Shipping Gear Cross-Country!

[Remoteness]

I glad to hear everything is going as scheduled.

Keep us updated; I'm sure we all want to hear that everything arrived safely.

Best of luck!

[mixedupsteve]

RE Plastic wrap.
Start at the floor and tie it to and then wrap it around the bottom of the pallet 5 times before you even start working your way up. Make sure that every complete turn covers at least 1/2 of the previous turn.

[Remoteness]

Yes, Steve's totally on point with regard to the plastic wrap method.
I would also wrap the buckle straps.
IMO, don't undo what you did, just add more wrap as per Steve's suggestion!

[stringbean01]

Originally Posted by mixedupsteve

RE Plastic wrap.
Start at the floor and tie it to and then wrap it around the bottom of the pallet 5 times before you even start working your way up. Make sure that every complete turn covers at least 1/2 of the previous turn.

around the bottom of the pallet...

x-axis? (around the base of the content horizontally)
or y-axis? (under the pallet, over the gear, under the pallet, over the gear)

thanks!

[Remoteness]

You don't want to cover the pallet portion.
Forklifts must be able to access the pallet when necessary.

Originally Posted by aemaury

around the bottom of the pallet...

x-axis? (around the base of the content horizontally)
or y-axis? (under the pallet, over the gear, under the pallet, over the gear)

thanks!

[stringbean01]

off you go young children...

should be arriving tuesday. my buddy in the band i'm recording will be receiving the shipment (i fly in on wednesday night). i advised him to take pictures as the delivery is made, slice off the plastic, undo the ratchet straps and pull it apart a little bit before the delivery guy leaves to make sure there are no severe dents, punctures, or cracks... taking pictures along the way.

this thread is a page-turner baby!!!!!!!! hopefully one day a classic for how to palletize and ship gear. (despite the part when a torrential thunderstorm capsizes the truck in missouri and my great river me-1nv turns to charcoal)

[mixedupsteve]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

You don't want to cover the pallet portion.
Forklifts must be able to access the pallet when necessary.

You actually do want to cover the top portion of the pallet and even if you cover the sides of the pallet the forks can still get in there. The idea of the first five turns is to tie the entire load to the pallet and make the whole thing a unit.

[Remoteness]

Understood.

Originally Posted by mixedupsteve

You actually do want to cover the top portion of the pallet and even if you cover the sides of the pallet the forks can still get in there. The idea of the first five turns is to tie the entire load to the pallet and make the whole thing a unit.

[stringbean01]

you'll be happy to know the gear made it all here in LA in one piece and is operating as it all should! the pallet itself got a little bit mangled in the bottom supports; not sure the build quality of it was as nice as some.

[Remoteness]

Glad to hear everything when well.

Enjoy the new set-up!

[David Spearritt]

Originally Posted by aemaury

... slice off the plastic ...

and do what with it?

this thread is a page-turner baby!!!!!!!! hopefully one day a classic for how to palletize and ship gear.

I hope not. It's a shame you can't use something reusable or just the crates. All that plastic straight in the rubbish.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[WVUtubadude]

Originally Posted by David Spearritt

and do what with it?

Thousands of shipping hubs across the world go through exponentially more plastic wrap every day and you choose to gripe about one guy moving one pallet?




Anyhoo....I am glad it worked out for the OP. Wooden pallets are pretty much made to have a single use lifespan. If transporting gear is going to be a semi-regular thing, it might be worth buying your own (dare I say?) plastic pallet. Those things are pretty tough and even come in versions with walls to give you extra security.

[MBishopSFX]

I realize this info is late for this particular shipment, but I know many here will find it useful in the future.

A really great shipping agent who handles delicate electronic equipment shipping all the time AND has great rates: TechTrans TechTrans : Transportation and Logistics Services

This company has done a terrific job for us in crating, palleting and shipping gear at very reasonable cost. They crated and transported an Ampex ATR-104 for us and everything was handled PERFECTLY. Highly recommended!

.

[Remoteness]

Good to know Michael.
Thanks for sharing.

[fifthcircle]

I'll second the recommendation for Tech Trans... They have taken care of transport cross country for me a few time when I've had sessions and tours. They are very professional and easy to deal with.

--Ben

[mixedupsteve]

The plastic wrap will compress to a very small volume and could be used for stuffing of packages on the return trip. Worst case drop it into a local recycle bin or bring it home and put it with you curbside pick up.

[Boschen]

Originally Posted by mixedupsteve

The plastic wrap will compress to a very small volume and could be used for stuffing of packages on the return trip. Worst case drop it into a local recycle bin or bring it home and put it with you curbside pick up.

Just to point out also that the small volume of plastic the OP used is likely less than what it would have taken had the gear been shipped in pieces and individually wrapped, rather than grouped on a pallet. As far as I know, there is no cornstarch type biodegradable shrink wrap plastic you can use for this, though I could be wrong. I don't think the regular stuff is recyclable, either; type what?

I remember hearing about a messy collegiate professor who had to move with his department to a new building. After watching his fellows unpacking, then repacking all their desk contents in smaller boxes all afternoon, he told the movers to simply shrink wrap his entire desk--- papers, pens, and all, put it on a pallet, and take it to his new office, which they did with almost no effort in about five minutes.

When I toured with a band on a military ride through the Azores, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, we moved all our gear on pallets when we could. We had to roll it all piecemeal fashion when we flew outbound on the military charter, but as soon as we hit the ground overseas, we repacked all the gear onto pallets. They flew on a chopper over the Red Sea, trundled over the desert outside Iraq on a flatbed, and were manhandled across five countries without ever being knocked over or dropped. Once one pallet was left in the sun, and the heat actually melted a couple of solder points on the inputs of a power amp, but otherwise, those humble beasts did all we could ask.

We did as the other poster suggested, and used leftover packing material to pad the gear for the return trip. After packing, unpacking, then repacking so many times, by the time we were done with that plastic and foam, it looked like used tissue paper.

God bless the humble pallet!

[stringbean01]

album tracking all finished! shipped back home to maryland safely. shit works. cool! round trip success. thanks again guys.