Long Distance Shipping

[Gunny]

I'm sure lots of you can help me with your experiences on this issue.  

We have a smallish, private, family-run woodlot thinning oeration.  For most of the last 30+ years of related activities, I've kept things (sales, advertisements, deliveries, etc) more or less on a "local" level.  We offer discounts for lumber picked-up at our site and contract regional deliveries with folks equipped to transport smaller loads (300-BF-1MBF) into the Metro areas.  It would be nice, though, when things slow down with the area demands, to offer our lumber nationally.  We have a WoodMizer bandsaw mill and a Nyle dehumidification drying system.  We store our lumber in a dry,well ventilated, and secure area (pole barn).  We also have a WoodMaster planer-molder (18").

But I haven't a clue (though I have researched some rates and gag) as to the most cost-efficient means of getting, say, 6MBF from mid-MI to Texas.  I'll just bet about a million of you out there have tried and failed and/or tried and succeeded.  I'm all "ears."

Thanks in advance for your insights.  It never hurts to ask those who've done it before.

[Cedarman]

We ship orders from one board to full trailer loads. If our order is small, say 50 board feet or less, we use UPS or FEDEX. For large orders we use R&L Carriers and have established a discount with them of 70 per cent. Different users get different discounts.  We have used Freightquote also, especially for western shipments.  We make our own pallets and steel strap the lumber to them.  We also have fork extensions so we can lift long bundles from the end.  It is still expensive to ship 1000 to 20000 pound loads.  From 20000 to 40000 plus you have a full trailer load and can get the best rate per board foot.  Sometimes customers will make a special trip to pickup.  

The more value you add to the lumber the more economical it is to ship. Such as drying, planing, ripping and defecting. This reduces weight also.

[Gunny]

Merci (with many boo-koos!)

This is exactly the information I'm seeking.  Thanks much.  Hope there's more to come.  

[Frank_Pender]

Out here in Oregon, I use Oak Harbor Freight.   They, in turn, deal with other carriers to get the order to its destination.  I too, have been given such a special rate.  What little I hve shipped has been the Kansas City, Mo., which has been 500lb. pallets of Western Big Leaf Burl and Arizona, which has been long slabs of verious species of wood.    

[oakiemac]

I use Con-way. I have a 55% discount level with them but it still adds from $1to 2/bf to the price of the lumber.

[Brucer]

I was just thinking about that this morning. Our big job last summer was sawing 300 timbers (Douglas-Fir and Western Larch) for a timber-frame house in Quebec. We shipped them on two flat decks and it sure seemed like an expensive proposition to me. But the boss had talked to a broker who was bringing loads west with nothing to backhaul. The back-hauling charges were very reasonable as long as we were flexible on the exact shipping date. Even a partial load was a good deal because the truck would be going back empty otherwise.

The timber-framer was delighted when the first load arrived. He'd never seen wood like that before. But around here it's what we've got so it's not a big deal. On the other hand, about the only hardwood we see in these parts is birch. Maple and oak are brought in from "back east" and sell for $$$.

It got me wondering what would happen if you called up a trucking broker and said, "I've got a load of wood to send across the country -- and there's a guy over that way who wants to send a load back. What kind of a deal will you give us?"

On the other hand, you might do better seeking out that empty truck that's going in the right direction -- someone else already paid for the round trip  ;)

[dewwood]

If you have any trucking brokers in your area, give them a call and ask what a partial load rate would be also get a full load rate.  If you are not in a big rush and can give them a few days they can often fiind a load headed where you want to deliver to.  If yours can be loaded on the front or back of the trailer it will save you some money over the full load rate.  Just be sure to tell them it will be a full tarp load(which will cost a little extra).  This is generally better with flatbed trucks as they can load the lumber anywhere on the trailer and unload when they get to your destination, vans trailers are a little more difficult to put a partial load into and get it unloaded.

[Gunny]

I want to thank you all for the information shared.  A phone call to a trucking company might have answered a few of the questions but you've all added those spices that make this forum such a valuable resource to some of us.

I've read and noted each suggestion.  Such a dandy education!  Thanks much.  Remember to wear those ear protectors.   8)