What you Need to Know About LTL Deliveries
Please be aware that not LTL companies are equal. Some are more professional than others. Even within the same company, local terminals can vary in professionalism and follow-through. Please keep this in mind as dealing with them can sometimes be frustrating. Nearly all distributors, in the hardwood industry, utilize these means of transportation because of their cost-effective nature. BWD is the ONLY distributor that FULLY ENCLOSES your materials in plywood crates, ON ALL SIDES, with engineering detail and care!
Coordinating the Delivery
The day your crate is loaded on the carrier, you will receive a VERY IMPORTANT email from us that has important carrier contact and tracking information including a PRO number, which is a tracking number. Keep this handy, you may need this later. ALL carriers are instructed to contact the consignee (customer) to arrange the drop-off, the day of or the day before the delivery being made. Unfortunately, sometimes they do not. Instead, you are welcome to call the carrier yourself and reference your PRO number to begin coordinating the delivery. It is usually best to call them at least a day or two after you have received the email mentioned above. All coordination of the drop-off will be between you and the carrier. Our involvement usually just complicates things, but if you need our help, do not hesitate to reach out. MOST drop-offs will occur within 3-7 days of loading. When speaking with them, YOU DO NOT NEED A LIFTGATE! Do not request one, do not agree to one. It will NOT help and oftentimes make it more difficult to unload. Furthermore, it adds a fee that was not included in your shipping estimate.
Preparing for Delivery
Carriers have different-sized trucks to accommodate the navigation of smaller side streets. Some have limited maneuverability and they WILL NOT pull onto residential driveways. Usually, shipments go directly to the job site, curbside. If you live on a street with difficult accessibility, or you have a very long driveway, you might consider meeting the driver at the end of the driveway/street and transloading it to another vehicle. Alternatively, arrangements can be made for you to pick up the crate at the carrier’s terminal. Please be sure to have an appropriate vehicle and let us know ahead of time that you plan to do this.
What You’ll Need
In most cases, it will help if you have another person or two to help unload, as it will be done, BY HAND. Most orders can be hand unloaded by two people in about 30 minutes. A knife, crowbar, and hammer will be required to break open the crating and cut the straps.
Unloading By Hand
CUSTOMER MUST UNLOAD! The driver WILL NOT help and ARE NOT equipped with unloading equipment! He/she will open the back gate of the truck and wait for you to unload the materials. Cut the straps, break open the crating, remove the GPS (if applicable) and set it aside, cut more straps until the materials are exposed. Once exposed, slide the boards out of the back of the truck. Once the boards are unloaded, pull out the crating, for discard. Some drivers will allow you to leave the crating material on the truck for discard at their warehouse. This varies by driver. For storage and installation tips, visit our Documents page, https://www.bwdepot.com/resources/documents/
If Crate is Broken Upon Arrival
We go through great efforts to ensure this doesn’t happen. In fact, it is exceedingly rare that it does. However, if you do receive a crate that is damaged, please check your lumber very carefully and note any damaged pieces. The driver MUST get your signature before he leaves. If there is ANY DAMAGE, you MUST make very specific notes on the paperwork you are signing. This is a legal document, without notating damage, an insurance claim is nearly impossible to pursue. Take a photo of the paperwork you’re signing. Of course, we will do whatever we need to do to get you what you need, consistent with our Purchase Policy. Take notes and photos of any damage you see.
Returning the GPS
You’ll find the GPS device is on top of the lumber, inside the crate. It is inside a pre-labeled USPS return box. DO NOT OPEN IT. Simply put it in any USPS mailbox. Upon our receipt, we’ll refund $100. Please do this ASAP. We will cancel the monthly plan after 30 days and a refund will not be processed.
