How do I ship two giant tool chests?

"cletus44 aka Clayton Seams" (cletus44)
02/17/2016 at 12:50 • Filed to: None

I have the bittersweet fortune of inheriting my late grandfather’s massive collection of tools. He has two large tool chests similar in size to the one pictured filled with name-brand tools he bought over the course of his life. I’m proud to keep those tools in the family and turn the same wrenches my Grandfather did. But there’s a problem.

The tools are in Houston Texas and I’m in Toronto, Canada. What is the best way to transport them? It’s a decent three-day drive from here to Houston. Can I ship them? I’m worried about theft too, we all know tools aren’t cheap. Looking for ideas and suggestions. Thanks!

DISCUSSION (47)

ttyymmnn > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 12:56

Road trip.

Brian, The Life of > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 12:57

I’d look into bonded freight forwarders and start there. They are constantly on the lookout for ways to full shipments between two points.

iSureWilll > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 12:57

It’s probably cheapest to drive down and get them.

To ship you would need them on pallets and ship with a freight company like Estes via LTL (Less Than Truckload). It would be several hundred if not $1000 USD this way.

TheHondaBro > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 12:58

Well... They have wheels, right?

MUSASHI66 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 12:59

https://www.uship.com/

Try these guys maybe, you get bids on your shipment, and maybe have them shipped somewhere in the USA if they don’t serve Canada. Then you can hop over the border and get them.

Or, do Fedex or similar, and chose the option of “ship to terminal” - where you pick up at the closest airport.

Anyway you look it, it will not be cheap.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > iSureWilll
02/17/2016 at 12:59

I dunno how cheap that would be. The Suburban I have burns $100 of fuel every 10 hours of highway driving so there’s $500 in fuel alone. Plus lodgeing and food and it won’t be cheap. Plus I’d have to take vacation time and spend 6 days in a car on the interstate.

thebigbossyboss > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:00

With tools I would be very leery of greyhound. They could help themselves.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Brian, The Life of
02/17/2016 at 13:00

Bonded freight? Like shipping wars on the History channel?

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > ttyymmnn
02/17/2016 at 13:00

Ugh. Six days of highway driving.

ttyymmnn > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:01

Sounds like fun to me.

iSureWilll > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:04

Yea that’s a lot... Maybe you could try some of these. either way you’ll probably need someone to get them on a pallet and strap/wrap them down.

http://www.trans-ontario.com/HTML/SubPages/…

http://www.westlandtrans.com/en/services_cr…

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:06

Ship them to me, Calgary is much closer to Texas than Toronto.

TheNeonDriver - Now with More BMW! > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:09

Get them wrapped/secured in Houston, then find a freight broker online. If you can get in on a skid, so much the better. Shouldn’t be too much work from there.

We shipped a few things across Canada this way.
Also, Road trips are awesome.

jariten1781 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:10

Call up the big household goods shippers (Mayflower, Allied, etc.) and they might have room on one of their guys making that drive. I've gotten steals having cars and motorcycles shipped that way, but that was many many years ago so I'm not sure how they operate today.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:10

Do you get the trailer, too? Can local Oppos daisy-chain towing it to you?

RockRam > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:14

I would look into www. uship.com

ttyymmnn > jariten1781
02/17/2016 at 13:18

Agreed. My mom shipped a table to me on a truck that was passing through town. Another time, though, we had some heavy furniture shipped the same way, and the driver just left it on a pallet in the front yard and I had to call a friend to help me get it in the house.

fourvalleys > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:27

You may as well post an ad on UShip ... post the pictures and dimensions and where it’s going and I’m sure you’ll start to get an idea of what it’ll cost. Plus, it isn’t really binding if you don’t like your options.

I used it once to find movers for a cross-country, uh, move and it ended up being cheaper than renting a truck and driving - plus they loaded and unloaded my stuff. Nothing got damaged.

