I think that's 30,000 Australian Dolloars, which equates to moreorless UPS bike shipping rates...

+1

re-read this post.

I've been using FedEx Ground for years and it's usually in the $50 range. I use a Trico bike box and have a personal FedEx.com account. By having the online account, I get to create the shipping label and enter (and store) the dimensions for the box. The formulas mentioned previously are hard and fast rules...go over that magic 130 number and all of a sudden the price increases dramatically. So...I have the dimensions stored for the box to ensure that I meet the dimensional requirements.

I suspect that because I create my own label then drop the box at FedEx, that they don't measure to make sure I'm being honest...but honestly, if I measure the box with the bike packed in it, it's wider than it is empty and could technically be bumped up to the next pricing level...but because it's all packed and labeled, they just scan it and put it on the truck.

My guess is that if I took the box to FedEx and they measured it, they'd measure "big" and charge the next tier's price.

I'm shipping it next month, from Texas to Tahoe, and when I checked it 3 weeks ago it showed it was gonna cost me $54.

WTF does shipping a horse have to do with a bike? Of course it is more expensive. It is a freaking horse!
I bet if you shipped an elephant it would be even more expensive.

Or a bridge. Like, London Bridge.

No, you get a customary discount for shipping something absurd!

I shipped a grand piano cross country for about $1,000. I could have probably strapped a couple of bikes to the top of the piano and no one would have noticed.

Actually, it's surprisingly easy to ship pianos across the country -- there are several companies that criss-cross the country with regular routes. If you're anywhere close to an Interstate, they just swing by your house, pick up the piano, and off it goes.

Don't know how that works in Australia, though.

My coworker's hobby is dressage.
Our hobby is cycling.

My coworker and her friends think nothing of dropping $30,000 on shipping, $2000 for a saddle, $800 for a bridle, etc.
Cyclists here complain bitterly when they've got to pay $120 for shipping, $200 for a saddle, and $30 for handlebar tape, etc.

Just because people can " think nothing drop $30,000" on something doesn't mean it makes any sort of sense. There are many ridiculously wealthy people who "think nothing" about spending lots of money on things.

Nor does that story really say whether or not the shipping rates charged for a bicycle is reasonable.

It is funny though.

It has to do with the dimensions as others have mentioned. UPS has categories such as OS1, OS2, OS3, etc. (Oversize 1, 2, 3). Most bike boxes go right up to the limit of OS2, once more inch and it becomes OS3, and the cost goes from $60ish to about double that. Also, I believe UPS has some automated system at the depot that meausres the box size, so if you're bulging, you could go into OS3.

With most bikes, weight isn't an issue and you can pack as much foam/newspaper/other protective stuff in there without affecting the shipping cost. I had one instance where the box was bulging and UPS tried to charge me the extra $60. After speaking with them, they ended up waiving the extra charges. Some boxes like the older Cannondale boxes specifically had a box which said something like "conforms to UPS requirements for OS2" or something.

If you're spedning over $100, it might make sense to ship the frame and wheels separately.

Yes, all of the major shippers (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.) have these. At DHL we called it a "dimensioner", and it used lasers to measure the exterior dimensions of the box as it went through the sortation system. I can't speak for UPS or FedEx (heck...or even DHL anymore :( ) but for oversize boxes, it likely would not pass through the dimensioner since it would have to be handled manually. At DHL, if the customer had an account with us and transmitted their package data electronically, then the customer would send the dimensions of their packages and be charged accordingly. However, the system also measured the physical boxes as they passed through and if we found that the customer was understating either the weight or dimensions, then we would add extra charges to the monthly statement we sent them.

That said, you just need to understand what the carrier of your choice uses for sizing and make sure that your box meets those standards WITHOUT bulging which would exceed it. The dimensions play importantly on oversize packages when it comes to loading the "cans" used to hold the material on the planes, and when figuring out load sizes on the trucks.

Probably more info than you needed, but the more you know...the more you can forget. Again, make sure you know your carrier's requirements, make sure your box meets them, make sure it doesn't bulge and exceed them, and USE PLENTY OF PACKING MATERIALS...tape, reinforcement, etc.

Charles

Wrong. I shipped an elephant today and it was only $40.

ARE YOU F'ING KIDDING ME?!?! Just got a message from the recipient saying the package looked like it's been on its 100th shipment, 3 holes punched in the side and the top flap barely holding on with 1 piece of tape AND, of course, there's a 4-inch gouge out of the top edge of the aero CF downtube!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I am REALLY not happy with UPS right now.

I mean seriously, how does anyone ship a bike if this is the treatment large packages get?!?!?! The packing job was professionally done, the box was in perfect tact, FRAGILE was permanent markered all over the sides. This is just sheer incompetence. I'd love to say that FedEx or DHL is better, but are they really?? All I know for sure is that Brown blows, and I'm not about to use them again, ever.

Just wait until you try to collect on the insurance if you think they blow now.

FWIW, I've found that when shipping an expensive item via UPS it's best to take it up the wazoo and let the UPS Store pack it and ship it. Since UPS owns the stores, there's never an argument as to whether it was packaged correctly, which is their usual mode of escaping paying an ins. claim.

"Oh, it was packaged incorrectly? You were paid to pack it" shuts it down quickly.

Boy, I'd like to say they are, but it's not likely. All three major shippers use similar conveyance systems...I know, I've seen them. There are only so many ways to design conveyors and package handling.

And OP, this doesn't help YOU right now, but it might help you or others in the future. For a real simple idea of how boxes get destroyed, think of your baggage when it comes down the slide at the airport baggage area. Your box may be perfectly wrapped, packed, and taped...but if the 50 pound box of hammers or a box with sharp corners comes down the slide of top of it, then your box becomes a landing zone. That box sliding down on top of yours can't read the word "FRAGILE" on the side of your box. I can't stress enough the importance of taping and padding. If you get a frame professionally shipped to you, you'll notice that many places wrap the tubes in foam pipe insulation.

In the future, when shipping a frame/bike, I'd suggest before "pictures" of the bike both with and without the tubes wrapped, and "before" pictures of the box both opened and after it has been taped shut. These can help with any claim you may have to file. Of course as Ccrew suggests, you can have the carrier do the packing, and that will help somewhat with the "who is at fault" discussion should it come to that.

Otto von Bismarck famously said "Those who are found of sausages or laws should never see either being made". If you want to lose any remaining innocence regarding package shipment, just spend a night at any of the major carrier's sort centers. Of course, if you get the customer tour, you get the sanitized version. It's amazing that more packages don't get destroyed in the shipping process. That's a testament to the design of the shipping processes to try and automate out the vagaries of box sizing/packing. Unfortunately, crap happens.

If you are going to ship something valuable, insure it. Assume the worst can happen.

Good luck. I hope you're able to resolve this to your satisfaction. This really sucks.

Charles

Fortunately it was insured for the full amount. Unfortuantely Ccrew is telling me that UPS is a bear to deal with on claims. I did find the set of UPS guidelines that packing has to conform to wrt an insurance claim a bit odd. For example, a brand new box, at least 2" of padding between the walls of the package and the contents, and tape on each side of the box. If that were the case, that would disqualify shops and manufacturers from insurance when shipping bikes. Certainly the box was professionally packed to the industry standard. As if that matters, it looks like they drove a forklift into it! I'll post photos once the investigation has been done.

Ah yes, is this the conveyor system that involves driving a forklift through the pkg, or the one involving shooting buckshot at the word FRAGILE? Perhaps they're all just bears handling the packages (Brown bears?) and one of them thought there was honey inside.

FWIW, almost every inch of the frame & fork was wrapped with foam pipe insulation.