# Shipping 1 piece fly rod



## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

*Ask* UPS best way to ship, don't tell them how you ship. I have received and shipped a few 8'10" fly rods in 106.25 inch cardboard tubes. $20 to $35. Or call Shimano/Loomis/Orvis and ask them how to ship one piece rods.


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

sjrobin said:


> *Ask* UPS best way to ship, don't tell them how you ship. I have received and shipped a few 8'10" fly rods in 106.25 inch cardboard tubes. $20 to $35. Or call Shimano/Loomis/Orvis and ask them how to ship one piece rods.


Sorry man, it seems policies have changed. I just called (2nd time I've called UPS store today) and asked them if I cut the tube to 106.25 and make it 1.25" diameter PVC...still at $160 from FL to TX.

Told them both I had a 8'10" fishing rod to ship and what's the best way to do it...that was their answer both times.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

I just had a 1 piece rod shipped from St. Croix factory store (Park Falls, WI) to my house outside Panama City, they charged me $10. Maybe call them and ask how they do it. They're not delivering it themselves, and they're not taking that big a hit for what I paid for the rod. Granted the combined dimensions are slightly smaller, but the rod was still almost 8' and had a reel attached.


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

If L+W+H is less than 108"...which I could do with an 8ft rod, it would he exactly that, about $10-15 dollars. Right now the dimensions total 112" and even if I go down to 1.25" PVC, and cut it exactly to 8'10" long, I'm still at 108.5" and charged the extra $80-150 freight size fee at all 3 shippers.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

I buy rod blanks from Washington and shipping an 8’ blank went from $45 to $135 due to changes in shipping policies with these companies. I now have to either order enough blanks to make it worth $135 shipping or have the rods cut down so the total box is less than 8’.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Funny thing about one piece rods (particularly fly rods...).. A buddy of mine on a name brand's guide program had a problem... A really nice one piece 9' rod in almost new condition - with the guides wrapped on badly out of line... He called the company - they said "send it back" - then he found out what it would cost (ouch...). He called the company back and they finally agreed to allow him to cut it in half - then return it... saved a ton of money...

I've long preferred two piece rods (a holdover from the days when I built fly rods - the two piece models were always the cheapest... I've long avoided one piece fly rods - not only because of shipping costs (and other hassles of having long rods to bring with you - when you're not bringing your skiff...). Every one of the one piece fly rod blanks I ever built into rods came to a bad end (breakage - the bane of long, one piece rods...). These days most of my factory rods (under one guide program or other...) are all four piece - and they work just as well as the one piece rods (if all you care about is fishing with them - not all the other stuff that folks get into when they "must have the best"... ).


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Try seeing if it will fit a schedule 20 (thin walled) 1 1/2" PVC tubing. it's 1/2 the weight and still offers lots of protection. If too tight with the rod sock on, try it in the 2" schd 20.


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

1.5" or 2" PVC at 108" long is over the limit, no matter how I slice it. Even 1.25" pipe/cardboard is over the limit even at 106" in overall length. 

All this '1 piece rods were built 8'10" for shipping' is good in theory, but seems the big 3 shippers have caught on and are gouging us for shipping.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Heat_PCB said:


> 1.5" or 2" PVC at 108" long is over the limit, no matter how I slice it. Even 1.25" pipe/cardboard is over the limit even at 106" in overall length.
> 
> All this '1 piece rods were built 8'10" for shipping' is good in theory, but seems the big 3 shippers have caught on and are gouging us for shipping.


That’s what the problem is, NFC made that clear. The shipping companies are being shitty because anything over 96” screws up their conveyor machines or some BS.


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## KCTim (Feb 7, 2017)

Have you called the company and asked them to send you a pre-paid return label? Most companies will do this if you pay them over the phone and then they will email it to you. All companies that do any volume have discounted rates based on their package profile. For a shipping tube you should be able to go to your local tackle store and get one which they have received a shipment in.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

What if you just wrap it in bubble wrap and insure the hell out of it?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

TimR said:


> Have you called the company and asked them to send you a pre-paid return label? Most companies will do this if you pay them over the phone and then they will email it to you. All companies that do any volume have discounted rates based on their package profile. For a shipping tube you should be able to go to your local tackle store and get one which they have received a shipment in.


Great idea!


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## Greg Allison (Mar 13, 2018)

I used to work for a fishing tackle manufacturing, and have personally shipped a lot of rods over 8' (mostly musky rods). Make sure you get insurance on that rod. Also write a huge note on box or tube that says "don't put on conveyor over 8ft". If some one is lazy and puts it on the conveyor, it will get stuck in a turn and end up breaking. The rate of breakage is pretty high on over 8' rods during shipping. 
If I had a really important rod to ship, I would packed a box or tube with 2 ugly stick boat rod blanks and tape them together tip to butt. So it would hopefully break their conveyor instead of my box.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Where are you moving to and when?


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

MatthewAbbott said:


> Where are you moving to and when?


N. Texas, winter timeframe.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Ok


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## Cpalms (Jul 31, 2018)

Find someone that has access to a corporate UPS or FedEx account. I work for a large corporation and my assistant can print any shipping label I want for UPS. I can send personal UPS packages (paid for with my CC) but I get the my firm's corporate discount which is like 50-70% off full retail. For example, an overnight morning delivery envelope is like $4.


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

I asked the folks at Clutch if he could send me a label (and charge my card) so I could ship one of his rods to a new home...no such luck.


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## Cpalms (Jul 31, 2018)

Heat_PCB said:


> I asked the folks at Clutch if he could send me a label (and charge my card) so I could ship one of his rods to a new home...no such luck.


I think you missed my point. You need a large company. A tiny company like Clutch has zero leverage with shipping companies whereas large corporations that ship truck loads of stuff every day do. For example, Amazon, the largest shipper in the world, was able to ship me 9 foot surfboard and charge me $0 for shipping and i'm sure still made healthy profit.


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

I'll just give Bezos a call, see what he can arrange for me...


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## KCTim (Feb 7, 2017)

For some reason I thought this was a repair going back to the factory when I advised reaching out to the manufacturer. Cpalms is correct on getting someone to get you a shipping label, however that is also how someone can damage their professional reputation or lose their employment.


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## Cpalms (Jul 31, 2018)

Heat_PCB said:


> I'll just give Bezos a call, see what he can arrange for me...


Or just man up and pay the freight.


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## Heat_PCB (Jan 13, 2018)

Cpalms said:


> Or just man up and pay the freight.


Says the guy talking about free shipping handouts from his buddy, lol

But, thanks for reviving a month old thread...your input was as timely as it was valuable


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## Cpalms (Jul 31, 2018)

Heat_PCB said:


> Says the guy talking about free shipping handouts from his buddy, lol
> 
> But, thanks for reviving a month old thread...your input was as timely as it was valuable


Since you seem to enjoy belaboring this issue - what did you end up doing?


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