worth it
In my opinion.
Most Shipping Companies will not even honor the insurance claims today, they just
deny paying the Insurance claim and say it was not packed properly? That is why I
started having UPS pack and ship the motors as they can’t deny a shipping damage
Claim that they packed and shipped, as it was all on them (UPS).

Best Regards,

Bob

[wyo307]

Scott,

I am sorry you are having so much trouble sending me this cowl. I never even thought of the size of the thing. Will the two halves fit inside each other when you split them apart? Sorry for the inconvenience.

[PugetSoundBoater]

Steve- that was an awesome packing job! I have read on occasion our members get shipped a motor and when it arrives some part is cracked or busted off. What a let down that would be.
Jim PSB

"Some people want to know how a watch works, others just want to know what time it is"
Robbie Robertson

[Steve D]

Yeah Jim, that’s why I won’t hand over the job of packing to a shipping company. Some might have success with them. But I feel leery about having them do it. Even though they bear the responsibility of damage, you still might have an unhappy buyer on the other end because they weren’t as as careful or as thorough as I would have been. And then you have the claims mess, etc.

I once bought a ’56 Johnson 10 horse on eBay and the seller had USPS pack it and ship it. Well, their idea of sufficient packing was to just fill the box with styrofoam peanuts! That’s no protection against a 70 lb. motor from shifting around in the box. It could have been a lot worse but it ended up breaking the inner hood stud for one of the bumpers, and it broke the throttle handle. That handle sticks out at an angle and is vulnerable during shipping unless it’s protected or cushioned somehow. That’s why I like to remove them if I’m going to ship a motor.

That’s the same reason I tell guys who buy a motor from me if they’re going to lay it on that side, (which is preferable to the gear shift side), you have to put a block of wood underneath the pivot point of the throttle handle, or a bunch of rags, a blanket, anything to get the pressure off that handle and allow it to move freely on its side. Otherwise, with it sticking out at an angle like that, it’s taking all of the weight of the motor, bouncing around in the back of their pick up, and it’s bound to break.

[retiredoz]

No matter which shipper you want to use, go to their website and check their ‘dimensional shipping’ entry. You may find your 15-lb cowl turning into 40-or 50 lbs and priced accordingly.
I’d strongly suggest separating the halves.

[Author]

Posts