Open question about tire shipping

[brider]

Location

United States

Has anybody shipped tires or tires/wheels lately?

I can't seem to get any decent shipping rates from any commercial carriers, and it's very hard to get any quote that isn't a standard quote from a shipper's website, as if I'm shipping a big box with tire dimensions that weighs 80 lbs.

I figure that there MUST be some sort of pallet-ized or bulk-rate available from SOMEBODY, maybe I'm wrong, but if anybody has had good luck or cheap rates, please pass along the info, for everybody's benefit.

 

[3doghouse]

The last two times tires were shipped to me (new), they had individual labels stuck on with several wraps of packing tape. One came FedEx Ground, and one UPS.

No packaging, pallet, etc. Just tires with labels.

 

[bluecruiser]

They are expensive to ship....I am currently selling them on ebay...we have shipped over 450 tires so far...our volume has given us a nice discount but it still costs over $50 a tire to ship from AZ to the east coast. We ship 37 inch, 75 lb tires....

I use the dimensions 36 X 11 X 36 and ship them individually. Print a label and use shrink wrap around it several times....

Oh yeah, we use FEDEX ground for all shipments.

 

[ThaiCruiser]

I usually use DHL Ground, which is cheaper than the big 2 guys. Pay about $4 more per tire for a pickup. I've shipped a set of BFG MTs 315/75 16 from FL to GA for around $120 lately. In the meantime, UPS quoted me $100 PER TIRE!!

 

[brider]

Yes, I've gotten quotes for around $40-50/tire from the big 3, but if Tirerack can ship me 4 tires for $40, is it only because they ship thousands and get a deal from the shippers, or is there some category in the shipping estimates I'm missing, that discount durable non-packaged items like tires?

From your responses, I'm guessing "no", but it doesn't hurt to ask...

Thanks all!

 

[pint]

Good thread. I'm looking at shipping in 5 tires/wheels from TX to CO very soon.

 

[bhmmapping]

Be very careful with DHL. I have shipped tires a few times, and they were always reasonable at around $25-30 a tire. The last time I shipped 4 32" tires to montana they quoted me $30 a tire at the counter, but said that was an estimate, that it might be a little more or less. a month later they charged my CC $260 total - $80 for two tires, $60 for one, and $40 for another. When I called about it they conveniently didn't have any of the tracking numbers in "the system," they finally found them in a third "system". It took about 3 months and countless phone calls to get my money refunded.

 

[Dan_J-spec_fj62]

forward air for 5 michelin xzl's on 1 pallet Omaha to denver $132.16

not to bad...but that isn't to your door... it is terminal to terminal

dan