Shipping Rods: Your Stories

Mark Mc · 10-26-2009, 08:45 PM

It's funny that....I do not have any of my own horror stories regarding rod or blank shipping....whether it was something shipped to me, or something I sent out.

Yet I hear plenty of horror stories, mostly involving the letters U-P-S.

What are your experiences?

How would you rank: US Postal Service vs UPS vs Fed Ex vs ??????

If you were shipping a certain rod, and your life depended on that rod getting to the destination in perfect shape, which would you choose?

Todd · 10-27-2009, 08:28 AM

Maybe I've been lucky, too, but with rods coming and going all the time from my place, I've never had one end up broken at either end of the trip.

Most of them show up at my place after being shipped UPS, but I use USPS for all of our shipping...sending everything Priority Mail gets it there fast, at a competitive cost, and gets me all the shipping supplies for free...and they've never busted a rod yet. Also, after sending many thousands of packages out over the past few years I've only had one not show up at the other end, and that's a pretty important stat to me.

Fish on...

Todd

Raymond Adams · 10-27-2009, 09:21 PM

USPS Priority Mail gets my vote and my dollars as well. I have never (knock on wood) had a blank or rod I've shipped fail to arrive in good shape
and within good time using the good o'l US Mail! I did receive 1 broken blank bought on Ebay but the seller sent it in a flimsy triangle cardboard box and not a PVC tube. I have had 2 parcels come in to my local Post Office at the same time that failed to get to me because of a worker mistake with both parcels going to the wrong PO box and the owner of said PO box not being honest. 1 mistake on one day in a 7 yr period is a darn good track record in my book!

69scout · 10-27-2009, 10:05 PM

Never had any problems with USPS. But I always use a PVC tube and bubble wrap to keep rods from damages.

rob allen · 10-28-2009, 06:05 AM

PVC= no horror stories.. there is no other satisfactory way to ship a rod. however if you ship UPS cover the PVC with brown paper

DirectDrive · 10-31-2009, 08:46 AM

When cherished rods have to be there, this recipe has always worked for me...

ABS of appropriate diameter and length
(ABS is lighter and less brittle than PVC)
Cap on one end and cleanout fitting/threaded cap on the other
(simple caps can be used on each end)
Rods placed in flannel rod bags
Thick foam pads placed in each end to protect against compression breakage
(when packed there should be no movement as in rattles)
Put the whole thing in a square or triangular box to arrest rolling
USPS Express service

DD
Who is plotting his next move on Mr Big

MikeN · 10-31-2009, 08:41 PM

Nothing but problems with UPS. Had problems even with it insured.

I have have shipped probably at least 10 rods with FED Ex in tubes.

No problems at all.

UPS actually repacked a 2 piece rod in a different triangle shaped box after it was destroyed in one of their coveyors and acted like nothing had happened. This was a rod from a major manufacter in their shipping tubes. I got a new rod but it took awhile and was a hassle.

My 2 piece rod was now a 4 piece rod??

Only use FEDEX!

Rakkasan · 11-03-2009, 06:43 AM

I have always used USPS. Never had a problem with them. I have used fed ex once and no problems eaither. Always use a PVC tube and pad each end. I also wrap a few peices of bubble wrap down the blank so it has a snug fit in the tube.

David Banaka

Kerry Hansen · 11-03-2009, 08:59 PM

It doesn't make a difference who the shipper is.
Remember when you ship a rod that when it is on those conveyors at the airport, there are bends/corners on those conveyors. And under the right circumstances when that long tube is trying to go around the corner and another heavey package gets there at the same time that second package may be pushed into the middle of that long tube, so here is something to remember, " a thinner wall larger diameter is more resistant to bending than a thicker wall smaller diameter tube).

Second, you need to guard against that package handler that throws the shipping tube like a harpoon. I once received some blanks from the east coast. I noticed when I took off the end cap some of the tips of those blanks were stuck in the end cap. Didn't think about that at the moment until I noticed some of those supposidly 7' blanks were only about 6' 11" long. What had happened was the handler threw the tube like that harpoon in the blank tip forward direction. Well that tube will hit something and come to a stop, but what is inside will keep going as my blanks did. then the tips that were penetrating the cap were sheared off.

Now lets say you have a finished rod inside. You want to get it to the person undammaged and you don't want to disapoint the person that is supposed to receive it and you don't want the have to rebuild the rod. What do you do? Why you secure the butt end of the rod so the rod can't fly tip forward inside your Tube. more than a little foam at the ends and bubble wrap around the rod.
Kerry

Cap'n Ron · 11-04-2009, 04:08 PM

Great advice. The other day I picked up enough felt, fleece and flannel remnants at a fabric store to ship about a dozen rods for ten bucks. I have also picked up large squares of foam that can be cut to fit inside the caps. Eliminating movement inside the tube is the key.

Bait O' Eggs · 11-09-2009, 06:25 PM

My biggest rod shipping nightmare was a making of my own. I had an order for a couple rod blanks back when I was selling rod blanks. I needed a tube to ship the blanks and had a long PVC tube in the garage. I took the tube and put it in the vice and using the handsaw I tried to cut the tube to the appropriate length for the rod blanks I needed to ship.

I cut on that tube, and cut on that tube and the handsaw would only go thru about 1/2 way, after a while I realize there must be something in the tube that was preventing the saw from cutting the pvc tube.

I look down the tube and see about a dozen rod blanks being stored in the tube

I dump them out and every one of them was ruined with big knicks from the handsaw.

I shipped hundreds of blanks and dont remember a single problem, I almost always used USPS.

BTW, I just listed a bunch of rod blanks for sale in the classifieds I am selling. Had saved them for myself and dont see myself building them anytime soon.

Moe · 11-19-2009, 10:39 AM

I've shipped them all over the US, Japan, Great Britain, Ireland and even to the United Arab Emirates and never had a single problem. All through the USPS. Rods were shipped in aluminum cases.

tmtallman · 11-19-2009, 03:13 PM

I shipped a few rods via USPS on the cheap and they made it fine.

Used the cardboard tubes and stuffed 3 or 4 cheap-o plastic sacks on both ends instead of foam.

Maybe it was during a slow season so the workers took extra care?!

Ya Right, I know better than that.

5150Dan · 11-19-2009, 08:13 PM

I've shipped many U.P.S. in pvc tubes with no problems at all. Its all in using proper packaging that matters....

Dan