Freight issues

[rtbellah]

Maybe I'm way off base here but.....why is it that shipping these kits is such an unpredictable and somewhat frustrating endeavor?

FFR is dead on in predicting their kit completion date so when I give that date to the freight company over 3 months in advance I would expect that they should have a pickup scheduled fairly close to that date.....within a week seems reasonable....BUT my kit is sitting at FFR complete now for a week and I can't even get an estimated window for when it might get picked up - let alone delivered to my door. Am I alone in thinking this is unacceptable? Maybe I don't understand the logistics of interstate freight service...I just think it is totally ridiculous that with over 3 months notice you are still left in the dark until the freight service "gets around" to scheduling you. That just doesn't seem to be very professional to me. Can someone please explain if or why my expectations are unreasonable?

To top it off....My rear axle was shipped and I received a tracking number - tracked it to the local warehouse and then got a call to set up a delivery window. That window came and went with no axle so I called to inquire. Turns out they can't find my axle - was never in the local warehouse apparently! Why or how would you call the customer to arrange delivery if you haven't got the item?!!!! I am so frustrated right now....anxious to get started and all I seem to be getting is a lot of "I don't know" and "we will let you know" answers. FFR has been perfect - can't say the same for the freight companies I've had dealings with.

Anyone else as frustrated as I am? AND....if I hear one more time "due to COVID" I think my head will explode! :p

[CaptB]

What freight company?

[egchewy79]

if you're shipping w/ Stewart, they are probably waiting on a full truck before loading up and driving across country, dropping off kits on their way. They are based out west (Arizona I think?) and can fit something like 10-12 kits in one truck. Then the driver plots a course across the country unloading them one at a time. It doesn't make sense for the trucking company to send out an empty truck for anything less than half a trailer-full of kits. Gas costs alone would probably be prohibitive.
for my delivery, I had to pivot at the last minute as the driver was stuck in a snowstorm outside Buffalo. He called me the night before my anticipated delivery and I had to scramble to clear my schedule for the following day so I could be home to accept the delivery. The stewart drivers are all great and do a good job helping unload your cargo.
In the day and age of amazon prime and ecommerce, we are a bit used to everything getting shipped in a day or two. I understand your frustration but it'll all be worth it in the end. Alternatively, you can always rent a trailer and drive to MA if you'd rather not rely on the shipping companies.

[Jeff Kleiner]

On the plus side, the longer it sits at FFR the more time they’ll have to work on fulfilling your POL ;)

Jeff

[ggunter]

I worked at trucking companies most of my adult life. The competition is feirce and the profits you make are generally the money you save. None of them want to move a trailer thats not full. If Stewart's trailer holds 10 units and he goes out with 9, a 10% loss of revenue is horrible for any trucking company since most of them that is there profit margin. I really understand your frustration in not being able to get a good answer as to when you get shipped especially when you told them three months out about your car. When my rear axle was shipped, I got a email my axle was delivered. I got home and no axle sitting in front of my garage. Lucily my neighbor, the next srteet over, saw a crate sitting on the side of the road (almost a 1/4 mile away) read the tag, and called me. But the driver signed the bill and called it delivered. It certainly isn't right but we live with mediocrity in our world today.

[rtbellah]

The freight co is Stewart

[rtbellah]

Ha! Now there's a "glass half full" response! Thanks for the silver lining, Jeff!

[rtbellah]

if you're shipping w/ Stewart, they are probably waiting on a full truck before loading up and driving across country, dropping off kits on their way. They are based out west (Arizona I think?) and can fit something like 10-12 kits in one truck. Then the driver plots a course across the country unloading them one at a time. It doesn't make sense for the trucking company to send out an empty truck for anything less than half a trailer-full of kits. Gas costs alone would probably be prohibitive.
for my delivery, I had to pivot at the last minute as the driver was stuck in a snowstorm outside Buffalo. He called me the night before my anticipated delivery and I had to scramble to clear my schedule for the following day so I could be home to accept the delivery. The stewart drivers are all great and do a good job helping unload your cargo.
In the day and age of amazon prime and ecommerce, we are a bit used to everything getting shipped in a day or two. I understand your frustration but it'll all be worth it in the end. Alternatively, you can always rent a trailer and drive to MA if you'd rather not rely on the shipping companies.

I'm not frustrated that I have to wait for the kit so much as that they can't give me any idea when they will pick it up.....and if they are waiting for a full trailer I get that but FFR completion dates are set months in advance so the freight plan should already be in place with Stewart IMO! I am in AZ so (foolishly) I was hoping one of their drivers might want to be home for the 4th and they could sneak my kit in their trip home! For what it costs to ship I could probably go get it but Wareham is a long way from Phoenix so I guess I'll just have to wait - and save myself a lot of driving!:p J. Kleiner wisely pointed out that I may have a shorter POL list as a result - so I guess I should quit whining and be patient!

The axle fiasco is another story.....that is (IMHO) a result of inefficiency, ineptitude, or just a lack of concern for customer satisfaction.

[edwardb]

The Stewart situation has been explained. The 3 month notice doesn't really mean anything. They are very aware of the completion dates and which customers have designated Stewart for their delivery. It's on the sales order. The fact that they're based in Arizona, same as you, really doesn't enter into it. Those guys are on the road almost constantly. I've talked to the drivers when they were at my place and they live a very different life. Wouldn't be for me. It's all about efficient routes and full trucks when they leave. Your contact at Stewart (you do have one, right?) should be able to keep you informed. They always have for me. Even though it may not be what you want to hear.

