Okay, good to know I am not getting fleeced. I am actually okay with FreightQuote but the problem is the seller is very hesitant to palletize the item. If I can get him to get it on a pallet that might be the best. I've been a bit hesitant going to uship because of the damn AMC show. I understand they probably have some of the bigger idiots on the show but the things they do is just amazingly idiotic... With them do I need to worry about having a dock or delivery to door or is that expected? I would specify "no top load, in cab or covered for the total duration of transport, strapped so it does not roll/move, and no loading/unloading." Anything else that I should worry about? It is not so heavy that we cannot bring it off the truck with myself and the driver (assuming they do that). I can then just use a dolly from the street or roll it on its built in wheels. I can do either (i.e. residential vs. business) but as I said we do not have a dock at the business either. Of course there are three or four works available at any time to just manually unload it if they will let us. Thanks for all the advice Todd. -Ali

* Ali <cctalk at fahimi.net> [150901 11:22]: Yeah, that's the tough part. Also if someone has never done it before I get concerned about how well they do it (will they strap it to the pallet or just set it on top maybe with some shrink wrap to hold it down? Will they put cardboard around it all? Will they cover the top? etc.) I've seen the show. It's a show and what they show is for the show. I mean really, would you go with someone with a half star feedback rating versus five stars to save $5??? I've only gone the uship route a couple times and both times the companies were professional shipping companies. In both cases they expected the same kind of deal as the freight companies I've dealt with. Tractor-trailer on the street and you get it on/off yourself of have made arrangements with them beforehand. I believe it's "top load only" (i.e., only put this on top of other things or the ground, don't put anything on top of it.) Inside or tarped. I can't imagine a shipper not strapping it down adequately as it's a huge safety issue if not. When I shipped a forklift the person I selected from uship was willing to arrange for a rolltop wrecker (to get the forklift off the trailer and winched to the ground on delivery.) At the pickup the person I bought it from had a forklift that they managed to use to get it up on the trailer. So just make sure you're clear on everything you need. When a shipper bids you can ask them questions too and it's in their best interest to be responsive at that point (since you haven't selected the shipper yet.) Although the two companies I've used were very responsive and communicative after I selected them too. I can't think of anything else to worry about offhand. Maybe others have more things to worry about? :-) Most drivers I've dealt with have been pretty nice and helpful. Though I'm not sure they'd all help lift it off the truck. Residential seems to trigger both the call to schedule the delivery appt as well as the liftgate but I'm sure if you talk to the shipper about it they'll tell you which way you have to go for what you need. They'll likely let you lift it off the back of the truck yourself (at least when I've received things at a business with no loading dock or forklift freight company that time let us.) I hope it all works out OK and let us know how it goes! Todd

Well, In case anyone is still interested the desk arrived on Friday. The seller did a very good job of packing it and it arrived in tact. Thanks to everyone for their input, tips, and bits of wisdom. BTW: If anyone is interested you can check out some quick pictures here: http://megacube.classiccmp.org/Synergetix/Synergetix.html The web page is very rudimentary and will be expanded. Once I get it cleaned up it will house an IBM 5150 A, a 5151, a 5152-002 and a Cipher 5120. -Ali

Mark, I am excited to get it home! The seller sent me the keys separately and unfortunately they just arrived today. So it may be a week or two until I can open it up and see how the inside did....

Huh, interesting ... I bet that thing is built like an old Steelcase! Looks heavy :O Best, Sean On Mon, Sep 21, 2015 at 5:24 PM, Ali <cctalk at fahimi.net> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Sep 2015, Ali wrote: I likde those. I gave three of those to the college for use as classroom machines. I had gotten them for next to nothing, because they were sized for 5150, not 5170. I made spacers to raise the top panel to fit a thicker machine, and put much larger casters on them, for door thresholds, a tiled hallway, and the inevitability that they would be rolled over cords. With a relatively small monitor on top, it provided a comfortaqble podium and computer table for teachers to use while lecturing. A few years later, our department chair at the time (PhD from UCBerkeley) came running into the lab, squealing, "WE'RE GETTING SUNS!" WE'RE GETTING SUNS!" She had been informed that at the loading dock, there were three "Multimedia Workstations" for us. NO, we never got any Suns. The "multimedia workstations" turned out to be open 3x6 foot computer desks on casters. THOSE were to be our new classroom computer tables! too deep, too wide, not tall enough to use while standing, . . . They chucked the IBM workstations that I had given them (three just like yours) into dumpsters. Why did I even bother? One of their new classroom/demo machine tables had big rubber wheels, that wouldn't turn easily. They were almost ready to junk it, because their "support staff" didn't know that pneumatic wheels needed to be inflated. I pumped them up. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com

