Anyone here ever shipped a transmission?

zylander

Platinum Member
Aug 25, 2002
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Ive got an automatic transmission out of a '01 Maxima that Im trying to sell, unfortunately all the people that are interested live a considerable distance from me. The transmission weighs about 120-130lbs and I would most likely be shipping it on a pallet. I called UPS freight to get a quote and they said for a standard size pallet or a litlte smaller weighing about 150lbs it would cost about $600 to ship. I dont really want to spend more than $150 to ship this thing. Anyone here ever shipped something like this or of equal weight?
 

akshatp

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 1999
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Try a trucking service. It shouldnt cost more than $200 to ship a single pallet. I used to work at a company that used to ship engine blocks, which I would presume weighs as much (if not more) than a transmission. We used to use Orange trucking to send them and IIRC it was around $200.
 

Agentbolt

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2004
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dont really want to spend more than $150 to ship this thing

You are dreaming. You're attempting to ship something for less than 1 dollar per pound. It's not gonna happen. Never mind that the cheaper you go in terms of shipping it, the more likely it is to get damaged during transit. The idea is simply not viable.
 

Kaspian

Golden Member
Aug 30, 2004
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Have you tried getting any other quotes from different freight lines? They all have different pricing. I'm in Arkansas and some of the cheaper ones on this area are South Eastern Freight and R&L.
 

FeuerFrei

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2005
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That's funny. I was told it would cost $100 to ship me a transmission from Dallas, 127 miles away. Don't know what shipper that would be.
 

Oceandevi

Diamond Member
Jan 20, 2006
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I paid for shipping for a bmw 320i cylinder head. It was about 30 bucks through USPS.
 

amdskip

Lifer
Jan 6, 2001
22,530
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Originally posted by: Oceandevi
I paid for shipping for a bmw 320i cylinder head. It was about 30 bucks through USPS.
That's a lot smaller than a transmission my friend;)
 

Auric

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,596
2
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Holy crap, did they give you a rate for air?

I shipped a 75 lb tranny for $60 a number of years ago however I understand the rate would have been substantially higher if exceeding boxable weight and therefore requiring a pallet. I did receive a heavier unit on a pallet also but don't recall what I was charged but it must have been within reason or I wouldn't have mail-ordered it!
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
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Originally posted by: zylander
Ive got an automatic transmission out of a '01 Maxima that Im trying to sell, unfortunately all the people that are interested live a considerable distance from me. The transmission weighs about 120-130lbs and I would most likely be shipping it on a pallet. I called UPS freight to get a quote and they said for a standard size pallet or a litlte smaller weighing about 150lbs it would cost about $600 to ship. I dont really want to spend more than $150 to ship this thing. Anyone here ever shipped something like this or of equal weight?

Try a freight carrier, not UPS. i.e. Yellow (the guys with the orange trucks) or Old Dominion.
 

GMI

Member
Jun 6, 2005
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since you're in CA, depending on where you have to go, try calling up Estes, R+L Carriers, and Oak Habor. It could be cheaper if you and destination can get access to a dock.
 

thepd7

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2005
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Originally posted by: shocksyde
I'd imagine it costs as much as a 10lb. alternator...

5 years from now people are going to be digging up that thread thinking "why the hell are all these ATOTers obsessed with 10 lb alternators", lol.
 

natto fire

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2000
7,117
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I was worried that your question had been answered, but then I remembered that this is AT, and most of the replies were worthless.

Anyhow, yeah, my previous job was doing shipping at a salvage yard to all sorts of places. I think we got quite a hefty discount through R+L shipping here. I am assuming that this is an auto trans for the Maxima? Even so, I doubt it weighs that much.

Your best bet is to befriend someone that does lots of freight shipping, as $600 is insanely unreasonable. I used to ship doors and various other oddly shaped body panels for $80 or less. Trannys and engines were about $60.

Keep in mind that shipping to residential places will almost always net you a larger charge through most freight carriers.
 

Scouzer

Lifer
Jun 3, 2001
10,359
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Originally posted by: thepd7
Originally posted by: shocksyde
I'd imagine it costs as much as a 10lb. alternator...

5 years from now people are going to be digging up that thread thinking "why the hell are all these ATOTers obsessed with 10 lb alternators", lol.

i dont get it now...
 

compman25

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2006
3,767
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81
Do it dock to dock and it will be the cheapest. You take it to the shippers terminal and the person buying it picks it up at the shippers terminal in their town.
 

imported_Baloo

Golden Member
Feb 2, 2006
1,782
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Originally posted by: Agentbolt
dont really want to spend more than $150 to ship this thing

You are dreaming. You're attempting to ship something for less than 1 dollar per pound. It's not gonna happen. Never mind that the cheaper you go in terms of shipping it, the more likely it is to get damaged during transit. The idea is simply not viable.

Hmm, I work in shipping, and except for air freight, everything we ship is less than $1.00 per Lb. OP Merely needs to shop aroud to find a carrier that will give him a more reasonable price. There's plenty that will do it for undder $200.00
 

Demon-Xanth

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
20,551
2
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Yup, pretty much forget everyone like UPS, USPS, DHL, and Fedex. What you want is the people who regularly operate with pallets and large cargo that make thier money in larger, less often chunks rather than smaller bits. You can probably go to an auto part store or some other place that regularly ships large things and just ask them what they use.