Shipping a corvette body

[John P.]

Ok I need some help here or info on a shipping company that can do this for the least amount of cash.

I have a 1990 ZR1 body from the firewall to rear bumper that I want to ship from utah to me in north carolina, this car has alot of good parts on it that I want. and alot that I can sell and make all my money back on so its worth it to me to get the car....

The problem is its not a rolling chasis the drivetrain is removed, Can anyone recomend a shipper that can handle this?

Im sure someone has done this or maybe heard of it?

Most of the companies that I have used in the auto shipping business require that the car rolls, steers and has brakes if its a non running car.

The others most of the big boys who have the nice elevator style trailers I wouldnt think would touch this car????

Do you think that a standard shipping company would bother with something like this? fork it into the truck?

I just want to do it and not get taken on cost since it would be a parts car....

please any help is appreciated

The URL is a link to a picture of the car it is curently on a sort of body dolly and it rolls

thanks

Johnny

[John L.]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

John,
If it's on any type of skid for them to pick it up by, it shouldn't be a problem. Since most LTL carriers charge by the weight and distance, you should be able to contact most of the N.C. carriers and ask if they go towards Utah or have an agreement with a west coast carrier to pick it up and bring towards one of their terminals. When you call they will ask for the weight including the skid. Tell them it's oversize and weighs about 1,000 Lbs; from this they should be able to give you a fair estimate of charges. Call several as I have seen big differences on the same shipments from several carriers.
Be sure that whom ever you buy the car from they secure the body to a good skid, best if it's oversize and sticks out on all 4 sides. The shipping company will want to know the size of the skid also. Tell them you DO NOT want you load topstacked on as they will load other stuff on top of you car.
Best of luck; I would be interested in what you find out. John Liner NCRS28230

[Kurt B.]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

Not to be a wet blanket about this, but I worked for 10 years for a major freight/trucking company whose name you all know very well. I saw vehicles (and lots of other items) damaged and would be concerned that by the time this body gets to you it might not be worth very much. I saw damage done deliberately just for the fun of it. One reason that I heard mentioned by the guys doing the damage, was that it was one way the freight handlers (loaders & unloaders) could get back at the company because the damage would result in a claim that the company would have to pay. I know it sounds sick but that's why I could not remain in that environment. Normal people just don't damage other peoples merchandise for the enjoyment of it. I would suggest an oversized skid and lots of donnage and strapping and there is still no guarantee.
Kurt #26406

[Myron Sleeva]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

Two suggestions: Have one of those companies that shrink wraps boats do the same to the car. Then have it shipped on a flat deck trailer which would allow it be to loaded and unloaded from the side as opposed to being pushed into an enclosed trailer by some teamster fork lift operator whose only pleasure in life is destruction of public property. Sorry for the cynicism - spent too many years in that environment powerless to change long entrenched attitudes. Was one of the "suits".

Check with all your local carriers. Basically, you will be buying X number of feet of trailer space. If the length is less than 8 feet, then perhaps they could load it sideways and make the width the length, in essence taking up probably half the length. Most LTL carriers (less than truckload) will cube your shipment. In other words they will measure the length and width and then take 8 feet as the height because they cannot put any freight on top so you pay for the lost revenue volume. If you are fortunate, you might catch some independent who is willing to take the load on a backhaul rate so as to cover his fuel to get himself into a better paying load point.

Most van carriers will only accept uncrated freight with the letters ORD somewhere on the bill of lading or contract of shipment. These innocent letters are the acronym Owner's Risk of Damage. In other words, "if we break it, the owner has no claim against us".

The best way to mitigate the damage which is almost a certainty is to get your hands on your own equipment and go for a ride. Anyone who can get your vehicle moved safely will not be inexpensive unless you are able to get the sympathetic ear of someone on the inside and all the planets fall into alignment.

[Terry F.]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

Go get the car yourself. Rent what ever it takes. Don't push on the body, only just lightly. Pull the body when possible. A tilt bed trailer and some roler dollies might work. Consider making two trips. Go down one day with a truck and remove the door and the seats (no big deal there). Remove the top or t-tops also and the headlight assemblies also (save the nose from cracking off). That will lighten it up a lot and will give you a chance to explore the situation. Then come down a second time with a couple friends, flat straps, and such. Lift one side of the car at a time and get the rolers under it or better yet, bring enough people to sling it with straps and shimmy it up on a trailer. Your trouble will be trying to clear the nose of the body when approaching the trailer. Get the lowest trailer you can find. If you wrap a strap under the front end of the car near the door hinge area you should be able to lift just the nose of the body on to the trailer. Any way you do it, it will take some man-handling. I hate doing it that way but I would not use freight no matter what. Just my thoughts, Terry

[Chuck R.]

