Winter shipping tips

Poorboy

Poorboy

Founder Poorboy's World
As the bitter cold has engulfed the NorthEast and MidWest, many people have e-mailed me about shipping their products or worried about receiving frozen products and the effects on the products. I've thought about it and have a few tips or suggestions:

1) ship to a business where there will be someone to receive the package upon arrival

2) ship to a house where someone will be home to receive it.

3) ask the shipper to use "signature acceptance only" ...this option may cost you a few dollars more, but the driver is not allowed to leave the package on your door step or in your yard.

4) FedEx, which is what we use, also offers a couple other services, like "evening delivery" for those who are never home during the day or can't have it delivered to a work address. They also offer "Appointment delivery" where they will call you to set up a specific time during the day. Yes, these option do cost more, but it might be worth it if you don't want to deal with frozen products or if you live somewhere where safety is a problem.

5) If you can't do the above suggestions, try not to order liquids with wax in them, they often come seperated and need to be shaken. If these freeze, they don't always mix again.

6) Add more microfiber to your orders, these will give a little better insulation and warmth to the products.

I'll try to think of some more, but these were the ones that came to me as I was answering some e-mails :)

7) Just thought of this one...watch your tracking info...
 
"6) Add more microfiber to your orders, these will give a little better insulation and warmth to the products."

Yeah, that's always a win-win situation. :wink: :wink: :wink:
 
Got my latest Poor Boys order today and it sat on the front porch for about 4 hours in 13 degrees...only cause my son is too lazy to bring anything in...and it was fine...and as usual, really fast shipping and safely packed...Thanks Steve. :bow ...though I do think the packing peanuts help insulate it too....
 
Cold ain't the word....we caught some work last night in a residential house and I had more ice stuck to my helmet and coat than an ice maker can put out :crazy2: I could barely move my arms when I came out of the building LOL
 
Steve

I've never been faced with shipping problems such as cold weather. I would have to wonder why anyone that has weather that cold would need any products. Seems to me that they can't work on the car...I don't know maybe its my lack of understanding
 
Beemerboy said:
Steve

I've never been faced with shipping problems such as cold weather. I would have to wonder why anyone that has weather that cold would need any products. Seems to me that they can't work on the car...I don't know maybe its my lack of understanding
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Dave,

Some people do have garages and some lucky ones even have heated ones ;)
Remember this is a detailing site with some OCD's :dnaughty
 
Poorboy said:
Dave,

Some people do have garages and some lucky ones even have heated ones ;)
Remember this is a detailing site with some OCD's :dnaughty
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I know Steve and your lively hood depends on orders. When it got cold here I couldn't even imagine going outside and spraying water around...no wait I tried the hose was frozen!!!!!:huh:

The heated garage just doesnt compute
 
Beemerboy said:
I know Steve and your lively hood depends on orders. When it got cold here I couldn't even imagine going outside and spraying water around...no wait I tried the hose was frozen!!!!!:huh:

The heated garage just doesnt compute
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Yes we do our best to protect our shipments even when it's waaaaaaaaaaay
below freezing:cool:
 
Beemerboy said:
Steve

I've never been faced with shipping problems such as cold weather. I would have to wonder why anyone that has weather that cold would need any products. Seems to me that they can't work on the car...I don't know maybe its my lack of understanding
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For some reason I buy most of my products over the winter. Christmas sales have to do with this. Also, suppliers have less customers in the winter because most can't detail which is why they have sales and why I buy products over the winter.
 
budman3 said:
For some reason I buy most of my products over the winter. Christmas sales have to do with this. Also, suppliers have less customers in the winter because most can't detail which is why they have sales and why I buy products over the winter.
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Got it, I would think that it would drive you cazy not able to use them for a few months...it would me:D
 
Beemerboy said:
Steve

I've never been faced with shipping problems such as cold weather. I would have to wonder why anyone that has weather that cold would need any products. Seems to me that they can't work on the car...I don't know maybe its my lack of understanding
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Whatta ya mean, can't work on the car? It's gonna be 20 degrees this week-end and my garage will be 50 or 60.
T-shirt weather in Iowa. (Under my flannel shirt, under my sweatshirt, under my Carhart insulated vest)

Charles
 
Poorboy said:
I bet Charles breaks into sweat and has to take off the vest:D
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Actually, I don't work very fast on those occasions. The air temperature gets to 50 or 60 pretty quickly with my heater, but the vehicle itself doesn't warm up very fast. If I take my time vacuuming, doing the interior and the windows, the painted surfaces are much easier to work with. And yes, the vest quite often has to come off. :)

On the cold weather shipping note, do the vendors/shippers think there is much of a risk of the products freezing while in transit?
UPS, Fed-X, U.S. Postal trucks probably get pretty cold on the road and when parked at a terminal. I can control what happens at my place, but I've been leery of shipping products that can freeze because of my concern about problems while enroute.
Am I being paranoid or would it be a concern?

Charles
 
There is more of a chance of packages freezing on a front step or porch than in a vehicle that is moving about. The shaking and vibrations usually help slow the freezing process, but it is conceivable that it could freeze in a truck.
 
Poorboy said:
.......4) FedEx, which is what we use, also offers a couple other services, like "evening delivery" for those who are never home during the day or can't have it delivered to a work address. They also offer "Appointment delivery" where they will call you to set up a specific time during the day. Yes, these option do cost more, but it might be worth it if you don't want to deal with frozen products or if you live somewhere where safety is a problem......
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I'm not sure if FedEx ground offers this service, but I often have FedEx air packages shipped "hold for pickup" at the FedEx facility here in town.
 
Eliot Ness said:
I'm not sure if FedEx ground offers this service, but I often have FedEx air packages shipped "hold for pickup" at the FedEx facility here in town.
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Yes, that's also an option, but it usually needs to be arranged before shipping.
 
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