Shipping an Air Compressor

[maralibis]

I just ordered a compressor from Northern Tools model #47500
Has anyone else ordered compressors from Northern Tools and how did it ship to your residence? Semi Truck with 18 wheels or smaller cargo van?

I requested the lift gate for an additional $85 but that wont do me any good if he can't back it into my drive way

Just curious on anyone else experience

 

[Streetbu]

Easy, ship it to your work, cheaper for a business address, then back a regular pickup truck up to the tractor trailer and slide it into the back of the pickup....

 

[maralibis]

I work out of my house and don't have a pickup or trailer

 

[lakelandcat]

pick it up at the hub they ship to, a couple of friends(one with a truck) and and a case of beer. Its a little harder but after a few brews who cares.

 

[nickleone]

I was in the shipping business for 21+ years. If your driveway is paved and not long and steep a couple of well placed dollars($5+) will get it moved with the pallet jack in to or very close to the garage.

Nick

 

[Marctrees]

Just remember.. if you lay it down.. AFFAIK you need to drain the oil.

To avoid a mess of it leaking out of the vent, but also to keep it from migrating inside the pump.

Marc

 

[maralibis]

yes I might have to lay it down, and actually read to drain the oil here on Garage Journal

I'll know next week on how cooperative the freight driver is I have two garages one small that's 60ft from the road.... my actual shop if 200ft back

 

[ItsNemo]

Couple strong guys, lay it on it's side (drain the oil, it's no biggy), dolley it where it needs to go, stand it back up...they aren't that bad.

 

[Marctrees]

Couple strong guys, lay it on it's side (drain the oil, it's no biggy), dolley it where it needs to go, stand it back up...they aren't that bad.

Only thing is... I have done this and a third Guy handy can really help... only cause the thing is so top heavy and if it should get away from you it would be a very sad day.

Marc

 

[ItsNemo]

Only thing is... I have done this and a third Guy handy can really help... only cause the thing is so top heavy and if it should get away from you it would be a very sad day.

Marc

Yeah, either two big guys or three if you aren't to brawny...got my IR compressor to my basement with 3 guys and a home made dolly.

 

[Citation]

I'm going to throw out an off the wall suggestion. Take the pump and motor off, the move it.

My brother had to get a low end 80 gallon compressor from my father's garage to his. The original plan was to borrow a truck and figure out how to lift it into the bed etc. My brother has a Mazda5. It's like a very small minivan. I suggested removing the pump and motor then moving it. That worked well as both the pump and motor could easily be moved by one person (one at a time) the tank could then be easily carried by two people or moved around by one. We was able to get the tank in the car by tipping it into the back of the van then doing the same when he got home. The tanks are big but so long as the length isn't a problem it can fit in most hatchbacks/vans/SUVs. Removing the pump reduces the height by a good 1.5 feet.

Yes, normally pulling everything apart would be odd but in our case we had just built this compressor up from cast off parts so a bit of disassembly for transport was no big deal. If you have to move it solo this might be the only realistic option. In our case assembly and disassembly were relatively easy and probably took no more than 30 minutes.

 

[Marctrees]

Taking apart, the head parts from the tank. is a valid idea if w very limited manpower.

I have done exactly that years ago.

But... if you have three good Guys, absolutely NO NO need to take apart.

Just reserve the Beers till it's done being moved, and all Guys being alert... Take your time, NO NO rush.

Marc

 

[EOC_Jason]

It's usually an 18-wheeler with those short pup trailers with a lift gate. He will have a pallet jack because he has to move things around.

A coke or gatorade, some kind words, and maybe some cash can get the two of you to roll it all the way up your driveway and into your garage.

 

[exranger06]

I'm going to throw out an off the wall suggestion. Take the pump and motor off, the move it.

