What You Need To Know About Freight Shipping
HOW DO I GET MY STUFF OFF THE TRUCK?
Most truck shipments will be delivered by a commercial freight carrier operating a tractor/trailer rig. Your product will be inside an enclosed trailer. Many commercial carriers have smaller straight trucks, but most freight companies will not use these smaller trucks for your delivery of a large item. Atlas Auto Equipment cannot guarantee the size of truck that will be used for your delivery. You should assume that your product will be delivered on a tractor/trailer rig that uses a 53 foot enclosed trailer. This is a VERY LONG rig. It is the truck driver's responsibility to make sure that your product is brought to the back of the delivery truck. It is the customer's responsibility to unload the product from the truck.
Please read the following if you have ANY QUESTIONS about truck freight delivery.
Atlas Auto Equipment Sales spends millions each year with freight companies. We are a very large truck freight customer and enjoy tremendous freight discounts that we pass along to our customers. Although we do everything we can to ensure the safe and timely arrival of your merchandise, there are certain things that we cannot and will not guarantee.
If you MUST have your product delivered on a certain day and at an exact time, we ask that you get in your truck and pick up your product from one of our eight convenient locations. That is the only way you can be 100% guaranteed that your delivery experience will be perfect.
If you are having your product delivered to a friend or neighbor’s business and you will not be there when the product is unloaded, you (the customer) are still responsible for unloading the product and making sure that the product is not damaged. We spend a lot of time and money to properly package your product to protect it from damage during shipment. We attach several labels to your package designed to help ensure that those people handling your product take care not to damage anything. There are brightly colored (easy to read) labels reminding the customer (or whomever is unloading the product) to check for package damage. Please use some common sense and if you (or your designated unloading person) see damage to the outside of a package, then make a note on the delivery receipt (bill of lading) about the damage. Point out the damage to the truck driver and use your cell phone to take pictures of the damage.
We ship dozens of items every day via commercial carrier. We ship hundreds of smaller packages each week via UPS and Fed-Ex. There are times when packages get lost. There are times when product gets damaged. We label and package our products so that they should never be lost or damaged, but we cannot control the delivery process once the product leaves our warehouse.
DAMAGED OR LOST PRODUCTS
If a product is damaged or lost, it is the customer's responsibility to file a freight and damage claim with the freight company. Atlas Auto Equipment will assist the customer with this process (by furnishing correct contact information). Once the claim has been filed (this should be done immediately), Atlas Auto Equipment will assist the customer in the process. As you can imagine, if you (the customer or the facility that unloaded your package) DID NOT make a note on the delivery receipt that the package was damaged, the chances of a freight claim being honored are very small. There is only one way for a customer to be 100% sure that his product will arrive undamaged, and that is if the customer (personally) picks up the merchandise from one of our brick and mortar locations. Shipping a product (no matter how well it is packaged) carries a small risk that the product may be lost or damaged. If you, (the customer) is not willing to take this slight risk, please pick up the product at one of our locations or order your equipment from another distributor. We ship dozens of heavy products every day with great success. However, there is absolutely no way that Atlas Auto Equipment can 100% guarantee that your product will arrive “perfectly”. If you have questions about freight shipping, please get them “asked and answered” BEFORE you place your order. Remember that even though your buddy down the street has a forklift and has offered to take delivery of your new lift, he still may not be “qualified” to inspect the package he unloads. It is NOT his lift and he will not take the time to make sure everything is 100% perfect. It is your job to make sure that he understands his responsibilities.
The package (product) becomes the property of the customer when it leaves our warehouse, so it is the customer (owner of the property) that must initiate the claim. Click here for more information.
We attach caution and warning labels to many of our products that are shipped by common carrier (freight truck), to remind the customer to thoroughly inspect all packages before signing the delivery receipt. If there is damage, please note the damage on the delivery receipt.
CALLING AHEAD TO SCHEDULE A DELIVERY APPOINTMENT TIME:
The trucking company can call ahead (24 hour call-the day before delivery) to schedule the delivery of your product. This "call ahead" feature is offered free of charge by many freight lines (but not all). When the product arrives at the freight company's nearest terminal (to your destination), the freight dispatcher will call to set up a delivery date and time at your location. It is important that the freight company has your cell phone or work phone number so that they can make immediate contact with you and not delay the delivery. Home phone numbers with answering machines may lead to days of frustration "playing telephone tag" with the freight company.