LOL ... poor woman ... I could only imagine getting all excited that I was gonna get a Sun workstation (especially back in the day when that counted for something a bit above the pale...) and then opening the box and it's just furniture!! Oh no!! Best, Sean On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 11:45 AM, Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> wrote:

Mike, Please do explain...

Ah, sorry, I misspoke; CBX 8000, not a CBX II :O Best, Sean On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 5:52 PM, Sean Caron <scaron at umich.edu> wrote:

On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 5:12 PM, Mike Stein <mhs.stein at gmail.com> wrote: (What I assume are) NOS ones appear on ebay pretty regularly. Not always cheap and not always in English, but they're out there. j

Mike, I was actually hoping you had images or linkage to said phone. Unless you are talking about the IBM smart phone from 20 years ago? These come up fairly often on ePay but I have yet to see one go for a reasonable price. I agree would be a cool accessory but as Fred pointed out they were not original to the desk. -Ali

Mike, I think I will pass on those - not retro enough. However, I am in full agreement with you on the sign! -Ali

On 9/1/2015 8:22 AM, Ali wrote: The driver won't do it. And they won't be happy if you are not there ready to move when they come by. The freight companies have entirely different divisions or companies that deliver from freight terminals to terminus locations and the drivers who run the trucks are just charged with moving the trailers locations. But they usually want dock high places to unload, and seldom will leave trailers for you to unload (if you have a full trailer). If you can get it palletized and delivered to a freight terminal at the far end, and want to save a buck on the shipping and control that youself, look for a "Less than load" quote from the larger lines, like YRC and ABF and the like. At your end you will get the unit at the nearest freight terminal for the line you choose. I have a google maps link to one in Orange California I've used. They won't hold your delivery there long, but there are usually ways to get a pallet either onto another dock high vehicle, they frequently have a pickup truck high dock, or the will have ramps down to ground level you can go to and load onto a lift gate truck, or whatever. look at the google search for "abf freight less than load" page and it will make quotes for you to examine the rates. You'll have to guess or know the weight, but you should already know the locations. The extra you need at the shipping end is the outfit to pick up the desk, and band it on a pallet. Make sure they will shield it properly as if they band it as they should have to, it will make big spots in the finish if not done correctly. And when you get the freight quote make sure you make it clear it can't be stacked. They can't always make provisions to put in a LTL item on the top of the truck. Remember you are dealing with multiple entities here the local delivery place at the far end, the freight line, then your delivery service, which you will do yourself possibly. thanks Jim https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7982243,-117.8756655,18z/data=!3m1!1e3 Here is the ABF LTL site. http://www.abfs.com/services/ltlfreight/

If its a desk then its furniture. So go to the experts. Look for home contents movers with an empty backhaul. Rod On 01/09/2015 14:23, Cory Heisterkamp wrote:

Hi Ali It was just an idea - I am located in the UK - distances are shorter and rates different. We have a lot of "white (ie unmarked) van men" who are keen to do anything that can be done in a day. Rod Smallwood On 01/09/2015 16:22, Ali wrote:

Sean, You can say I am very friendly with my work - unfortunately we do not have a dock. So no go there. Delivering there does have it be a bit cheaper (business vs. residential) but not by much. -Ali

I've quoted through FreightQuote a few times, and generally paid about $300-$450 for a single pallet, cross country, with will-call pickup at a local freight terminal. If you choose to pick up at the terminal, show up with a vehicle that they will be able to load with a forklift. Results may vary depending on the freight company that you choose to handle the load. -- Mark J. Blair, NF6X <nf6x at nf6x.net> http://www.nf6x.net/

I'm very used to first time shippers. I hope it works out well for you. On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 7:09 PM, Ali <cctalk at fahimi.net> wrote: