Busing to Calgary, AB for an enlarger

[Daniel Stone]

Hey all,

I'm seriously considering busing(Greyhound) up to Calgary, AB to pickup the Durst 1200 that Hans is selling here in the forum.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=80540&highlight=durst

After talking with him last night, and seeing some photos of it, I'm very, very tempted.

Does anyone have any experience with doing int'l(since USA-->CA) travel via bus? I was planning on building a crate at home, to hold the disassembled colum, head, femobox(es), etc. I would travel up with it, clothes,etc packed inside(its about a 2.5 day trip each way), and have the enlarger inside, padded with the extra clothing,blanket(s),etc.. coming home. And the base would be packaged separately. I'd be coming home with it in the bus's hold.

any other ideas? Its looking like around $400 round trip via bus, not including a possible overnight stay at a motel if I couldn't get on a bus the day of packing up...

thanks

Dan

p.s. flying would probably be out of the question, as the "oversized"/too heavy rules would push me over $$$-wise, not to mention losing sight of it(vs seeing it get loaded/helping load) on a bus.

[Daniel Stone]

also, what chance is there of any fees/taxes on it, since it would be purchased in Canada? Would I need to have some sort of written invoice/receipt for customs coming back into the usa?

-Dan

[Scott Walker]

Building a box in CA to fit might be problematic without exact dimensions. If you do decide to come up here you are welcome to use my shop to build a box. I have all the necessary power tools, saws, air nailers etc needed and more than enough spare lumber and plywood laying around that you would not have to buy anything or pay to ship the empty box up here with you. Pretty sure it wouldn't take more than a couple of hours to build.

[Tony Evans]

Commercial ground shipping might be cheaper than round trip + hotel.

[Daniel Stone]

Tony,

the seller has stated he's not interested in boxing/crating it up for shipping. So I'd have to do it, or pay someone up there in CA to do it for me, not to mention their time. I think a workman is worthy of his hire(time) at least!

-Dan

EDIT: but after just looking at the UPS website, ground shipping would probably be around $250 USD or so, fully insured...

[jeaninfo]

Dan

Perhaps you contact a moving corporation in Calgary that could provide the boxing and crating required for the equipment. The moving corp could provide you with an etimate and then send the kit to you.

Jean

[sanchi heuser]

Driving with a bus can be very exhausting, it's around 1550 miles one way.

I'd better let it ship.
Once it is packed safely in a crate or on a pallet, every
good forwarding company can transport it without a problem.
A single crate or pallet will not cost too much,
especially when the weight isn't too much.

But beware:
Check out which forwarding companies treat their freight carefully.
It does not count what the people on the phone will tell you,
the workers in the magazine and on the road bring it safely to your door or ruin it.
I've seen here in Europe companies, don't know how they do it in North America,
where workers handle the load very rough,
some rookies stow it on the truck without knowing what they do,
drunken forklift drivers driving the fork into the boxes, truck drivers that drive like an orang-utan etc.
And other companies have good staff !

Edit:
UPS is very good, maybe they also do the packaging or have a reliable contractor for it.

[Steve Smith]

Driving with a bus can be very exhausting, it's around 1550 miles one way.

It's even more exhausting without the bus!

Is it possible to get someone local to the seller to pack and ship it?

I know the distances involved are shorter over here in the UK but sometimes here, it's possible to find a transport company doing a return trip empty or relatively empty. These transport companies hate running empty and would rather take on something to offset the cost of the return trip. I expect the same is true in the US and Canada.


Steve.

[Daniel Stone]

I'm talking with someone about possibly picking it up, disassembling and crating/packing it for me, of course for a fee :). $400+ or so for Greyhound roundtrip, and around $250 or so via UPS Ground(not sure if that includes any taxes, if applicable)

UPS costs are for shipping only, crating and packing would be extra

-Dan

[r.e.]

If you go the UPS route, find out whether they intend to charge you brokerage fees and, if so, how much. I assume that UPS made its quote knowing the volume they'll be shipping, not just the weight, and that this is the bench model, not a stand-alone, the latter being huge.

[Mark Sampson]

I can't see a crated Durst fitting in the baggage compartment of a Greyhound bus. Or more precisely, the bus company letting you fill the compartment completely, leaving no room for the other passengers' baggage. Truck shipping would be the way to go, FedEx ground maybe.

[Daniel Stone]

I just got off the phone with UPS, it seems like every person I talk too has a different answer ;), even for the exact same question!

So, here's what I'm looking to do, maybe some of you have a similar experience, and can help out?