If your product is being delivered to a "legitimate" business (not a business that is located at a residence) that is open during normal business hours and has the facilities for unloading your product, then the "call ahead" feature is not necessary. The customer needs to understand that this "call ahead" feature will add one to three days of delivery time to the normal delivery time. (Assuming that the freight company is able to contact the customer very soon after the product arrives at their freight terminal)
The "call ahead" feature is needed if the product is being shipped to a residence (even if your business is located at your home) or to a legitimate business address that keeps unusual business hours. Many customers ask that the trucker call when he is 30 minutes away. This does not work. Atlas Auto Equipment cannot guarantee the trucker has a cell phone...or will call you. It is the customer's responsibility to work out the delivery arrangements with the freight dispatcher when customer is speaking with the freight company. If the customer has special needs or delivery instructions, that is the time to discuss and make those arrangements. Atlas Auto Equipment does not own the delivery trucks or employ drivers for delivery.
LOCAL DELIVERY OF HEAVY ITEMS:
Many local customers want to take delivery of their products at their homes, but do not have the equipment to offload product from a semi-truck. There are many local delivery services that can provide this delivery service.
We recommend a "roll-back" wrecker truck for delivery of lifts to a home garage. The lift can be loaded on the truck at a Atlas Auto Equipment warehouse, and the driver can "winch down" the lift from his inclined platform onto your garage floor or driveway. Atlas Auto Equipment warehouses can make recommendations of certain delivery companies, or the customer may contact their own delivery service. There is a charge for delivery.
DELIVERY ADDRESS IN A PARKING LOT...NO WAY
Atlas Auto Equipment Sales must complete the freight bill of lading with a permanent delivery address that includes a street address. There is no street address such as: West end of the parking lot of Sam's Club.
If a semi truck CANNOT get to your delivery address easily, it will not come. The customer must have a delivery address that allows a semi truck to enter and leave with ease. Neither dirt roads nor narrow 300 foot driveways will be acceptable. When the dispatcher calls to make delivery arrangements, the customer needs to inform the freight company of any potential delivery problems that may occur. Perhaps the customer can make arrangements to meet the truck on the highway or even in a parking lot, but those arrangements are to be made between the truck line and the customer. Atlas Auto Equipment cannot make those special delivery arrangements when the customer places the order.
GUARANTEED DELIVERY TIME AND DATE...WE TRY...BUT NO WAY
Atlas Auto Equipment Sales can guarantee if a product is in stock at our warehouse. We can promise on which date it will be shipped. (If payment is received and truck lines pick up that day) We can give you an accurate ESTIMATE as to when you should receive your product, BUT we cannot guarantee certain delivery on that date. Truckers have girlfriends, flat tires, a roadside rendezvous or two, and many other delays that may keep them from their appointed rounds. If you positively, absolutely must have a product on a certain day, either order two weeks early or get in a truck and visit one of our warehouses to pick up the product.
CUSTOMERS ARRANGING THEIR OWN FREIGHT PICK UP:
Atlas Auto Equipment has the best shipping rates in the Industry and passes these savings along to our customers. We do have a few customers that want to arrange their own shipping via common carrier. We can accommodate these requests; however there are some issues that need to be discussed before a customer's common carrier will be loaded. We can load a commercial carrier truck from 8:30 to 4:00 EST. The truck must have enough bed area available for the product purchased. Atlas Auto Equipment will NOT rearrange packages inside a van or on a flatbed to make room for our product. This is a liability issue. We charge a nominal “handling skid fee” (see below) when loading a customer arranged shipment (on a semi truck) We do not charge any loading fee for a customer pickup at our location. (Assuming the customer has arrived in a vehicle that allows us to load his product easily and safely.)
