Canoe Shipping Question

[Heffe]

Hi everyone,
I am trying ship a solo canoe from Eastern US (North Carolina) to a shipping outlet in Montana. The UPS website told me the price would be $360, but when I called to confirm they quoted me $1100. The difference is a result of the Freight class which UPS says is 'Class 300".
Anyone have experience shipping canoes across the country or have a suggestion of how I can get my canoe from NC to MT?
Thanks!
Jeff Z

[Shep]

I think both Kaz and Jeremy have had good success with the dedicated Less-than-Truck-Load (LTL) companies. Kaz shipped a Spark to me via Yellow Truck Lines for less than $200 half way across the country. Might also check with ABF. They do LTL and you-pack moving. My wife and sister have used them for moving and they are amazing. Don't have any experience with their LTL services, but I would bet they are still excellent.

Shep

[clarion]

Kaz just shipped a Shacho from his place in NH to Buffalo, NY via Old Dominion Freight Lines. Kaz shipped on Monday and the boat was in Buffalo and and picked up on Wednesday at noon. The shipping cost: $101.79! What a deal. Thanks Kaz!

[Wendy]

I can also take Helen's boat to Old Dominion if you arrange/pay for the shipping; I am 45 minutes from any shipping terminal in Asheville area where I have received a boat

[2opnboat1]

1100 is way too high we ship boats al over the us for a third of that. How long is the boat. Class 300 is what you want to ship the boat at. how long is the boat every company have different overlengths.

[Wendy]

He will be shipping Helen's Option. I will wrap in cardboard on the ends and bottom, then wrap in bubble wrap

[Heffe]

Thanks for the responses everyone!
And Wendy thanks for wrapping the boat!

I've found the cheapest rate through Fedex who will do door to door pick up and delivery for $330 from NC to MT.

FYI to anyone else trying to ship a boat from East to West. Here are the quotes I got:
- UPS $1132
- Yellow Truck Lines - $1132
- Con Way - $487
- ABF - $3000 (Not really an option unless you are moving your house with the boat!)
- Old Dominion - Does not ship person-person. I think you need to have a corporate account?
- R & L - $465

[2opnboat1]

Try Saia

[Heffe]

Thanks Richard,
Quote from SAIA is $1,045

[ncdavid]

Have you checked with Forward Air? It was years ago, but I shipped an Atom from Charlotte to Boston for about $100.

[Smurfwarrior]

I've shipped a bunch of boats across country and even to alaska using ODFL and Yellow, listed at 200 class, and 200-250 was the normal top end of the cost.

[Shep]

Yeah... Something isn't connecting. If you get a helpful person on the phone you can probably ask them what the difference is between the quotes you are getting and what everyone else is getting. I think there are usually some code words that help get things right.

[MontyMcV]

New poster, newer member, and intermediate-on-a-good-day paddler here. Thought I'd chime in on this one, as I may be putting up a thread soon to ask for some advice...

Try to find a corporate connection if you can. I had two Cascades shipped two years ago to me in Cleveland OH. One came from the middle of MN and the other from eastern NY, both about 9 hours away. We use R&L a lot where I work (as in $couple-hundred-k account a year) and I got them both shipped for the same $60. One thing though is they had to be delivered to and picked up from terminals either terminals or loading docks. I did not have to "encroach" on our shipping dept to do this. That is, I didn't misappropriate company resources. I just got the contact person's info for R&L and called myself to arrange. The sellers took to terminals and I simnmply had the truck call me when they were at our plant and went out and grabbed them so they didn't have to actually back into the docks.

[canotrouge]

Kaz shipped a Shacho all the way to the Yukon, and it cost me just over $600.... So do your home work, it should cost you no more than a few hundreds dollars in the lower 48.
Cheers

[RodeoClown]

If you don't have an account with the freight co, you're going to pay out the you-know-what. But there are companies that will ship through their accounts. Try http://www.freightcenter.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;