It’s that time of year. Temperatures are cold outside which makes it all the better for working in the shop and finishing your latest car restoration project.
As you know, the heart of any restoration starts with the engine. There are countless other potential challenges and obstacles to any project but the biggest often seem to involve locating and restoring the perfect engine. Yet, it’s not just the process of cleaning and repairing an engine that takes time and causes delays – sometimes the biggest challenge is the logistics of shipping the engine wherever it needs to go.
What are important things to know about shipping an engine, and are their different considerations when shipping a new versus used engine?
Whether an engine is new or restored, figuring out how to get it out of the garage safely and delivered as cost effectively as possible to its destination are always the priorities.
As a shop owner or an at-home mechanic, safe shipping of an engine starts with the packaging and preparation. This is a crucial step in preventing damage and loss. Here are 3 important steps to get you started:
First, you need to use a pallet. The smallest pallet that the engine will safely sit on is best and none of the engine should hang down into the pallet where the hoist truck forks will be inserted. That is a guaranteed way to cause damage. Using a crate is an option, but it is typically not required.
Place the engine flat on the pallet in the center and use some small pieces of wood to create a cradle that prevents the oil pan from crushing and yet stabilizes the engine. Another option is set the engine flat on its flywheel.
You then need to shrink wrap the engine and strap it down to the pallet. You can use ratchet tie downs, banding or nylon rope. The engine should not move more than a couple of inches when properly secured and tipped on its side. Since most shipments are loaded and unloaded off of trucks at least three times as they move through a carrier’s system, this last step is vital.
The differences of shipping new compared to used engines are simple but extremely important.
When packaging engines or other automotive parts make sure they are drained of all liquids. This may seem like common sense to most people, but shipments can get delayed at any point in transit because of leaking gasoline. Nothing gets a trucking company’s attention faster than the smell of gas or solvents where they don’t expect them. Leaks of this type will result in extra charges and delivery delays.
The other reason you want to drain fluids when shipping automotive parts is that the fluid leaks can also damage packaging causing them to deteriorate. Again, save yourself the headache, cost and delay; take care of this before it becomes a problem.
Another difference between shipping new and used engines can be the cost.
Understanding the right way to package and prepare an engine is just the first part – it is equally important to understand how shipping companies charge for moving heavy, expensive products like engines
Shipping an engine will typically happen with an LTL (less-than-truckload) or common carrier.
Simply put, these types of trucking companies specialize in shipping quantities that do not take up a whole semi-tractor trailer.
Since your engine is just one of many different items on an LTL truck at any given time, carriers use several methods to determine the price they charge. The most common is freight class. The National Motor Freight Traffic Association issues a publication called the “National Motor Freight Classification” or NMFC. This is basically a big directory that assigns a classification to almost any item you can think of to ship – it’s very thorough. This serves as the rule and guide to the trucking industry and is used to determine the “classification” of shipments. The higher the classification the higher the cost.
The price you pay to ship an item is directly tied to its stated freight classification. Before you determine your freight class for your shipment, you must identify certain factors about your specific freight. Freight class is based on weight, length and height, density, ease of handling, value and liability from things like theft, damage, break-ability and spoilage.
Most Engines will move under a specific NMFC classification (call us at 800.716.7608 to determine the right freight class for your shipment). Classifications of new engines can range from class 85 to 150 depending on how the engine is packaged and its value. Used engines have fewer possible classifications, ranging from 70 to 85.
Unsure about what the proper classification for your engine or what carrier to choose? Contact FreightCenter's Engine Shipping Experts to get a fast, free quote to ship your engine.
Conclusion:
Restoring cars as a business or a hobby is a passion for a lot of mechanics and most would agree it’s the right engine that will make or break the restoration.
Since part of getting the right engine that will make the restoration always involves having to get it shipped across town, or across the country, it is important to understand the steps involved in transporting a unique item like an engine. It is also important to do it economically.
Proper packaging and preparation will ensure the engine arrives safely and damage free.
Understanding how carrier pricing works will help minimize shipping costs and save money.
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