Once you have decided on your dock, you can make plans to ship and receive your dock. Since freight shipments are different from typical box shipments there are some nuances and instructions that will help you be ready for your dock and choose a shipping address.
All dock packages and some other large orders are sent on a shrink-wrapped pallet to commercial or residential addresses. When the dock leaves our facility, a tracking email is sent with a link to the shipping carrier’s website with live updates and contact information.
Many carriers have an estimated delivery date for you to plan for when the dock is estimated to arrive. The trucker calls ahead for residential deliveries to give exact details of the delivery and plans can be made according to the conversation with the trucker. Typically deliveries are made on a semi-truck and some residential addresses will require the customer to meet the trucker where the semi-truck can be parked. Access to some residences will be restricted by delivering terminals due to road limitations and address changes extra services must be arranged prior to shipping.
Unless other prior arrangements are made, the customer will need to be present to inspect for damage and unload the contents of the pallet by hand. Any damage observed must be noted on the paperwork and if the shipment is mostly damaged, the shipment should be rejected.
The oversized pallets do not fit on the truck’s lift gate, so the easiest method for unloading is to cut the shrink wrap, and unload the contents in pieces. This is typically a 5-15 minute process, with about 10-25 parts, and the heaviest part is 45 pounds. Shipments can also be picked up at the delivery terminal if the customer wishes to do so. Services that require extra fees include lift gates, and storage fees associated with waiting more than a couple days for delivery or will call terminal pick up. Make sure to deny these services and work with dispatch within a few days, otherwise customers are charges for these extra fees.
Receiving shipments requires general safety precautions like using safety gloves and a safety utility knife.
Generally the process is painless if 45-pound boxes can be lifted and if there is access for semi trucks to the shipping address provided. Commercial addresses and tractors make for an even easier experience.
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