Help shipping tuba

[royjohn]

Seeking help from the Tuba Brotherhood:

I have located a tuba I want to buy about five miles east of Pasadena (about twelve miles from downtown LA), but the seller refuses to pack and ship so the cost to do so via a packing agency is $220!! For a $300 tuba! I want to send it via Greyhound, and the shipping should be about $50, so I'm looking for some kind soul who would pick up and pack the tuba for less than $170! You could even play it for a while, if you like. I wouldn't think that packing a tuba could take more than a couple of hours, even if you did it right and lined the bell with plastic and then sprayed foam into it and then used cardboard spacers to keep the horn in the middle of the box. So, I would hope someone would do it for $75 or so, but maybe I am being too optimistic. I would greatly appreciate hearing from someone in the LA area. Surely someone has kids who are out of school for the summer who need something to do for a few quick bucks . . . . all the better if they play tuba . . . .

[LoyalTubist]

Buy a round-trip ticket on Greyhound for yourself and take the tuba back with you as checked baggage. If you bring a backpack (no frame) for your toilet and clothing items (and take it as carry on luggage), you shouldn't have any trouble putting the tuba under the bus.

[Captain Sousie]

Buy a round-trip ticket on Greyhound for yourself and take the tuba back with you as checked baggage. If you bring a backpack (no frame) for your toilet and clothing items (and take it as carry on luggage), you shouldn't have any trouble putting the tuba under the bus.

Bill, you are a genius with a capital J. I never would have come up with a solution so beautifuly simple yet so workable.

Captain "feeling pretty dumb" Sousie

[Alex F]

Greyhound has significantly reduced its intercity service over the last couple of years and is most focusing on routes that connect larger cities 200 - 500 miles apart.

I just looked at the schedule for a trip between Knoxville TN and Pasadena CA. You should be lucky that such a connection even exists. Be aware however, that the scheduled trip takes 2 days and 3 hours and involves two transfers, including a four hour layover in Dallas.

Greyhound does have various offers, including one that allows you go anywhere in the continental US for $99. If you have the time and want to "see the USA" then "leave the driving to us".

I've ridden Greyhound or one of its affiliates (Indian Trails) a number of times. Most of those experiences have been positive. (You do have to watch out for the very tired looking but overly-friendly women who get on the bus in Chicago at 6:00AM and get off in Gary, IN - hey, even the workin' gals need to get home somehow!)

[Geotuba]

get off in Gary, IN

Yes Professor Hill ?

Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana,
Let me say it once again.
Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana,
That's the town that "knew me when."
If you'd like to have a logical explanation
How I happened on this elegant syncopation,
I will say without a moment of hesitation
There is just one place
That can light my face.
Gary, Indiana,
Gary, Indiana,
Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, but--
Gary, Indiana,
Gary, Indiana,
Gary, Indiana,
My home sweet home.

[djwesp]

I want to send it via Greyhound, and the shipping should be about $50, so I'm looking for some kind soul who would pick up and pack the tuba for less than $170!

I personally wouldn't do the greyhound.

Wes "who had a greyhound employee steal a euphonium AND SELL IT" Pendergrass


p.s.- this was after I shipped the euph to north carolina, where they LEFT IT ON THE BUS and accidentally shipped it back to me!

[Alex F]

While anyone can have a bad experience with any carrier, the fact is that most folks on this forum, including myself, think Greyhound Package Express is one of the fastest, cheapest, and safest, means of shipping a horn. About a year ago, Dan Schultz (Tuba Tinker) sent me a small Conn Eb. I got it in less than one day, undamaged, and with no hassle.

The two big problems with Greyhound:

1) Due to the service cutbacks of the last two or three years, service is availabe to fewer and fewer cities.
2) GPX will only insure up to $1000. The risk of damage or loss, IMHO, is small but its still a risk.

I've also had good experiences with DHL ground, having shipped a tuba to KS and a trombone to Lee Stofer in the land of the Iowegians. No problems, quick delivery, and relatively cheap. Again, that's MY experience - there have been some DHL horror stories as well.

[djwesp]

2) GPX will only insure up to $1000. The risk of damage or loss, IMHO, is small but its still a risk.

The lady in the Greyhound front office, told me that they lose or have stolen 100's of items a day, totalling thousands a week.


She said only to ship replaceable things of value that you are fully insured for with the carrier.


For what it is worth, the Greyhound Manager in North Carolina, named Robert E. Lee (crazy name I know), said he deals with 50+ cases of lost and stolen items a week.


The employee at this greyhound station had been stealing things for months, and convincing the station that it was lost in transit.


