Shipping an item of value
1. Best way to ship an item of value: UPS, Fed EX, U.S. Postal, other?
2. How much insurance: 100% of value; or enough to guarantee proper handling and accountability?
3. Reliability? Yeah, I know, redundant to # 1.. I want to make sure [it] get there!
Best Method
I would say UPS with 100% value insurance and have it packed by the local UPS store. That way they can't come back and say it was inadequately packed which is the standard answer to any claim.
Ian
Depends...
Depends on weight. And a UPS store isn't the golden answer. I know from experience. Insure for double value.
Cj
About 15 years of shipping Race car parts using UPS, FED Ex, and USPS.Originally Posted by Albatross
USPS is the worst by FAR. Insurance is more for the same amount. Shipping prices can be ok since they price far differently than UPS, Fed Ex, etc. Some locales/weights will be cheaper, some more. Their tracking system is TERRIBLE. They have no idea where a package is at any given time and can not divert it real time. If a package is lost or destroyed and they accept fault it may be up to 6 weeks before you get anything.
This may not be important to you, but their on-line shipping and billing system is far worse than Obama's heath care system... (and probably supported by the same group).
BTW, one time we had an on-line issue and we were routed to a support person in INDIA !
UPS and FEDEX are about the same. I give the edge to UPS just due to what seems to me to be better mannered drivers.Very few claims and when we have had them they are paid promptly.
The tip of having UPS pack the items (especially if fragile) is a good one. ALL of the carriers will fight the damage claim if packing is in doubt.
Depending on size, Yellow Freight does a good job on large, heavy items.
"An analog man living in a digital world"
^^^^^^^^^ S T A Y A W A Y ^^^^^^^^^ Avoid at all costs! They are the ONLY carrier I would never use. All the others are just bad
Hmmmm. Well, I guess I just got lucky...
"An analog man living in a digital world"
Not Yellow
I agree with Daryl, they dropped a motor I sent and broke the distributor, then tried charging me more on a freight forward item that was paid for by a business. I wouldn't use Yellow again.
Graham.
Anser to the question you didn't ask. If you don't have to ship it before Christmas don't. Most carriers are utilizing lots of casual / temp help during this season and are being pressured to work quickly. Recipe for disaster.1. Best way to ship an item of value: UPS, Fed EX, U.S. Postal, other?
2. How much insurance: 100% of value; or enough to guarantee proper handling and accountability?
3. Reliability? Yeah, I know, redundant to # 1.. I want to make sure [it] get there!
A1. What kind of weight and value are we talking?
A2. While you can purchase additional declared value for whatever amount you wish, and pay accordingly.....IT ISN'T INSURANCE (with UPS or FedEx)....and you will not be permitted to be made "more than whole". In other words if you only sold it for $10K that's all you can recover and even then that doesn't always work unless you can prove you lost the sale. In other words if you shipped the buyer another one you are only out your cost on the item. High Value claim potential only gets handled better by those who care. Those that don't---you are just advertising "steal me".
3. They all are pretty good, or bad depending on your perspective, within reason. Some are better in certain lanes than others. Basically comes down to how many times is it going to be handled between point A and B with the various carriers.
Employee morale at an all time low. More concessions on the horizon. Teamsters negotiating as we speak with the company about future. $1.4B in debt with big payment due in Feb 2014 they say they can't make. Banks won't refi without a better plan. IBT presenting company's proposal for vote on Dec. 6th. They close while they have your freight---good luck getting that delivered any time soon and intact. You have a claim pending when they close----get in line.
http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...worldwide.aspx
Thx for the heads up !
"An analog man living in a digital world"
UPS rules:
Pay special attention to pages 36-37.
http://www.ups.com/media/en/terms_service_us.pdf
FedEx rules:
http://www.fedex.com/us/freight/rule...liability.html
shipping
My experience indicates FEDEX seems to be the best. UPS is to be avoided like the plague unless you are shipping anything that is indestructible! Their policy is to avoid paying for any claim, it's always the "packaging". This comes from years of experience shipping all kinds of products in my business. At least FEDEX takes care of their problems and a check arrives about one week later. If you are shipping smaller items the best deal is the post office with their one price carton shipping. If shipping by truck remember the claim may not reflect the value and there are lots of words written in their policy that reduces the value responsibility on their part. Be informed!
Shipping Parts
We ship a combination of small boxes to large truck shipments daily.
For the small ones I alternate between UPS and Fed Ex, it depends on who I am mad at that day.
