Shipping changes in schedule

[AppyLover2]

I'm venting!

I am soooo frustrated!!!

Is anybody out there??

Shippers picked up my new little one on Friday at 6PM. She was scheduled to be here this afternoon. Friday evening to Monday afternoon seemed like quite a while for less than 800 miles, but with other pick-ups and deliverys, I felt it was understandable. Since I've never done anything like cross country shipping didn't feel I was in any position to judge.

This morning, I ask for an update, and am now being told that they need to get new tires on the trailer and have the oil changed.....I can now expect delivery on Wednesday morning.

This means it will take from Friday evening to Wednesday morning for her to come 800 miles.

I feel sooo bad about this. Bad for the little one and bad for the seller (she's already concerned that she isn't here yet) not to mention bad for myself (cause I want her here!)

This is only my second shipping experience - the other one was bad too. Took 3 days to get Bambi here from 600 miles away.

Is this normal???????? Please, some of you with shipping experience, tell me. Am I just making horrible choices in shippers?

I swear if I ever have to have one shipped again, I'm gonna leave the arrangements up to the seller. I sure can't seem to pick 'em!

 

[lilhorseladie]

Wow! I for one would be upset...emergeny roadside repair is one thing, but routine vehicle care???? Shouldn't routine stuff be done when there are no animals involved...I would say 5 days is a very long time for an 800 mile trip. Where is your horse when all this is going on? Is she just standing around in a trailer? I would be very very angry at this point and would hope that you would express that as soon as she is home safely. I am sorry for your bad experiences.

My buyer decided to pick up her guys...It was 1000 miles...they came at 11:00 a.m. Saturday and were home at about that time the next day...they stopped about four times for walks, but had two drivers and didn't stop for the night.

 

[Dr. Pam]

If my calculations are correct, I have made the 840+ mile trip from Des Moines IA to Princeton, TX 15 times in the last 6 months

(counting each way as one trip--sometimes I drove one way and I flew the other)

Our trips with a car run 12-14 hours, trips with the trailer run 13-16 hours--and the 16 hour trip was with severe weather, a flat tire, and a VERY pregnant horse. The motor home trips have been more challanging--the motor home hasn't actually made it to Texas yet

. Good thing there isn't a horse being hauled in it!!

We had wonderful haulers moving from CA to IA (Andar Miniatures, Doug and Tracy Stewart), and from IA to TX (SharrWay, Sharron and Wayne). I've had 2 bad experiences, the last one when I had my Erica colt shipped from AR to IA. Erica hadn't used them before, and neither of us will ever again.

Sorry about your baby--this shipper is way out of line. Where are they now?

 

[Miniv]

No, this is NOT normal. In this kind of heat it is also bad.

Emergency repairs are one thing (such as replacing a blown out tire), but maintenance stops in the middle of a haul are uncalled for and should always be done between trips.

For instance, an oil change should NEVER be done with horses sitting on a trailer!

And the length of time has me baffled. Even if they had to go off the route here and there to make pick-ups and deliveries, you should have had your little one either Saturday night or at the latest Sunday morning! That makes no sense.

MA

 

[Minimor]

We've had a horse delivered 1000+ miles and he was on the truck about 24 (maybe a bit less) hours, then they laid over in Winnipeg (only 2 hours away from us--but of course the rest of the load was going on to Calgary, another 14 hours west, so they laid over at their usual stop then came on here. This transport stays right on the TransCanada, so there aren't hours wasted while the truck zigzags hree & there to pick up/drop off horses--I've heard some real horror stories about how horses get hauled 2400 miles or more to be delivered only 800 miles from where they started.

In any case, in your case it's inexcusable that the rig would be held up to have an oil change & new tires put on while they're on a scheduled trip with horses. That is maintenance work, which should be done between trips. When they've got horses on board, only emergency repairs should be done.

I truly hope the horses they have in transit are being fed and watered, and I hope they're not having to stand sweltering in that trailer all this time.

 

[lilhorseladie]

The more I think about this, the more it bothers me...I know that if you had a way to get them you wouldn't have gotten transport, but if they were half way, I think I would find a way to go get the horse...I just can't think what could take five days to do...an oil change doesn't take two days either! Grrrrrrrrr....hang in there...and don't kill anyone, until the horse is unloaded!

Happy thoughts of horse hugs coming your way.

 

[AppyLover2]

Thank you all for your replies. I've cooled down now, but I'm still confused about the length of the delay. Her former mom said the lady on the trailer seemed very sweet and they have assured me that she is doing fine and will be well taken care of. But darn it's hard to think of one being en-route that long; especially when she's so young. Since this is only my second time shipping and the other one was very similar (with the delays) I actually did wonder if this is normal routine. Thanks for letting me know that this isn't the way it's supposed to be; and thanks even more for listening.