Skip to main content

You won your Online Auction? Now What?

Gateway Crate and Freight gets a lot of work from people who win online auctions from out of town. Most of these people are out of state and some are even in other countries. We have picked up auction items such as antiques, restaurant equipment, computers, water meter readers, and even a walk through metal detector.

Many of our clients do their due diligence BEFORE bidding or purchasing items they may win. Contacting us for a quote on picking up, packing, palletizing, crating and shipping these items gives the prospective buyer a good idea about how much of a "deal" they are actually getting after factoring in packing and transportation.

Those that buy first and figure out logistics later find out that the road to great deals online starts with understanding the costs of the entire project, not just the purchase price of the item. Lets look at a recent Gateway Crate and Freight auction purchase project.

A Security company in Baltimore, Maryland won an online auction for a walk through metal detector. You have probably walked through one of these before:

    

Although the Auction company for this was located in Phoenix, Arizona the actual item was at a US Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Arizona. The security company got a great price on the unit but did not pre-plan the logistics.

Here is where an understanding of how most online auctions work, can reduce your logistics cost. This auction had a time limit of 72 hours for pickup once the auction was won and like most auctions the item must be picked up by the purchaser "as-is". In other words the auction company will not prepare your items for shipping in any manner.

The problem with not planning this out was that Gateway Crate and Freight was contacted by the purchaser and only had 48 hours to schedule a truck to pickup this item to meet their deadline. The client ended up having to pay for us to send a dedicated driver and truck to pickup the item in Yuma, which is a round trip of over 400 miles. In this case the pickup charge was more then the shipping of the packaged unit from Arizona to Maryland.

Had this customer pre-planned or quoted this item prior to the purchase, this company could have cut the pickup cost in half. The day prior to being contacted and in the first 24 hours it had been available for pickup, we had a 26' padded van returning from San Diego that could have picked this item up for less than half the dedicated van charge.

Understanding the time limits for an "as-is" pickup given by an online auction is paramount to getting a good "deal".  

Another important step in getting your product, if you can't pick it up your self, is providing the auction site with a release. You must provide "authorization" to the auction house to release the product to a 3rd party who is picking it up.

Providing the purchase ticket and lot number to the third party to be picked up is essential as well, to ensure you get the items you purchased. After picking up your items, the rest is a piece of cake for us. After palletizing, packing and shipping this metal detector the customer was extremely happy with their new purchase and has let us know they are looking for more of these in Arizona because they know we can handle their needs, and with better planning, save them money.

If you need more information about the logistics involved in making your first online auction purchase, contact our experienced staff, we would be happy to give you a free estimate on what it would take to get your items picked up, packed and shipped safely to you. Toll Free 855-474-4685

   

Steven Tittle is owner of Gateway Optimum Transportation and Gateway Crate and Freight a 3PL located in Tempe, Arizona that provides warehousing, custom crating, packing and transportation management services. www.gatewaycrateandfreight.com or www.gatewayot.com
MC917143 DOT2638954 Gateway Optimum Transportation is federally licensed as both a Motor Carrier and a Broker(Property).



Comments

  1. Load Board Logistics is the best freight company with years of experience in the relevant industry. We’re the best choice with an extensive range of dump trailers, LTL, ISO tankers, roll tite, and many more as per customer needs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice blog, keep sharing such updates. UPS International Shipping service company offers low priced freight skid/pallet and united parcel delivery services for international shipping. It's located in Calgary.
    freight forwarder Calgary

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for sharing profitable article. We provide customized app solution that suits best for your on-demand pick-up and delivery business. We manages your Business with pick up and delivery app

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice blog, really informaive for sure. Freight Forwarders & brokers from GM International Freight Forwarding & Shipping Company Miami, Florida provides a full range of global logistics, cargo services will take care of all of your needs.
    international freight forwarding

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for Sharing such a useful information All in one pack with full on Information here Shipper Parcel Auditing

    ReplyDelete
  6. freight audit and payment is the premier certification and compliance service delivering proven results for international freight forwarders. We offer audit and certification, and approval services for thousands of freight forwarders and licensed customs brokers Worldwide. Don't risk your career or reputation by not complying with trade laws. Find out what we can do for you today.
    Freight Audit USA is the premier certification and compliance service delivering proven results for international freight forwarders.
    freight invoice processing offer audit and certification, and approval services for thousands of freight forwarders and licensed customs brokers Worldwide. Don't risk your career or reputation by not complying with trade laws. Find out what we can do for you today.
    nvoice audit service helps multi site supply chain auditing services to streamline cost audits and create more value from freight audit process.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Does your delivery need a C.O.I?

In the Transportation Logistics world insurance is required for pretty much everything. General Liability, Motor Truck, Contingent Cargo and Marine Cargo as well as coverage's like Errors and Omissions and Workman's Compensation. You would think by needing all this coverage that moving cargo around the world and into someones business or their home is a pretty risky endeavor. It is! Gateway O.T performs Inside and White Glove delivery services where the building owner or management company requires us to prove we have sufficient insurance coverage while in or on their property. Our Crate and Freight division performs on site packing and crating services for large corporations that require we meet their minimum insurance requirements before we enter their property. Large corporations carry many insurances but have to minimize their risk of claims against those policies by ensuring that the outside contractors they utilize have the coverage needed in case of an accident

Is your SMB shipping process at risk from 3PL systems mergers?

If you are a small to medium sized business that sells or distributes products, you have most likely heard of Unishippers and Worldwide Express, the 3PL parcel and freight rate re sellers. They both offer discounted shipping rates through their online shipping systems (TMS) and both offer multiple shipping service coverage ranging from parcel all the way up to truckload. For the years I spent managing distribution and supply chains I probably had the privilege of meeting dozens of representatives from both of these companies. Each one offering me better rates or better services than the other. At times, I utilized their shipping systems to my companies advantage.  When I learned that Worldwide Express and UniShippers were merging I couldn't help but recall the countless times the reps would question the others system, process or service offering. Most of this was to try to gain my shipping volume, I understand that, but sometimes it even turned personal, one agent despi