Best way to ship a Pedal Steel ?

Nick Fryer · From: Ohio, USA

I am about to have a guitar shipped to me and wondering what services people like best. I don't mind spending a little extra if it means it's safe and speedy but at the same time if I can save a little but still rest easy then great. The guitar will be in a super rugged flight case and then wrapped in cardboard. I am trying to get bang for my buck but safe handling at the same time.

UPS ?

FEDEX?

Greyhound?

Other?

It's a heavy guitar and is going cross country.

Thanks for all your help!

-NF

Fred Justice · From: Mesa, Arizona

FedEx Ground IMHO
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john buffington · From: Owasso OK - USA

FedEx Ground just like what Fred said. It is worth the extra to ensure a safer travel.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Lord..here we go again !

I'll just say this again as I have said in ALL of the other threads, along with many others.

#1..It has to be packed CORRECTLY or it will not make the journey by any carrier

#2 It has to be packed CORRECTLY or it will not make the journey by any carrier

#3 It has to be packed CORRECTLY or it will not make the journey by any carrier

#4 It has to be packed CORRECTLY or it will not make the journey by any carrier

...

oh..and my own experiences can tell you that over the last decade I have probably shipped over 25 Instruments, the only ones that had any damage were from USPS and FED EX.

Not a single damage from UPS, but I'm not really sure what that means. The Instrument has to be packed CORRECTLY or it will not make the journey by any carrier . The Instruments that were damaged were not packed properly.

Each carrier uses conveyors that are OFF THE GROUND with hundreds of packages that can easily fall off. Do not assume that a person is taking any package and hand carrying it to and from a truck etc. Especially a 70 pound box. Would you ?

If you allow someone at a shipping hub or store to pack your Steel, hold your breath. These are 70 pound beasts and need to be packed correctly which doesn't mean fill a box with foam peanuts.

Many of us use similar methods, secure the Steel in the case, wrap the case with 1" foam sheets, build a box around it, allow the handle to be accessed for whoever may decide to pick it up.

Member Greg Cutshaw took the time to take many photo's of an excellent proper packaging. It's here somewhere...

Flight case is very good but I would still wrap it in 1" foam...as it can still fall off a conveyor somewhere.

Can it still get damaged ? Sure, but odds are in YOUR favor.

regarding costs, I use UPS, typically they have ranged from around $50 for a 70 pounder to over $100 depending on where it is going in the USA.
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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Is Greyhound still available? That is the way my Franklin was shipped. Paul said that was the most reliable they had found at Sho-Bud. This is before UPS and FEDEX became popular for individuals to use.
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Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

Don't ship by bus. I lost a valuable amp head that way and they only compensated me 200.00. Bus stations are usually in a bad section of town and if it has to change buses, they just set it outside to wait for the next bus and it's easy for someone to walk off with it.
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Charley Bond · From: Inola, OK, USA

I always try to find a larger 250# box, put a layer or 2 of 1" foam om the end, slide in the case, put a layer of 1 inch foam on the side & bottom, the fill up the case with layers of 1 inch foam on the sides (whatever is necessary).

Don't for get to fill the case with dunnage, to minimize any rattling damage.

Last but not least, do not fail to get enough insurance to cover your losses.

One thing we should have on this FORUM is a GROUP that appraises the values of these guitars & make it stick in any insurance claim test. Make it a paid appraisal.

(Hey Bobby...)
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

What Tony Pryor said. Proper preparation includes making sure nothing inside the case can start to move (if it moves, it becomes a battering ram, against which the case cannot prevail).
All three major shipping companies have the same procedure for heavy things like amplifiers and pedal steel guitars, which include up to 7 highly dangerous trips on a flat cart with no sides. Only recently have these carts gotten pneumatic tires, many are still solid rubber. Items too big or heavy for the conveyor belts ride the carts, for the following trips:
1) at the terminal of origin, from the van to the trailer going to the nearest hub
2) at the outbound region hub, from the local trailer to the sorting bench,
3) at the outbound hub, from sort to the Linehaul trailer to the destination hub
4) at the destination hub, from the inbound trailer to the sorting bench
5) destination hub, from the sort to the trailer heading to the local terminal (terminal and hub are not synonymous: it's kinda hub and spoke, with terminals at the end of the spokes)
6) destination terminal, from trailer to sorting bench
7) destination terminal, from sort to van.

I drive for the Linehaul arm of FedEx Ground, and recently watched the trips of these carts, and took count of how many items were on the cart and how many fell off. Almost 7 percent of the items fell from the cart to the ground, approximately two feet. This two foot drop happens at around 6 mph (a brisk walk, not really even jogging speed), and will fall to asphalt or concrete.
All three major shipping companies use the same style of cart for the big/heavy stuff. There is a 1" lip, but no sides or net (they are all working on ways to minimize damage, but so far, nothing has changed).
If you prepare the package, it will survive a couple drops.
If you prepare it inadequately, bad things will happen.
All three are so similar as makes no odds; the survival of package depends on the combination of luck (will the item fall from the cart?) and whether it was prepared.
If you're near Topeka (any of y'all), you're welcome to come by some Monday and take advantage of my 75% discount.
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Jim Williams · From: Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!

Tony Prior hit the nail on the head...packing is the key. If it is packaged correctly, it could be handled very roughly and not damaged...if not, even a slight mishap or normal handling could cause damage.