Pixel > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:27

1. Fly to houston.

2. Buy an old rust-free car/truck

3. Load tools

4. Drive to Toronto, using tools to fix vehicle along the way.

5. Sell rust-free car for a profit up north where everything rots out.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:29

What about fly down, rent a car and drive back

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
02/17/2016 at 13:29

Now that’s an idea

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:30

When I had to move a 250 year old Desk from Michigan to Georgia, I flew up and rented a Ford Flex one way rental. It was cheaper than shipping and Uhaul, then only had to drive one way.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > Pixel
02/17/2016 at 13:31

Now that sounds like an adventure.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > thebigbossyboss
02/17/2016 at 13:31

That’s my worry. There’s thousands of dollars of tools there.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > TheHondaBro
02/17/2016 at 13:32

But no motor... YET!

nlzmo400r > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:33

What would your grandfather do? Do that...

Jarrett - [BRZ Boi] > Pixel
02/17/2016 at 13:36

This is actually a good idea. After crunching the numbers a bit, I found that I would have spent around the same amount of money (after tax, exchange, etc) if I just bought a car in the States, and it would be in better condition.

JGrabowMSt > Pixel
02/17/2016 at 13:37

I like the way you think. Advice based on experience?

Pixel > JGrabowMSt
02/17/2016 at 13:52

Sadly no. I’ve never had the combination of free time and extra money to make something like this possible. I have pondered it many a times though.

Brickman > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:56

Im not too far away from Houston. I can pick them up for you and i’ll keep em safe til I’m too old to turn a wrench :P

1111111111111111111111 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 13:56

http://www.odfl.com/Landings/domes…

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 14:02

Pixel’s idea sounds much more fun, same basic theory though.

functionoverfashion > Pixel
02/17/2016 at 14:03

https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5447707365…

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 14:04

Lock cases, then wrap with chains and padlock, lash down to a pallet and call FedEx Freight.

functionoverfashion > Pixel
02/17/2016 at 14:05

https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5447042771…

Nisman > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 14:15

There are lots of online independent shipping websites. My brother bought a Harley in Florida once and shipped it to Ohio for less than $500. I forget the name of the site but do some googleing.

Meatcoma > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 14:22

No need to ship. I’ll come get them. Thanks.

jminer > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 14:34

A rental truck that can carry them will cost you an obscene amount one way travel.

Fastenal does store to store shipping reasonably as I understand it. I’ve never done it, but I’m on a jeep forum where members regularly use it to ship large parts. The fact that you’re in Canada complicates it though as you may not have one nearby and shipping may cause a problem(read more money) with customs.

I vote for buy a rust free truck and make the journey, probably cheaper than shipping (if you already want a rust free truck) and you can always sell it and make a mint up north with it.

rockingthe2 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 15:32

I’ve shipped my toolbox (same size as above) multiple times, in fact, as we speak it’s on its way across the atlantic to VA. I would not trust movers with it, that amount of tools is worth a Uhaul trailer or truck, or even driving down with a trailer (Enclosed!!!!) I’ve got close to $8,000 of tools, even in a closed storage container with tamper seals and full insurance, I take pictures of every drawer and it’s contents. I’ve moved it myself most of the time to be honest.

torque > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
02/17/2016 at 15:40

Plus if it’s a 3 day drive, this will (obviously) cut your total trip time in half (saving 3 vacation days) + (guessing here) total cost will end up being about the same

greasemonkey235097 > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/17/2016 at 16:25

Trucking company such as yrc, old dominion, new penn you have to strap it to a pallet and insure it

ArmadaExpress drives a turbo outback > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/18/2016 at 10:24

Maybe ship the tools separately and insure them? Then ship the boxes empty via freight. Also, you may need to look into what sort of paperwork you need to fill out before sending them across the border.

bob and john > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/21/2016 at 21:54

DO IT

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > bob and john
02/21/2016 at 21:55

I’m driving down in May. It’s happening.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
02/21/2016 at 21:59

What I was going to say, precisely. ‘Cept I was gonna use a bang (!).

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/21/2016 at 22:02

Is there any family in Houston that can assist? One of Grandfather’s lunch pals, perhaps? Put the tools into some boxes, then ship the toolboxes empty. Shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it’ll cost you several $100s. I’d want Grandfather’s tools if it were I.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > cletus44 aka Clayton Seams
02/21/2016 at 22:05

I hope you’ll file (a) report(s).