Regarding the axle, very common for home deliveries to be scheduled for delivery before the item actual gets to the terminal. They are working to a scheduled delivery date and trying to set it up so it keeps moving once it hits their dock. You should have received a tracking number (bill of lading) and you can go to their website and see where the shipment is physically. Moser ships from Indiana. So another long trip to Arizona.

I get the anticipation. I'm not the most patient when it comes to this kind of thing either. But you might want to pace yourself a bit. Building one of these is a journey. You will have plenty of bumps along the way. OK, you don't want to hear about COVID. But the fact is patience is required now more than ever. It's happening to everyone. Not just you.

[Jeff Kleiner]

You're not going to like the sounds of this but being so far west isn't going to help your situation. It's hard to fill a truck with 10 cars bound for the west coast all at the same time so a load leaving FFR with 10 cars may include 4 for the eastern part of the country, another 3 for the Midwest and 2 or 3 for the western states. HOWEVER, rather than making that long haul from somewhere like Kansas with only 3 cars those get dropped at a storage terminal and the truck goes back east for more and runs a similar dropoff pattern delivering cars between FFR and the midpoint terminal. Once there are enough kits at that storage facility to fill a truck they'll load them all up again and head to places like Arizona, California, etc.

Jeff

[rtbellah]

You're not going to like the sounds of this but being so far west isn't going to help your situation. It's hard to fill a truck with 10 cars bound for the west coast all at the same time so a load leaving FFR with 10 cars may include 4 for the eastern part of the country, another 3 for the Midwest and 2 or 3 for the western states. HOWEVER, rather than making that long haul from somewhere like Kansas with only 3 cars those get dropped at a storage terminal and the truck goes back east for more and runs a similar dropoff pattern delivering cars between FFR and the midpoint terminal. Once there are enough kits at that storage facility to fill a truck they'll load them all up again and head to places like Arizona, California, etc.

Jeff

I can live with that....I can endure the wait - but the lack of ANY info is a killer. I get the concept of not dragging around near empty trailers, especially with fuel costs right now but I will never understand how they could not have a better handle on the scheduling. They should, for example, be able to predict a 3 or 4 week window. As far as I know the only thing that could prevent that is people delaying their own kits through changes, cancellations or non payment. I admit I was surprised to not get at least a forecast for delivery MONTH!!!!

It is what it is....and short of dragging my own trailer 2700 miles each way across the country I am powerless to do anything but wait!

[rtbellah]

Regarding the axle, very common for home deliveries to be scheduled for delivery before the item actual gets to the terminal. They are working to a scheduled delivery date and trying to set it up so it keeps moving once it hits their dock. You should have received a tracking number (bill of lading) and you can go to their website and see where the shipment is physically. Moser ships from Indiana. So another long trip to Arizona.

Yes I had the tracking number....I tracked it physically to Phoenix....then after they schedule the delivery and don't show they (the Phoenix dispatch) tell me they can't find it. That is why I have an issue with it - it's like they checked the boxes along the shipping route without scanning or verifying that the darn thing was even in the trailer! It's a mystery to me!

[egchewy79]

While waiting, there are plenty of other things you can be doing. Organize the build space, make a body buck, order your accessories from the vendors (breeze, Forte, etc), read over multiple build threads, order and study the digital build manual. I could have saved a ton of $$ in shipping had I ordered all my accessories (breeze, summit, Jegs, etc) at once instead of piecemeal.

[MSumners]

While waiting, there are plenty of other things you can be doing. Organize the build space, make a body buck, order your accessories from the vendors (breeze, Forte, etc), read over multiple build threads, order and study the digital build manual. I could have saved a ton of $$ in shipping had I ordered all my accessories (breeze, summit, Jegs, etc) at once instead of piecemeal.


Agreed. >30 orders from McMaster alone!
Seriously should have just bought a full complement of typical size hardware at the beginning but my level of cluelessness was top notch at that point.

[CaptB]

Well as a side note, my finish date at FFR is 8/21. We have been building a house for the last 9 months (yes 9 months) and the builder just informed me the finish date is now......the 3rd week of August. I'm actually hoping that Stewart doesn't ship right away now!

[rtbellah]

Well....as I hoped, Stewart transport lived up to all the rave reviews. Got the call from Todd at Stewart this morning - My delivery has been scheduled for July 16 - July 18. That is less than 1 month from my kit being ready...that is well within the expectations I had - I guess my whining was premature - I was really frustrated with the company handling my axle and I projected that on to Stewart.

The journey will begin soon!

[rtbellah]

UPDATE: In case any of you have any doubts - FFR is AWESOME!
As I stated earlier in the thread - Tforce Freight "lost" my rear axle. I gave them a little over a week to resolve and hadn't heard anything so I sent a snapshot of my tracking info to FFR. Within 3 hours FFR had contacted Moser and initiated a replacement axle and a claim with the freight company....but in the time it took me to receive and read the email from FFR explaining that I got a call from Tforce freight to re-schedule a delivery. They found my axle! I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories but it sure seems like FFR getting involved poked somebody enough to get off their butt and actually LOOK for the part. Either way - my axle is supposed to be here tomorrow between 10a.m. and 2 p.m. (Boy that sure sounds familiar):p We shall see!
All I know for sure is this - FFR has never failed to impress me with their commitment to their customers. Kudos to FFR.

[Joseph]

I know that this a little off topic but I bought a completed FFR car from someone in Arizona and Stewart delivered it to me in Florida. Stewart really can deliver your car anywhere.