My brother had to get a low end 80 gallon compressor from my father's garage to his. The original plan was to borrow a truck and figure out how to lift it into the bed etc. My brother has a Mazda5. It's like a very small minivan. I suggested removing the pump and motor then moving it. That worked well as both the pump and motor could easily be moved by one person (one at a time) the tank could then be easily carried by two people or moved around by one. We was able to get the tank in the car by tipping it into the back of the van then doing the same when he got home. The tanks are big but so long as the length isn't a problem it can fit in most hatchbacks/vans/SUVs. Removing the pump reduces the height by a good 1.5 feet.

Yes, normally pulling everything apart would be odd but in our case we had just built this compressor up from cast off parts so a bit of disassembly for transport was no big deal. If you have to move it solo this might be the only realistic option. In our case assembly and disassembly were relatively easy and probably took no more than 30 minutes.

I bought my Quincy 60 gallon compressor used. It came from a commercial shop, and the seller had a forklift to load it into my truck (it was bolted to a pallet). I transported it standing upright, strapped in securely, of course. When I got it home, I unbolted the pump and the motor while it was still on the truck, and removed those separately. Then I had my brother in law come over and he helped me lift the tank out of the truck. The tank was pretty light by itself and it was easy to lift with two people. We unbolted it from the pallet and used a hand truck to wheel it over to its final installation spot. Then I reinstalled the motor and the pump.

 

[MNMike]

Call the delivering terminal and see if they have a straight truck with a lift gate.

Good Luck,

Mike

 

[sierradmax]

I haven't seen many tractor trailers with a lift gate. Chances are, it will be delivered in a box truck that has a lift gate on the back. So, it should be able to back up your drive.

Smaller trucks make less deliveries than a tractor trailer on a daily basis. Hence the upcharge. Tractor trailers with a lift gate would present a problem at loading docks.

I'm always buying palleted items from residences then shipped to my business. My shipper always charges me $75 for liftgate service upon pick-up because "they have to send a smaller truck and the trailer doesn't accommodate a lift gate"

 

[EOC_Jason]

I haven't seen many tractor trailers with a lift gate. Chances are, it will be delivered in a box truck that has a lift gate on the back. So, it should be able to back up your drive.

Smaller trucks make less deliveries than a tractor trailer on a daily basis. Hence the upcharge. Tractor trailers with a lift gate would present a problem at loading docks.

I'm always buying palleted items from residences then shipped to my business. My shipper always charges me $75 for liftgate service upon pick-up because "they have to send a smaller truck and the trailer doesn't accommodate a lift gate"

1. I saw them on a daily basis when I worked at a commercial office/warehouse complex.

2. The lift gate folds up under the rear out of the way so they can back up to docks or unload with a forklift like normal.

I agree though, if you know the shipping company you can contact them and *try* to get it on a box-truck, but there is no guarantee...

 

[matt_i]

Around here, I see a lot of things like that subcontracted from the bigger long-distance 18 wheel company out to a local box truck company. I think its win-win for the long distance co, its a business they don't want to deal with anyway due to the time-cost of getting their big trucks jammed in a neighborhood, and I think they keep some of the upcharge anyway as pure profit.

That said, the times I kept the box unchecked for liftgate service (due to forklift on site) an 18 wheeler showed up.

 

[GrayFlattop]

Just in case I'd keep some cash available - and more than $5. $20 and an ice cold bottle of water will help. Have at least another $20 (or two) on-hand. It may seem like a lot, but if you mess up the compressor by trying to move it yourself - or worse yet - if you mess up your back, $60 will seem like pennies.

Taking the pump and motor off as mentioned above is another option.

 

[kbs2244]

I used to get 18 wheeler lift gate deliveries regularly.

$20.00 and a cold water got it from my mailbox to my garage all the time.
(Paved driveway and his pallet jack)

 

[maralibis]

Thanks everyone I just checked the delivery status looks like I'll know Monday the 6th

 

[jlchapman4]

2 years ago I bought a Quincy QT5 80 gallon from Northern. Paid the extra for the liftgate service. It was an 18 wheeler. I dont remember who the trucking company was. They used a pallet jack,down to the ground with the liftgate, then moved it all the way back to my shop. I offered him $20 and he kept refusing. Finally he took the money.