For larger truck shipments I have found Fed Ex freight to be the most reliable.
When boxing up the part we go by the theory that it is the shipping companies job to ruin our part and it is our job to make their job harder.
Related question:
When shipping or ordering: If the cost difference isn't crazy $$$ is it better to use "2nd/3rd day" versus "ground" for long distances? That is get the package in an airplane ASAP for the long haul versus "in a truck" for the long haul?
Thanks,
Dick
for larger items I always use Freightquote.com You get to shop for a price and a carrier, you do not deal directly with the carrier and the FQ reps work very hard to keep you happy.
Also with FQ you buy insurance direct from them and not the carrier. My experience in the past was that ConWay/CCX/Yellow were a lot like UPS in that they worked hard not to pay the claim. Maybe they are self insured but I can tell you that FQ acts like they are working for you and make sure the claim gets paid.
While there is some merit in the truck/rail vs. air as far as handling goes, the largest difference is in the reduced chance your package will be lost. Freight handlers priorities are color coded----those next day/2nd/3rd day packages just don't get left by the wayside. The ground stuff is the lowest priority and is just another box when it doesn't make the cut time. That's the first step in your package getting lost.
A broker has some leverage. These carriers want to keep them happy. The biggest name in the racing industry is small peanuts to these carriers (no matter what your salesrep tells you). Large clients are doing $30K+ per DAY in freight charges.
ALL of the carriers try to decline every single freight claim they can, who wants to pay a claim they don't have to? It's a major component of how I have made my living for the last 21 years. Sure there are claims they should pay, and they usually do pay those. It's a matter of identifying just which ones those are.
As a retired UPS driver, and having dealt with unhappy customers due to lost packages, let me offer one piece of advice.
Always place a complete shipping label inside the package. If the label outside should be damaged the label inside can help in assuring the package gets to its intended destination.
Daryl, I thought I remember reading in one of these type threads that purchasing extra insurance was a huge scam - can you speak to that please?
Well, the USPS just safely delivered a nose for the Reynard. I may go buy a lottery ticket. BTW, Insuring a $100 item for $500 won't pay off. It's ez to check the cost of items. Insurance companies are pretty good at paying the least amount possible on loss claims.
"An analog man living in a digital world"
It's a matter of the customer thinking they are buying something they are not (insurance). Further they will charge you per $100 based on whatever amount you state but their tariffs and Federal law will limit their liability even when you state and pay for a higher declared value.
The tariffs and federal law rule.
Here's a quote from UPS' current tariff (not picking on them as all carriers have similar language, this tariff was just convenient):
The shipper cannot declare a value in excess of the maximum allowable limits set forth below. UPS shall not be liable under any circumstances for an amount in excess of the declared value of a domestic package or international shipment, or pallet. When a shipper declares a value in excess of $100, it does not receive any form of insurance. Shippers desiring cargo insurance, all risk insurance, or another form of insurance should purchase such insurance from a third party.
--and--
Any declared value in excess of the maximums allowed in the applicable Terms or Service Guide is null and void. Acceptance for carriage of any package or shipment bearing a declared value in excess of the allowed maximums does not constitute a waiver of any provisions of the Terms or Service Guide limiting UPS’s liability or responsibility for any such package or shipment.
--and finally some examples of these maximums--
–$5,000 per package for a package shipped as a result of a request for service made through the internet;
–$500 per package for a package shipped via a UPS Drop Box;
–$1000 per package for a package shipped via a Third-Party Retailer if such package was previously manifested in a UPS Shipping System, prior to drop off at the Third-Party Retailer or billed using Bill My Account;
36
–$500 per package or pallet for international shipments containing jewelry (not including costume jewelry);
etc....you get the idea. Just because you purchased $10K of declared value doesn't mean you are going to be entitled to $10K even though they were happy to charge you accordingly.
UPS highvalue packages
Another item to keep in mind when using UPS for high value packages, any package over $1000 needs to have a copy of the receipt signed by a UPS employee. That nice young person behind the counter at the UPS store is not a UPS employee, UPS stores are a franchise, you need to have the driver or someone from the UPS service center sign the receipt or you may have an issue getting a claim covered.
UPS stores have a very rigid schedule for pickups so if you are going to the UPS store call ahead and find out when the driver will be there.