A customer arranged “Common Carrier” must furnish Atlas Auto Equipment Sales with a "BILL OF LADING" Many of our products need to be skid mounted or braced to prevent shipping damage. These extra packaging costs will be passed along to the customer. Skid costs are between $20 and $30. Metal bracing is normally $20-$30. These skids and braces must be used if the product is being loaded inside a semi-trailer. (To prevent damage to the product) The skids and braces DO NOT need to be used if the products are picked up in a pick-up truck, trailer, or similar mode of transportation. There are no extra packaging fees if our products are loaded on any of the above mentioned vehicles. If the products (loaded in a semi-trailer) are NOT braced or skidded; YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY WITH THE CONDITION OF THE PRODUCTS WHEN THEY ARRIVE. Skid and brace fees are always added to our quoted shipping costs. (When Atlas Auto Equipment arranges the shipping)
HOW DO I UNLOAD THE TRUCK...I DON'T HAVE A FORKLIFT!
Many customers do not have access to loading docks and forklifts. We have assembled some photos of our products being unloaded with and without the aid of a forklift. Many of our freight carriers have power tailgates on their delivery trucks. There may be an extra charge for the power tailgate, depending on the carrier. The power tailgate is normally rated at 1000 LB. capacity. This is not enough capacity to unload most of our lifts. However, when used properly (and safely), the power tailgate (in conjunction with some common sense) allows the customer to off load many of our products without the use of a forklift.
The power tailgate can be lowered
to your truck's tailgate to easily off
load many of our products.
Please review the photos and learn how the power tailgate can assist the customer with the unloading of a product. Remember, it is always the customer's responsibility to unload the truck. If the power tailgate brings the product to the ground, it is the customer's responsibility to get the product off the power tailgate. Be prepared BEFORE the truck arrives!
Tire Changer |
Tire Changer |
Wheel Balancer |
Wheel Balancer |
SBC420 Sandblast Cabinet
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SBC420 Sandblast Cabinet |
Shop Press |
Air Compressor
|
Motorcycle Lift
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Motorcycle Lift
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TD6MR Midrise Lift
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TD6MR Midrise Lift
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IT TAKES A FORKLIFT (OR SIMILAR EQUIPMENT) TO UNLOAD A LIFT.
The trucker will not allow you and your friends to spend 30 minutes in the back of the truck taking the lift apart for a "hand unload". Our two post and four post lifts are packaged in metal frames and require a forklift (or similar piece of equipment) to offload from the truck. The trucker is NOT going to let you and your buddies bring your toolboxes into the back of his truck to disassemble the lift frame and "hand unload" the lift piece by piece. Insurance regulations will not allow this.
The trucker has a schedule and cannot spend one hour at every stop to accommodate customers who are not prepared to offload their product. Once the lift is on the ground, the packing frame can be removed and each piece can be moved or loaded onto a trailer or pickup truck. Getting the lift to the ground is the main challenge. Now you can bribe your buddies to help assemble the lift!
Atlas Garage Pro 9,000 4-Post Lift in truck. |
Atlas Garage Pro 9,000 4-Post Lift on power tailgate. |
Atlas Garage Pro 9,000 pulled down from the tailgate with a fork lift. |
Atlas Garage Pro 9,000 4-Post Lift pulled down from tailgate with fork lift. |
Atlas Garage Pro 9,000 4-Post Lift lowered down with tailgate. |
Atlas Garage Pro 8,000 pulled down from the tailgate with a fork lift. |
Atlas Garage Pro 8,000 pulled down from the tailgate with a fork lift. |
Atlas PV-10P 2-Post Lift on power tailgate. |
Atlas PV-10P 2-Post Lift pulled down from tailgate with a fork lift. |
Atlas 414 4-Post Lift pulled down from tailgate with fork lift. |
Atlas 414 4-Post Lift pulled down from the tailgate with 2 fork Lifts. |
Atlas 414 4-Post Lift pulled down from the tailgate with a fork lift. |
SHIPPING TO A FREIGHT TERMINAL
Atlas Auto Equipment enjoys great freight rates from many different freight carriers. These freight companies have hundreds of terminals located throughout the USA. If the customer has no way to unload the product at their home or business, the product may be shipped to a freight terminal for customer pick up. The customer and the Atlas Auto Equipment sales person will work together to find the closest freight terminal for the customer. Certain freight carriers are more experienced at transporting our longer lifts, and we will recommend those carriers if you purchase one of our longer four post lifts.