Just had a new lathe delivered by Old Dominion. Same situation as above. The liftgate was an extra $50 bucks, but saved me alot of time.

Most delivery guys really want to see your cool shop!

 

[2gslse]

That compressor is only 300 lbs. When I got my 60 gal unit I just layed it down in my truck and stood it back up after sliding it out on the tailgate. It wasnt bad at all.

 

[maralibis]

just a quick update the freight company said no way on backing a truck up 200ft in my drive way to drop off the compressor.
So! my air compressor sits in a lonely dock waiting, so here is an update on plan (B) rent a U-Haul with ramp... the freight company can load it and when I get it home I'll just roll it down the ramp into it's new home. "sound easy"? we'll see

 

[oxideFEO2]

i don't have the experience as most folks on this site but I built a simple appliance dolly large enough to put the shipping crate of my new compressor on. I think my "dolly" was 32x34in., with 4 in. swivel wheels. Contacted to seller and inquired about the pallet dimensions. Anchored the compressor with multiple straps and wheeled it around. For some reason the delivery guys I have dealt with don't seem to accommodate me for love nor money. Have used this dolly for multiple deliveries since. As he rocked it off the lift gate ($80+ charge), I kicked the dolly beneath.

On a related note, test your compressor ASAP. It took me a while to get the electrical completed. The item pictured on their website was not exactly what they delivered - website showed an interstage cooler and said Made In USA. The interstage cooler disappeared entirely and the only thing made in USA was the sticker that said Made IN USA.
When I turned it on, discovered a big porosity hole on the top end cap weld. The manufacturer (Puma) asked me to send pictures. Though it makes an audible hissing and soapy water leak detector makes bubbles like a Lawrence Welk episode in my pictures, they refuse to return my emails or phone. The fine print says I am responsible for the return shipping anyway. The lesson for me is, try to buy air compressors only you can see/touch and that you can observe holding a pressure.

Hope this is of some use.

 

[Marctrees]

If you plan on "Rolling it down" on a Uhaul ramp... in a vertical position...I will very strongly say you will need 3 GOOD smart non wimpy guys that are able to think ahead and react quickly wearing non slippy shoes.

At the start of the ramp, the top of the head will be approx 8' above the ground.

You CANNOT let it get "away" from you.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

All considered... what I would do is... Have the three guys and a piece of carpet 2 1/2' x 7'...Get the pallet to truck bed at top of ramp.. lay down on carpet... quickly slide down ramp (pallet on downhill end)... and quickly stand up on ground.

Have a rag handy, a small bit of oil may spill out of vent.

Now, the truck can leave w/o dealing w any delays.. and you guys can figure out how to get it up driveway.

If it lays down just one minute, you will not lose much oil out of the vent, nor will the oil migrate anywhere detrimental in the pump.

If you decide you want to lay it down for the long driveway trip, then drain the oil before you lay it back down.

I have moved a few of these... this is what I would do.

Marc

 

[Marctrees]

Actually, if you get the Uhaul, you just will back it to your shop, slide it down on the carpet laying down, stand it up, then the three guys SLOWLY NO RUSH "Walk" the pallet to location.

Don't take it down the ramp standing vertically, at least I wouldn't

Marc

 

[rpcraft]

There is a service called white glove setup. If you can contact the freight company they will probably just charge you minimally to deliver it inside "aka white glove setup" and that takes the onus off worrying if the driver is in a good mood or not. You can prepay and then that way they will deliver it on a smaller truck.

 

[EOC_Jason]

See if you can rent a drop-deck trailer. It lowers the whole deck to the ground so you don't have to worry about tipping over.

To the guy with the Puma - My local Quincy dealer also sells puma, I don't know if they do that nationwide but it might be easier to deal with a local dealer than corporate...

 

[maralibis]

OK with funerals and sick kids and Blah! Blah! Blah! here is the update
Thursday is my day!
I'm on vacation My son is attending his Grandma's funeral and hoping my last hold out kids all are well by 5:00pm Thur afternoon.

