LTL vs Flatbed - Lift Delivery Choices

[sbosecker]

I have just ordered a BendPak 2-post lift.

BendPak offers LTL or Flatbed delivery options.

I don't know a thing about freight shipping but, due to my lift only being handled twice, the Flatbed delivery to a nearby Conway facility seemed attractive to me versus the LTL option.

I just received an email from my BendPak Dealer that the Conway facility that I had chosen to receive the lift can't do Flatbed.

I'm going to call Conway tomorrow and I'll try to get some education. Maybe someone here can enlighten me. Is Flatbed freight delivery something special vs. LTL?

I'm figuring freight is freight so I'm trying to figure out why Flatbed doesn't work for the local Conway facility.

Scott

 

[36truck]

Flat bed is an open trailer. LTL is Less than truck load. Con WAY is a LTL carrier they don't do flat bed.

 

[sbosecker]

36truck,

I think I'm getting a clearer picture of how this works. I think I had some misconceptions on how a freight terminal works.

I kept reading that one could have a lift delivered to a freight terminal. The way this was worded seemed, to me, to indicate that any freight terminal would deal with any truck delivery.

Now I'm guessing that Conway handles only Conway, YRC handles YRC, etc.

Is that correct?

If so, where do the Flatbed owner-operator trucks deliver their cargo? Strictly to commercial entities that can handle the cargo in-house?

Like I wrote earlier, I don't have a clue how this works but I'm trying to learn.

Best regards,

Scott

 

[canuckian]

I'd venture a guess that incoming freight to conways terminal is only LTL and to get it to a customer from that point, they'd either contract a delivery service or the customer would contract their own. Mine came LTL to a Day and Ross terminal and I arranged to get it picked up from there. D&R offered residential delivery but the cost was crazy so I got the local lumber yard to pick it up with their boom truck at a fraction of the cost.....free! They were going that way anyways. we had just built a house and all the materials were delivered by them so they had made their money off us already anyways.

 

[ovilla]

I picked up my Bendpak HD-9 from a Conway facility. I rented a two axle trailer from U-Haul for $29 (for the day) and then they just used their forklift at the terminal to load my trailer.

This was the cheapest and easiest way to bring it home. I also ended up renting an engine hoist for the day ($25) to lift everything off the trailer and lift the ramps in place.

Best of luck on your new lift!

 

[sbosecker]

Ovilla & Canuckian,

Thanks for the info.

I think I understand the "I pick up at the terminal" stuff.

I'm trying to cure my ignorance of how the various Freight Terminals operate concerning arriving freight.

Specifically, I'm trying to see if there are any freight terminals that would accept a delivery of my lift on an Owner-Operator Flatbed truck.

If not, I'll go LTL with Conway in Newnan, GA as that's the most convenient facility for me.

Best regards,

Scott