Shipping options for a 45' mast

Looking for ideas to get a mast transported from New York to Florida for a reasonable cost.

TIA

 

If it were me, I'd be trying to find a hot shot hauler with a 3 car slant. It's a big enough flat deck to swing that length, and the few who have survived this last big downturn are hungry enough to do it cheaper than a full size rig.

Might try and online freight board or ask around for a physical one.

 

Many enclosed semi trailers are 48 to 53 feet long and could accommodate that length so long as the box is rigid enough to provide protection for the trip.
Call a mast manufacturer as they will know how to accomplish this and may even have preferred rates for this type of product.

GET A QUOTE. Most carriers use a "cube system" when hauling freight. If the product weighs only 10 pounds per cubic foot, they will rate the product as 15 pounds per cubic foot.
So a 45 foot mast enclosed within a 16 inch by 16 inch box 47 feet long would cube out at 1,247 pounds as a basic rate.
In addition, there could be extra length surcharges, fuel charge and others. Additionally, you may want to insure it if it is valuable.

 

Call a broker. They can find a load where the mast can be set on top. If you are not in a hurry they can save you a lot of money.

 

Thanks, I had not considered those guys. I travel a bit and see them all the time going north and south on the interstates.

 

Have a friend who tucks a little north of you, had a conversation about the state of the industry in that neck of the woods. His take was most the hot shot guys went extinct with the downturn in freight last year, but the 3 car slant guys survived. They would be about the only guys on the road that could manage light weight bulk without being exorbitant on a back haul rate.

 

You could get a 30 foot boat trailer, let the back end of the mast overhang 6 feet and the forward 9 feet over a pickup.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

That was my initial plan but just didn't want to make the trip if other options were available.

 

There's an outfit called U-Ship (I think it's called that), where private haulers find loads, often a load for a return trip. It can be pretty affordable. These guys often like to ratchet-strap stuff so tight that it gets damaged, so be careful.