It may in fact happen very little, compared to the total amount of items they ship (I don't know). I'd much rather have my items stored and traveling properly.


Not too mention the fact that at small greyhound stations, customers sometimes load their own luggage and unload. They can take any package they see. PLUS, when the luggage bays are over crowded, they sometimes store the parcels on the bus with the riders, who can basically do whatever they want to the package the entire time. Most of the time, you get what you pay for. When you aren't paying much, it isn't a good sign.


Wes "who thought the risk was too small to worry about, considering the price" Pendergrass

[Bandmaster]

So far I have shipped or received 5 horns via Greyhound with absolutely no problems. I have shipped or received 5 horns via UPS or FedEx and two were damaged. Greyhound delivery was also many days faster.

Wes, while you may have had one bad experience, it all evens out in the end. In reality, one way is probably not any better than another, it just seems that way to the person involved.

[djwesp]

Wes, while you may have had one bad experience, it all evens out in the end. In reality, one way is probably not any better than another, it just seems that way to the person involved.

I've never claimed to be "fair and balanced". This is 100% perspective, as are most things on a forum.

I base my opinions on a couple of things.

1. When I ship UPS or FedEx, I know the people touching my parcels are employees. Their job is MY package. The item is exposed to theft and damage at stations and on the bus.

2. When speaking to Greyhound officials, they say this is common place and that is why the offer insurance only to 1,000. Not having any measures in place to prevent such things, shows a clear lack of respect for that individuals belongings. Boxes can sit in stations, accessible to the public for hours and even days.

3. Greyhound does not have a REAL tracking system for parcels. It can be in limbo for days, months, years. The lack of a tracking system KEEPS you from cashing out insurance if/when the item is stolen.


This is entirely based upon 2 personal experiences with greyhound shipping. One of a lost sousaphone, one of a STOLEN euph. I've shipped two horns greyhound and had two bad experiences. I know I'm not the only person on this forum to have had problems with GPX, I'm just one of the few posters not afraid to dish it out and get torched.

[ZNC Dandy]

What about Amtrak? I have never had a problem with them shipping instruments.

[Alex F]

Amtrak, based on my own personal experience, is safe and reliable but serves relatively few cities in the US.

Here in Chicago, Amtrak freight/package service rests in the bowels of Chicago's Union Station. You need to find the "secret special" elevator to get down there and often get the fisheye from station security officers. Once down there, however, the baggage/freight folks are friendly and helpful. One of the supervisors is a bassoonist and libretto translator when not slogging baggage around. When Dan Oberloh shipped the Yamah Eb (now for sale, see thread) a couple of years ago, it was placed in the same area where casketed remains are held for funeral director pick-up. No one in that area seemed interested in fooling around with my tuba.

[LoyalTubist]

Amtrak goes nowhere near Knoxville.

[Eupher6]

I've shipped a euph to Dan Schultz via Greyhound and it arrived fine.

I picked up the same euph after Dan did some work on it.

The brief experience in dealing with the Cleveland Greyhound station in general, and the shipping department in particular, leaves me a little uncomfortable.

I walked into the shipping department and nobody was there. I waited for some 10 minutes before the guy wandered back in.

I saw dozens of packages lying around and I could've EASILY walked off with some of them and nobody would've been the wiser (unless they've got video somewhere, which is a possibility).

I felt I dodged a bullet with this one. Perhaps other Greyhound stations are staffed with people just a wee bit more "on the ball" than the Cleveland station. I'm not terribly sure I'd ship via Greyhound out of Cleveland again.

Of course, Dan did a fantastic job and I just may have to risk it when it's time for more maintenance. Either that or move to Evansville!

[Lee Stofer]

When I was in Atlanta and had my pick of UPS, FedEx, DHL, Greyhound, USPS and AmTrak, I used AmTrak whenever possible. I consider it to be the safest, least expensive way to move tubas, particularly the really big ones. Unfortunately, they have cut back their freight service even more than their passenger service, so there are stations that will not allow freight any more, and for no good reason that I can see.

Out here in rural Iowa, over 75 Union Pacific trains pass by the farm each day, yet there is no passenger or freight service available here. I would have to drive 210 miles to Chicago to put a tuba on the train, and with current fuel prices, that's not likely to happen.

The Greyhound terminal in Davenport, IA does a good job. When I have received shipments there, I have to go to the desk, present ID, and then it is brought to me from a secure holding area. No one can just walk in and rummage through the baggage there.

UPS, FedEx and DHL from the Quad Cities, have all provided me with good service here.

To answer the original poster's dilemma - a $300.00 instrument + $200.00 shipping = a $500.00 instrument, which is still a good deal if it it plays, and arrives intact.