Mike, We have a regular pickup everyday, So our driver signs the high dollar ones I am not familiar with the UPS stores. However, they are an agent of the UPS and I can't believe their signature is not legally adequate. Are you sure of this?
http://www.theupsstoredc.com/186/the...-means-to-you/
look about half way down the page under "High Value Drop Off Packages"
You sure are correct.. Actually that whole page is like a "hold harmless clause". It looks like they could just about wash their hands of anything (loss, damage, etc.). I have never used them, but figured for fragile packing requirements it would be a good idea. Not so sure now. Since we have an account and negotiated rates with UPS, we can't use them anyways (to get our lower rates).
Just so you know, not only is that UPS Store Agents' signature not enough to protect you on shipments over $1K in value....the actual UPS drivers' or employees' words or signature don
't supercede Tariffs.
Listen to Daryl.
I say again - Listen to Daryl.
He helped me out immeasurably with a claim against the third party shipper for $1000. Once the UPS Store (the third party shipper) realized I knew the rules - thanks to Daryl - he busted his chops to get UPS to honor the claim. Initially they stated the packaging was bad but I called the head office and explained no one had even looked at the package. Things began to move. After 3 months they are giving me the check tomorrow for the full $1000. I had to PROVE that the repairs/replacement would actually be over $1000. And they took the damaged wing. I have no idea what they will do with it.
BTW, the way I read the rules - if the third party shipper accepts your package he is, de facto, stating the packaging is sufficient as the rules say they may not accept anything that isn't appropriately packaged. That was my tack, and it worked.
Do not ship anything that exceeds the stated limits as Daryl said.
Thanks again, Daryl.
Charlie Warner
fatto gatto racing
'Cause there's bugger-all down here on earth!
Glad it worked out for you Charles!
Unless it's leaking/damaged HAZ-MAT or shattered glass they pretty much pick up anything they pay a full claim on. They recover what they can through a network of salvage dealers and salvage stores. It doesn't always make financial sense in the short term to do it this way. The logic is that if word got out that they don't send inspectors out when the claim amount is less than $X and they let you keep it when you tell them it isn't worth $Y any longer, the number of fraudulent claims would go through the roof!
Pretty much the case with just about any rules tariff I'm familiar with. If you knew what they all said you wouldn't ship with anybody!
FedEx Express Freight terms changed on Oct 14th from $100/package to $100/package or $1/lb whichever is less. So that $100 you were counting on for your 10# shipment is now limited to $10.
FedEx Express has a maximum declared value limit of $50,000 limit unless you are shipping any number of commodities and then it's a maximum of $1000 limit no matter how much declared value you purchased. Such commodities are so well defined as:
Any commodity that by its inherent nature is particularly susceptible to damage or the market value of which is particularly variable or difficult to ascertain.
--or---
any commodity that exhibits the style or fashion of a past era and whose history, age or rarity contributes to its value.
Those rules tariffs are there to protect the carriers. Same with Federal laws such as Carmack.
How to Ship
So my conclusion is to hand carry it. Hope it's to Paris!
I'm trying to get a shipper for my new race car. (MO to CA this month)
What should I look for in the carrier's insurance?
Use Ed Dalton. 317-769-3609. Fully insured.
Charlie Warner
fatto gatto racing
'Cause there's bugger-all down here on earth!
Whenever possible. There I am shooting myself in the foot...when the carriers quit damaging expensive freight I will need a career change!
YRCW update
Well the company and the union presented a MOU for membership vote along with a conference call last night.
Here's a quote from a YRCW employee this morning on a LTL transportation related forum sharing his thoughts:
"And the people I talked to are not worried about their next gig, they just want to see YRC out of business for good. It's a personnel war now. And most are trying thier best to help sink the ship everyday they come in."
^^^^ Is that who you want handling your freight? ^^^^
Shipping an item of value
I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to this thread. Most of us who are not involved with any aspect of the shipping industry were no doubt surprised and dismayed at the "roll of the dice" we make when shipping anything, particularly something of value. I believe that the general consensus among us is to ship FEDEX, 2nd day and make sure the item is properly wrapped and protected in a carton or crate. I went one step further. With full disclosure and for less than $100 (annual fee). I had the item listed on a "rider" on my home owners insurance policy.
Don't forget to take good pictures of the boxes used, including the certification indication, all packing, and even time-lapse shots while the items are being packed. Do not "forget" that something was in there (in the case of customs declarations). Value it properly, even if it means the buyer pays more duties. If you value it low for his sake and then it is damaged, you'll be limited to the stated value, regardless of the declared insured-for value.
Charlie Warner
fatto gatto racing
'Cause there's bugger-all down here on earth!
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