I got a shipping quote online for ~$250 for (2) separate packages, one just under 150lbs(the color head, column and acc's), and the baseboard being in another. Not too bad, even with the extra cost of crating(thank you Scott W.). However, after talking with (3) different people on the phone, they all came back with different answers on customs charges, those BS "UPS charges", and finally, duties(if any applicable). The last lady I talked with was quoting me like $250-300 for setting up an acct, I had no idea of what she was talking about.

I just want to ship this thing, pay $25 to some gov't official to let my package through, and get my package. I mean, they don't have to open it, they can x-ray the sucker, I'll even pick it up a the local distribution center, so they don't have to deliver it....

maddening, all this mixed-up info, and all the different stories...

anyone who does this kind of thing regularly(even on smaller packages) have a clue as to what I could/can do?

I'd be very grateful, cause it might seem that driving my own car up there and back might be cheaper than paying off the US gov't and dealing with the UPS/Fedex bullshi+...

sorry for my rant, but you'd think they could make this EASY(where's that button when you need it in times like these?)

-Dan

[r.e.]

Daniel,

This is why I asked whether you had a clear understanding with UPS about brokerage fees. They, and perhaps FedEx as well, are notorious for extra charges on cross-border shipments. Also, shipping companies normally take into account the volume of the package as well as the weight. I can only suggest that you not make any deal with UPS or FedEx unless you have a hard quote.

I don't know what the U.S. Government charges in taxes and duties on an import, but you can find out by calling Customs and asking, explaining what you are bringing in and what the price is. Given what you are probably paying for the enlarger, it should be minimal.

As for driving up to Calgary to pick it up yourself, that's a perfectly fine idea if you want to do the drive and are prepared to pay for the gas and hotels, which for a 3000 mile trip is going to add up.

[Jim Michael]

Some of the international freight forwarding companies have an online quote system. You might check that. Me, I'd rent a van and go pick it up in person.

[Eric Rose]

If you need a place to bunk here in Calgary let me know. I might be out of town for a couple of weeks in a week or so. Just PM me if the need arises before you leave home. I am sure I can get one of the members of the Large Format Users Group we have here in Calgary to house you.

[r.e.]

If you need a place to bunk here in Calgary let me know. I might be out of town for a couple of weeks in a week or so. Just PM me if the need arises before you leave home. I am sure I can get one of the members of the Large Format Users Group we have here in Calgary to house you.

Daniel,

And it is a fine city to visit :)

The drive from Los Angeles to Calgary would be great if you have the inclination and time to take it at a leisurely pace. Personally, I wouldn't do it in a mad dash to pick up an enlarger. The economics don't make sense. It isn't like this is the only Durst 4x5 enlarger around.

[redrockcoulee]

My wife and I took the Greyhound from Medicine Hat to the last stop before LA to pick up a car. From Calgary would be perhaps an hour less time. The trip was not anywhere near as bad as we feared. Having said that either have some one pick it up and ship it for you or drive there via San Fran area and pick up a 190mm enlargering lens that also will not ship :)

[William Whitaker]

What r.e. said about brokerage fees. It wouldn't be so bad if you knew up front what the charge was. But you're held hostage and won't know until after your obligated just what the brokerage fee amount is. It's an absolutely maddening situation and as a result I ceased buying from Canada unless there's a damn good reason. So much for NAFTA!

If you pick up the enlarger yourself, you'll have to declare the enlarger at customs. They're not going to let you get by with a box that big. If you can establish (in writing, preferably) beforehand what the duty will be, then you can make a wise decision whether to go for it or not. Otherwise you're gambling with the bureaucracy. And good luck with that. It's unfortunate that dealing with our neighboring countries is such a pain. But I don't want to go off on to a political tangent... With all due respect to the selling party, there are a lot of enlargers on the market. Think wisely. If you can make it work, go for it. Road trips are fun. But don't get caught in the maelstrom of BS.

[KenM]

I'm surprised you can't find a similar enlarger in your area - you've got the population.

Have you checked Craig's List for LA?

Even if it were more expensive than the one being sold here in Calgary - factor in the shipping, brokerage fees, etc. and you'll still be well ahead.

[Daniel Stone]

hey all,

Thanks for your input. I talked with customs, the fee would PROBABLY be around $75 or so to bring it across the border. PROBABLY obviously doesn't fly, especially for me.

I'm not normally one to bow to pressure, but I think that this will be a deal I'm gonna pass on. I agree, someone here in the LA/OC/SD area will have a deal on something I'm looking for. Hopefully sometime soon. Oh well...

so this case is now closed...

-Dan