When the product arrives at the freight terminal, the freight dispatcher will call the customer to arrange pick up at the terminal. The freight terminals expect the product to be picked up within 48 hours of the notification call. All freight terminals have different operating hours and loading procedures. The customer may call the terminal in advance to ask about operating hours and loading procedures. In most instances, the freight terminal will load the product onto the customer's trailer or pickup truck. Open trailers are much easier to load (and unload) than an enclosed trailer with a “beaver tail”. The freight terminal will require some type of positive identification before you can pick up your product.
Do NOT just bring a truck to pick up a four post lift. A four post lift requires a trailer!
CALL IN A FAVOR FROM A FRIEND WITH A BUSINESS (that has a loading dock or forklift)
If you do not have the ability to unload the freight truck at your home or business, think about having it shipped to a friend that has the capabilities to unload a freight truck. Why would you want to drive to a freight terminal to retrieve your product, if you can just drive across town to pick it up? Bribe one of your friends to help you off load the lift at his business. You know they are going to want to use your lift in the future, so make them pay now, by helping to unload it. Make sure that this person (and his employees) understands that it is their responsibility to check for freight damages and make a note (bill of lading) and take pictures if they see damage.
We ship many lifts to our customer's work place or to their friends or relatives' places of business. The truck line can make a 24 hour call to the designating shipping point, so that your friend will not be surprised when the lift arrives. Make sure you get permission BEFORE you arrange shipping. Everyone (who buys a lift) has a buddy that owns a forklift, skid steer, backhoe, or some sort of machine to help unload a truck.
WILL MY TRUCK DRIVER BE NICE TO ME?
Atlas Auto Equipment does not own nor operate the freight trucks. If your truck driver is nice and helpful, do not compliment Atlas Auto Equipment. If your truck driver is a little on the testy side, do not complain to Atlas Auto Equipment Sales. We have no control over your truck driver's mood or personality. We ship over 200 lifts per week and very rarely have negative feedback about a particular driver or freight company. We do get many positive reports about the freight carriers and their drivers. The truck driver is not a magician. They cannot levitate your lift to the ground. They cannot back their 53 foot trailer (down your 300 foot, tree lined driveway) and into your new pole barn. Please don't expect them to do this.
Freight Shipping Policy
This item will be shipped by common carrier to a BUSINESS ADDRESS in the USA (lower 48 states). Free Freight Is ONLY to a BUSINESS ADDRESS in the USA (lower 48 states). A BUSINESS ADDRESS is defined as a delivery address on which there is no residential dwelling. Some small businesses are located on the same property as the owner's home. These businesses would be classified as a RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. A FARM/RANCH would be considered a RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. Limited access facilities (EG: schools, municipalities, county highway garages, storage facilities, military bases, prisons, etc.) will be subject to a delivery surcharge. Rule of thumb about limited access facilities: If the driver must call ahead or pass through a security checkpoint to access the delivery area, then that delivery point will be classified a limited access facility. A freight surcharge will apply. If you cannot locate a TRUE BUSINESS FACILITY that can receive your product, then please call us BEFORE you place your bid to find out what will be the additional cost of the freight surcharge. Atlas Auto Equipment will make every effort to keep the additional RESIDENTIAL (and other non-business delivery addresses) surcharges to a minimum. These freight surcharges are dictated by the LTL shipping carrier and CANNOT "be waived" by Atlas Auto Equipment. Please do NOT ASK for (or expect) FREIGHT if you cannot provide a "BONAFIDE" business location for delivery. Your product will arrive in an enclosed truck. It is the customer's responsibility to provide enough space for a 53 foot tractor/trailer to access the business facility AND the customer is responsible for unloading the product. Freight does not apply to an address (whether business or residential) to where a freight truck cannot access. Due to the Weight of Items that are freight shipped a forklift (or something similar) is required to unload it. The SHIPPING is valid ONLY to a legitimate business address (not a home business address) that maintains normal business hours. There may be a truck freight terminal in your area that can receive the product and help load the product in your truck if you do not have a business address or the ability to offload the product.