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Shipping Costs

D

David Z

Well Known Member
I am a few days away from ordering my RV-8 empennage and want to know much it costs to ship to SW Ontario. I'm considering UPS and Fedex. Any other options? Would USPS/Canada Post deliver something that big?

In the past, I've found that the shipping quotes are way off what they charge when you show up with the item. That's why I'm asking.
 
I avoid Fedex and especially UPS like the plague. I have found that their actual shipping costs are dwarfed by their customs clearance and administration costs and no amount of whining seems to fix this. They don't allow you to go to their office and clear the parcel youself if you had the time and could stand the aggrevation.

On small parcels I use USPS/Canada Post and have had good success with them. Unfortunately your empennage parcels are probably too big.

I would discuss with Van's what shipping options you have for the empennage kit boxes. As I recall, I got mine shipped to the company I was working for and was cleared through their customs broker. The wing, fueslage and finish kits were shipped via ABF Freight. I went to the ABF office at the border, got the paperwork and cleared them myself. Had a bit of a hassle with some snippy Canada Customs agents, but eventually got through it. If you do it yourself you will need a "business number". This is a number that Canada Customs issues to you as an importer. Get this in advance, otherwise it will be a long day waiting around at their office.
 
When my son and I took delivery of the RV9A fuselage and wings and then the firewall forward etc, we had Van's hold the shipment at ADF Forwarding in Tonawanda NY (Grand Island). We rented a truck and picked it up and took it through customs at Queenston, Ontario. I was told by others not to take the truck through the truck entry (they want too much paperwork and you won't have the right paperwork for them unless you use a broker), but go through the car entry to the customs booths. We did that, told them what we had, we're sent to the customs office to pay the taxes (no duty). We walked in with a copy of the receipt that showed the value of the goods, we payed the PST and GST and were on our way in 10 minutes. Did this 2 times and the customs people never even looked at the truck let alone inside the track or the crates.

Maybe we're just honest looking but worked like a charm.

Good Luck
John

http://www.mikesplane.com



David Z said:
I am a few days away from ordering my RV-8 empennage and want to know much it costs to ship to SW Ontario. I'm considering UPS and Fedex. Any other options? Would USPS/Canada Post deliver something that big?

In the past, I've found that the shipping quotes are way off what they charge when you show up with the item. That's why I'm asking.
Click to expand...
 
I have to agree with terry for the most part but for the EMP, I found that Fed EX was the cheapest alternative.

The KEY is to ship using one of their "international" package. I used "FedEx International Economy". I paid $62 and that included everything (except GST and PST). I used to work close to the Mirabel Airport (where's FedEX has a couple of hangar & planes) and the gal called me right away and proposed I pick it up there (she saw my phone number and figured I was not far away).

Best service I ever had with a carrier. Did the same thing for the toolkit from Avery.

For small boxes, I recommend you use USPS/Canada Post, it'll be the cheapest.

For the Wing crates, I also used ABF. I sent the boxes to the MTL depot. Went there, picked the paperwork, went to the duty office downtown, paid both taxes and went back to pick them up with a trailer. The guy had a lift and helped me out.

I paid $600 for the shipping with ABF.
 
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Use Fed Ex international. Its the cheapest. STAY AWAY from UPS their rates are extremely high and most miserable to work with. DHL rates are also higher than Fed Ex.

When you order your kit order the entire kit. It will save you a lot on shipping.
 
Thanks All

Thanks for the replies, I've found a shipping depot in Port Huron [my nearest border town] and will talk to Vans on Monday when I order the empennage.
It's the beginning of a big adventure :)
 
Shipping costs SWOntario

Hi Dave..like your registration letters for your plane. I had my epenage kit shipped UPS to my work in Kitchener and just ate the cost. After that I had the remaing kits all trucked to Roadway Transport in west Seneca New York (Buffalo). Then I borrowed or rented a truck to drive over and pick up the kits (3 trips) paying the duty at the Fort Erie Customs office. I saved hundreds of dollars shipping even after factoring in the cost of the trucks(vans and a pickup). A friend of mine who lives in Windsor had his kits shipped to Detroit and picked them up himself. He also saved hundreds of $. The truck companies want brokerage fees , administrative fees as well as the taxes owed. Picking up the kits yourself at a U.S. location saves hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

Dave
RV-7
C-GCPD
 
Part 2

So I called Vans, they quoted me a shipping cost to my place in London. I called Fedex to confirm this. Both numbers were about the same considering exchange, $180-$190 including brokerage. Definatly worth it. But now the package is sitting in a customs warehouse at Pearson International [it was sent fedex economy:confused:] and I have to go to Pearson tomorrow to get it through customs, or fax them a "legal power of attorney".

Now, I don't know if this is an angry rant or what but:
#1. I thought it would be implied that I wanted Fedex to deal with customs when something is shipped internationally. In my experience, USPS/Canda Post deals with customs problem free.

#2. Fax? Really? I thought, by 2010 that a company the size of Fedex would have a more widely available method of dealing with this "legal power of attorney". Maybe some online form to fill out. Fax machines arn't exactly common for personal use.

