Hi Guys My HMZ (homemade zonda) arrives next week. The boat is due to dock on the 26th and after customs have done their thing, (they want to x-ray it and charge me £65!) it will be delivered to my home.. Now here is where the problem is, the numpties are delivering the 20' container on the back of a lorry, which as I believe is 5' off the floor. I have no idea how to get the car out! They asked me if I had a ramp, which of course I don't. Can anyone help? I need somewhere to offload the car and somehow to get it home. I live in Iver (SL0 9EG) it really annoys me as they took the job on knowing there was a car involved and I paid door to door. £1200 just to get it from the docks to my house! They want another £450 to lift the container off the lorry, as i am now unemployed I dont have that money lying around Kind regards Nick
Why not try offloading the container at the docks where there's bound to be a ramp onto a breakdown lorry type thing - or something similar at a large freight forwarder near you (LHR ?)
The they will charge for the lorry with the container (which has all our personal affects in and the car trailer
Have them drive the container to a local recovery company, back a recovery truck up to the trailer, open up the container and drive across and get the recovery company to take the car home for you.
Yup, that is more or less what I was thinking. Or you need to find a transport yard with a loading dock to back the delivery wagon up to. We used to have the use of a depot in Colnebrook (a long, LONG time ago...), where there was a generator inport / export business. It was a fairly scruffy place, but there was always stuff being loaded, unloaded. They might have a ramp, but more likely a crane to drop the container down. Having "Google'd" the location there is still an operation there and I think it might be called: Swan Plant, Tan House Farm, Mill Street, Slough , SL3 0JR - 01753 682 919 Its a long shot, but they were (then) kind of business who'd do things for cash. Worth a call? Did you say there is other stuff to off load? Sorry to mention it, but check find out how much time you're allowed for off-loading and borrow enough people to empty the container accordingly. It is common for hauliers to threaten standing time charges if you tie up their wagon too long during off-loading. Again, this is worth asking, hopefully as it is a non-commercial hire they'll be a bit more reasonable with you. David
Thanks everyone. Still not sure what to do but will drive around and see if I can find a ramp The agent rang me to say that have a ramp in feltham but i would have to pay £150 to use it. ****ing cheek, what part of door to door did i not pay for! The guy that lives acroff the road has a recover truck with a tip up bed, so i will ask him how high off the deck that is. To make things more complicated I have broken my foot
Nick, sorry to hear about the trotter! Like the idea of a flat bed driven up to the container, even if the is a couple of foot difference, boards should take that up. Good luck.
I think your cheapest option is to either find a local co-op or tesco express etc or friend or family member who works somewhere where they have a loading bay and just ask the store manager if there is any possibility to help you out, or you could go to a local auction ,provided its not too far away and find somebody who has a local-ish telephone number to yours and give them a ring and ask if they could help you out for cash, I imagine you don't want to pay more than a £ 50 quid for a strangers time to help you out.
cant you get the ship offloader to drop it onto the concrete momentarally...open the container and push the car out?
that is exactly what i am saying....it will be dangling on four cables under the crane that off loads it from the ship....stick it on the concrete and then get the car out onto the concrete...simple.com
No, the car is not legal I had a call from the agent today stating that HMCE want to xray the container. I guess they will then want to see what's inside. I would imagine that an xray of a container containing a kitcar shaped like a zonda might cause an issue. But I hope not. I spoke to a friend of a Fchatter tonight who has a flatbed with very long ramps so hopefully depending on how high the container lorry is I can drive the car from container to flatbed and thento the floor.
What can possibly go wrong The container is 4'6" off the floor and the flat bed truck is 4' so hopefuly it will be OK. However if HMCE decide to unpack the container I guess it will all be a different matter.
.another option is Equine VET, racehorse trainer or farmer (always will to accept cash)... such places often have ramps so they can unload horses which won't or can't go up/down the ramps on the wagons. I used one yesterday (for a horse) ...
Just had a call to say the container has been cleared by customs and could be home on Friday! Can anyone sort out the weather please?