I like the carpet idea as it will be a brake to slow down the decent the U-haul has a 12 foot ramp i think the angle is manageable

I'll take a pic of this engineering epic that will unfold Thursday

can anyone tell me why I promised my Girl Friend the whole day of Friday to go to the big city of Indianapolis for fun and sun?

 

[matt_i]

I've moved my T30 compressor 6 times, I'm going to urge caution on laying it down. All of the sudden, in 1 millisecond, you have 200+ lbs in your hands, which is more than a lot of people can handle, and if its just the compressor itself you now have a mesh belt guard and the copper pipe to grab onto, neither of which are sufficient to even support the weight. If there's a fail at that moment, its going down and probably hard.

A better solution imo is to get a refrigerator truck (2 wheel truck with the belt-strap) and a mover's blanket. Both of those you can rent from Uhaul. Use the movers blanket to protect the new paint on the tank. Use clear packing tape to hold the blanket where you want it.

Use the strongest guy backed by two others, 1 each side, to lay the compressor over to the balance point on the level of the truck bed. The balance point is too high to control it, so it has to go down to the point where the looped handles can be held with arms extended and the physics of that dictate handling more weight, unfortunately its like holding the entire compressor-head...

But once that is stablized, then you can roll it down the ramp. Again the guy with the handles has the tough job, but the other two should hop to it and brake it as it rolls down.

Personally I wouldn't mess with carpet, the aluminum ramp is "toothed" so you can get the traction that you need in a way you never could with carpet.

 

[GrayFlattop]

I've also used an engine hoist with a chain sling to get a 60 gallon compressor off of a truck. You need a real engine hoist with a boom that will extend that far, but if you have access, this is not a bad way to go. There is typically enough room between the top of the tank and the U-channel motor/pump mount for chain placement - just make sure it doesn't rub on any of the tubing, belt guard, etc.

But I still like the idea of starting with $20 (or $40 or $60 or...) to bribe the driver to get it in your garage. Besides, the driver may feel more confident about backing up your driveway than the guy on the phone - never know. And to be fair - neither I or the dispatch guy know what your driveway looks like.

Just do NOT try this alone as mentioned above - once it starts to get away from you, bad things happen.

 

[yaidunno]

This is a 300 lb compressor, there is no need to over complicate things. Rent a pick up, and have a friend help you unload it.

 

[MNMike]

Just call a local (courier service) they will pick it up at the carrier and deliver to your garage. If you can't find one ask dispatch at the carrier who the farm these deliveries out to. Don't waste money renting anything or getting three guys to help.

One option off the top of my head is Forward Air, Citywide, All City Delivery and Brothers logistics. I can get you more if you want.

 

[Jonboy1974]

Rent a truck from Home Depot and have a couple buddies help ya.

 

[maralibis]

Well I finally had a moment to finish the saga of moving a 300lb air compressor
Long story short, the freight company would not deliver to my garage that was 200 ft from curb.
All my help was ******* with family issues and I was on vacation waiting for my new compressor

So I look myself in the mirror and said (WWJWD) "What Would John Wayne Do"
so I took off rented a Uhaul brought it home all by my self
I took the darn thing apart and unloaded the dag gone thing and have the pictures to prove it.

Just get Mad at it and get it done!

 

[GrayFlattop]

Well I finally had a moment to finish the saga of moving a 300lb air compressor
Long story short, the freight company would not deliver to my garage that was 200 ft from curb.
All my help was ******* with family issues and I was on vacation waiting for my new compressor

So I look myself in the mirror and said (WWJWD) "What Would John Wayne Do"
so I took off rented a Uhaul brought it home all by my self
I took the darn thing apart and unloaded the dag gone thing and have the pictures to prove it.

Just get Mad at it and get it done!

Well done! I take it a cash bribe to the truck driver didn't work?

 

[Augus7us]

Well done pilgrim

 

[realseriousschitt]

this is absolutely nothing weight wise, a good bag barrow like the ones I used at the woolstore use to handle 160 kilograms without worries.