So I've learnt my lesson. Fedex is difficult to deal with when shipping internationally. When it comes to the rest of the kit, I am definatly going to use a US shipping depot, and pick it up myself.
 
#1) yes, "FedEx INTERNATIONNAL Economy" includes custom brokerage fees... You're sure it was the "Internationnal" version of the shipping?

For the rest of the kit, you can't use FedEX anyway... You'll have to deal with a trucking company.
 
Acceptable Solution

When I arranged the shipping, Vans said it would be shipped Fedex International Economy.
I'm not talking about the brokerage fee, when I talked to them yesterday, they said that wasn't the problem. They just needed written legal permission, from me, to represent me with customs.

My issue is that it should have been assumed, for international shipping, I wanted Fedex to deal with customs on my behalf. Also they made it really quite difficult for an individual person [as opposed to a business] to submit the paperwork they wanted.

This morning, I took the paperwork to a Fedex office in London, and they had no problem faxing the paperwork to Toronto for me. So, if everything goes smoothly from now on, it should be here in the next day or two:D
 
I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding here that you could quickly clear up with a call to FedEx. Up to a certain value (I believe around $1500 at this time), FedEx will automatically pre-clear the shipment through Customs and deliver it to your door with an invoice for the GST (i.e. Tax) and a flat fee for their brokerage service ($10 on my last shipment). Once you go above that fixed value, you either have to get a Customs Broker involved (possibly yourself) or sign a special power of attorney. Once you know the restriction you'll also find that it's no big deal and they are very consistent in the application of it ... I assume there is some legal liability on their part if they don't have an outside signature or power of attorney on the Customs clearance. I'd suggest that you just fax them a one-time power of attorney and they'll deliver the parcel the next day ... note that if you sent it to a business address then they'll also require the federal BN (Business Number).

I've used them a lot on cross-border shipments and still think they're the best carrier that I've dealt with. The only difference between "overnight" and "international economy" is typically one (max two) days and a reduced cost for the slower service. I always choose that option.

If you want to get heated at "brokerage charges" then I'd suggest you try using UPS cross-border. Typical charges are $25 or more and a friend just got dinged nearly $100 "brokerage" on a $500 shipment. That's over and above the transportation cost and you only get to learn about this surcharge when they deliver the parcel. They used to delay invoice it for a couple of weeks till long after you'd accepted the parcel and had no options. FedEx and Canada Post both have fixed fees for this same service.

Edit: Sounds like FedEx basically said the same thing to you and now everything is okay ... they really are very easy to deal with once you understand the process.
 
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Yes, it sounds like that is what's happening to me.
Now I have to fill out a "1xpoa" and send it back to them. I have no idea what a "1xpoa" is, and can't find any reference to it on the Fedex website. Their customer service is pitiful at best.
 
That's the form that I faxed them this morning, and I got the email about the 1xpoa mid-afternoon.
 
Bigger stuff

ABF has a trucking terminal near Detroit Metro Airport. I had all the big stuff shipped there. Took a truck and trailer and it was easy to get loaded with a forklift and no issue clearing the border if paperwork is complete. Good luck on your new project.
 
One more data point...

Go Fedex over UPS to avoid the exorbitant brokerage fees of the latter.

When it came to my QB wings and fuse, I arranged with Partain to meet him in a Home Depot lot in Buffalo (I used to live in Mississauga), trans loaded it into a rental U-Haul, drove it back (paying tax at the border) and returned the truck. I can't remember the details, but between Partain (no crating) and clearing it myself, I saved several hundred. Best to have a helper along! I don't think it would be worth it for the emp though.
 
SHIPPING DEPOT

Hi All
For everyone leaving in Quebec close to the border, you could used Freeport Forwarding in Champlain ( Lacolle ) as a shipping depot in the States if you need one
It's only 1 mile from the border, easy to work with and cheap ( they charge $2 US to keep your packages) and are known to Customs officers at the border.

Here's the address:Freeport Forwarding
1320 state route 9
Champlain, NY 12919
(518) 298-8582
-----------------------------
Phillippe
Where about are you, I'm in St-Jerome, 10 km from Mirabel Airport?

Bruno Dionne
[email protected]
 
Hey Dave,

For any future shipping of kits, you may want to consider a drop location in Port Huron or even the one I use in Lewiston. The place in Lewiston charges me a flat rate of $35 for anything on a skid, and $5 for anything in a package, and it sits there until I pick it up. I just picked up two packages last weekend (VSI, gascolator, throtle quad) and all it cost me was $10 (2 boxes) to have it stored there until I picked it up. The drop location wants our business!

I cross the border, pay my $5 or $35 fee (my wing kit in 2 weeks), hit the border and pay the taxes...that easy. No brokerage, No BS. Just the cost of my time to pick it up with a trailer.

For me, the 3 hour drive there and back is worth it. A friend of mine is building a -7 and I called Barb at Van's and had both his fuse kit and my wing kit be sent together by ABF to the drop. It will cost each of us $325 for shipping. When he had his wing kit delivered to his door, it cost him well over a $1000.

If you want the info, let me know. I do fly the T-6 Harvard out of Tillsonburg, so if you have any small packages coming across, we could set something up. Not too far off from ya!

Cheers,

Don
 
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