If the guitar has a fitted case, you are way ahead of the game. If not, I would offer to help pay for the added cost of having it packaged really well, if possible by a place that does this type of thing and has all the necessary packing materials, padding, boxes etc. At the very least I would question the seller on how they intended to pack the guitar.
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Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

When shipping a Bigsby I try to use Greyhound, if the route is appropriate.
You can pay for next bus out, and the receiver can be st the station when it arrives. You watch the box get loaded on to the bus and the receiver can watch it get unloaded and walked over to him. You can put convenient handles on the box, which FedEx and UPS don't allow, and your package is never more than two feet off the ground. You can also talk to and tip the worker who handles your package at either end.
It is not a bargain, but it is the safest way to ship something that cannot be replaced other than driving it myself.
I would not use Greyhound if I was going to cut corners and not specify which bus it was traveling on or when it was to be delivered, if the package was going to change busses, if there is extreme weather, or if the package may sit around in the back room of a station.
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Terry Barnett · From: Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada

Greg Cutshaw used to have a photo spread showing how to properly pack a steel guitar for shipping on his web site. Really, an excellent resource. He posts here periodically. If you do a search here you'll probably get his web address. I'd check it out.
The guys have it right...if you pack it correctly, chances are it'll get from point A to point B safely.

Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

I learned over the years of shipping that to have someone like the UPS Store to box and prepare your guitar for shipping, the reason why is: If they box it they will have to make good on insurance, if you box it they can and will deny the claim because they did not box it. Happened to me once and not again. I was lucky it was only a camera. They lost the camera I shipped back manufacturer. I fought with them for about two months to get my claim processed. I did ship a Sho Bud D10. I stood there and watched them box and pack it. They did do a super job of it.

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Kevin Fix: In principle what you say may be true. But in reality, I give you two choices.

1) They box it, probably insufficiently. You are insured. However, the item arrives damaged due to insufficient packaging. Now not only do you probably not have a sale, you also need to contend with their insurance claims and fighting and hassling, not to mention dealing with getting the item repaired. And you can only repair it after it is (wait for it).......shipped back to you. Then, to get it repaired, in the case of a PSG, that probably involves (wait for it again).........shipping it to someone. (You can see where this is going.) You will have the bad taste of this whole deal in your mouth forever.

2) You box it to withstand a nuclear blast. You ship it without insurance and take your chances. But, it arrives undamaged in spite of all of the mishandling, which would happen even if you did it as per #1 above.

A third way which would be ideal, but would probably never happen, would be for you and the shipper to pack it together. You pack it the way that you know will work, he/she is there to witness it and sign off on it, it is insured, arrives undamaged because it was packed well, and all is well.

There is a fourth way which no one has mentioned.

Don't ship it. Deliver it in person. Meet the person halfway in between if possible. They can inspect it on arrival before payment, it gets there in one piece, everyone is happy. The $100 cost of shipping will buy a lot of gas. Of course, the two of you need to be a reasonable distance apart. This probably negates any cross country sales.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Kevin, the UPS Store and FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinkos) are separate companies from the parcel carriers, and the individual branches aren't owned by the company, but are franchise locations.

Your option fails because FedEx Ground will refuse to pay damages incurred because a franchisee of FedEx Kinkos failed to package properly. This has already bounced around the courts.
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Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

if damage is done, frenchise that packed the guitar has to file a claim with the main office, and then FedEx or UPS will pay the claim out to the franchise, which will then write the check to you.... always insure guitar on full value, and have them pack it, that way they will have to pay the claim if something happens, end of story....
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Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

I use 2" construction foam and double thickness cardboard. Also, I use the tape with fiberglass. The last guy that I shipped to basically told me that I'm insane, and he'd never seen such incredible packing. Not sure if the two comments were related, now that I think about it.

BUT, I did drive 13 hours round-trip for the Sho~Bud I bought from Damir.

Killer guitar, Damir!! Thanks again Very Happy

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Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

enjoy it my friend, you got yourself a good one ðŸ‘
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Godfrey Arthur · From: 3rd Rock

You can also try uShip. It's a list of mom and pop shippers who use whatever they have, van, truck. You join the uShip system, then place your search for someone coming from the area where the guitar is to its destination. Then uShip drivers will bid. You choose. They at least the last time I used it to ship a speaker from Florida to New Jersey, are above board and up front as they don't want to lose credibility as this is their livelihood. Last time I was looking to ship an electric piano from Florida to San Diego, it was an ex-cop female doing the driving. You pay them what they bid to move your item door to door and they will update you along the way with photos and email.

You won't have to special pack it if you don't want. My speaker sent was a living room speaker with veneer and all they used was a u-haul blanket to put it in their van.

But other than that going Fedex or DHL, etc., make sure you pack it well, crate it even, if you can to take the risk out of the case getting banged up and the guitar crushed.
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Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

I no longer ship with a couple Stratocaster boxes cut down and cobbled together with duct tape.

For the last year I've used a company here in Austin called Eco-Box, because they have new boxes that fit the cases I'm shipping and the store manager is a guitarist who appreciates what he's putting in Harm's Way. They deal with both FedEx and UPS.

I buy a new shipping box; a D-10 PSG requires a large acoustic guitar box (20x10x50), while a T-8 Fender requires a double-wall TV box (38x26x8), etc. The boxes cost an average of $20 each.

It then requires 2 roles of bubble wrap to encircle the case and a bag of peanuts to fill the spaces. Then I have them tape it all up while I watch them do it. The whole packing job generally costs around $70, but a brand new box and an approved packaging job makes any claim of "sender packed" damage very arguable.

The buyer has to agree to the total cost of shipping or no deal. I consider the costs to be insurance over and above what I pay for the insured value of the instrument; that is, insurance any damage is not going to be claimed to be my fault.

Here's a box I sent up to Oklahoma recently. Total shipping costs were $150, but well worth it for a vintage instrument or one of great expense.

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