Re: Kurt's right on

I had my frame shipped from California to beautiful Up-State New York wrapped in very heavy cardboard and metal band wrapped to an oversized pallet.

Even with all this, the cardboard was all ripped up and torn off in three spots and the pallet was splintered up on one side rail.

IF you commit to shipping, I agree with Kurt to over size the packaging and plow in all kinds of shock absorbing filler material 360 degrees to allow for those ahh......shipping mishaps.

I got the best shipping costs through U.P.S. who subbed it out to Red Star.

Other than the ripped cardboard, the frame was otherwise undamaged.

Let's face it, with the mentality of the work force today, nothing is sacred from feeling they're wrath. Especially if it's a big bulky package they have to grunt around.

You should see some of our computer server packing boxes that come in from our good friends at U.P.S. And then the drivers get all P_ssed off if you refuse the drop..........HELLO!

We're looking hard at Fed-X for 2006 commitments.

Hope you find a solid and reputable resourse John,

Chuck

[John P.]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

If the car was on the east side of the mississippi I would go get it but It is in Utah and I can not take the time of work to go get it.
Im in the US Marines and im booked solid until march before Ill be able to take leave im going to school right now to be a V-22 osprey crew chief so I just cant make the trip out there

The big thing is even if it cost me $1000 to ship it I would be ahead of the game parts wise Theres no more ZR-1s being made and absolutly no aftermarket parts out there so its worth it just in parts.

thanks for the sujestions and I know what you mean about the workers I can totaly see that happening, I was a crew chief on CH-46 helicopters in Iraq and I saw how people treated pallets that were for US!

johnny

[Terry F.]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

Good luck getting it home. Thanks for serving in the Marines! Terry

[Dale S.]

Re: Kurt's right on

Do you think there is a reason for U.P.S. theme color of BROWN ?

[Chuck R.]

Re: Small world

I tooled up CH-47s Gotta love Boeing Vertol huh?

[Chuck R.]

Re: What the heck John

Talk one of those CH-47 crews into taking a little test flight across the mighty Missippi for ya!

Just make sure they take a load master with em. Those flight crews tend to get pretty goofy smelling all those JP-4 fumes

All kidding aside John, best of luck on your training, and my thanks for helping to keep this ole Ex-Army fart safe and sound.

Chuck

[John P.]

Re: Small world

I miss my phrogs!

this osprey is one crazy plane though cant wait to start flying on it

california in 9 hours!

To bad I couldnt use it to get the vette!

[John P.]

Re: What the heck John

Its my pleasure Chuck!

I cant wiat until I get to retire and live the good life at another job hahaha

[Kurt B.]

Re: What the heck John

Johnny,
First, I am Army retired and I too thank you for what you are doing to keep the rest of us safe and allow us all to live the lives we live and have the freedoms we have.
Second, since you can't go to get the body yourself, is there a Corvette club memeber near you who might undertake this project as long as you pay for the gas and truck rental. It just might be worth asking.
Best of luck,
Kurt

[mike cobine]

Re: Shipping a corvette body

Here are some basic assumptions I'll make:

1. Car is probably about the same length as a C3 tail to firewall, which is roughly 9 ft. They are wider, so instead of 6 ft, I'd guess 7 ft.

2. I can't tell if there is any chassis in there, so a stab that it weighs roughly 1000 lbs.

3. You are bound to have some crazy friends.

4. If you are in NC, you have to know someone that has a truck.

5. I checked on Salt Lake City and Raleigh since I didn't have any places for you or the car, so based on that, it is 2185 miles and 32 hr 40 min one way.

So I'd be tempted to jump in a truck with an 8 ft bed with one or two guys and bonsai to SLC. If you are lucky enough to have someone with a flatbed at 10 ft or 14 ft, buy him ribs for dinner.

day and a half out, get someone to lift the body on (fork lift, chain hoist form a beam, etc) and strap the body to the bed. Then run non-stop back home.

3 days predicted, probably 4 from experience. Do you have a three or four day weekend?

Or catch a flight out, grab a U-Haul, toss it in the back, and run home in a day and a half.

That is the extreme version.

The tame version would be to find a storage place about halfway, do one weekend to get it half way, store it, then do another weekend at the end of the month before the rent runs out to bring it on home.

Another idea is this:

Hit your local truck stop and find how to contact some of the dispatchers for independent loads. Guys like 1-800-RETURN LOADS and so on. You get the idea. Find who is dispatching loads out of Nevada and Utah heading east. Then if you can get a flatbed hauling heavy but small loads (steel coils, equipment, etc.) that leave a big section of trailer open, you might be able to get it loaded and hauled east. Not likely to get it to your door, or even your state, but you can probably get it from Utah to someplace like Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, or so on and that is possible to pick up in a weekend with a buddy's pickup.