tandempower

There's no substitute for a pickup truck . . . or is there?


Instead of hiring or renting a pickup to transport large items or loads, why not have them delivered in a trailer?


As far as I know, there's no delivery service (yet) that will bring a trailer to you and leave the trailer until you're finished with it, but wouldn't that be an efficient and effective way to deliver large loads that only could be delivered by pickup truck otherwise?

Although driverless delivery vehicles will work well once they have passed all the political and economic filters that are obstructing their deployment so far; trailer delivery could suffice in the meantime.

Security could be a problem, if you are not home at the time the trailer is dropped off; but if the trailer can be locked and booted or otherwise blocked from being towed off by another vehicle, it should be a secure delivery method.


So until you can afford that expensive utility trailer that can be pulled behind your bike, trailer delivery could provide a solution for large purchases that could otherwise require a pickup truck.

FiftySix

I've rented trailers from UHaul and PV Rentals.

But you still have to have to pull those trailers with a vehicle that has a hitch mounted to it.

And if you have a car, just drive your car to the place renting the trailer.

FiftySix

If you were talking about having bicycle trailers delivered, then you better be home to take delivery as those trailers are easily carried away by would be thieves.

Machka 

1) Many stores have a delivery service. I've had numerous things delivered over the years from a regular weekly delivery of groceries to things like a TV or Treadmill.

2) Just about any independent delivery service will unload the truck for you.

3) As above ... U-haul.

4) PODS. They've been around since 1998. And similar ...
https://www.auspods.com.au/faqs/
https://www.pods.com/

Taxibox.
https://www.taxibox.com.au/

Budget Box.
https://www.budgetbox.com.au/

GoBox.
https://www.gobox.com.au/



A bit of research on Google ... and experience ...

FiftySix

Same experience here. I've had furniture and appliances delivered. The crew even moves it into your home for you. Costs extra, but cheaper than the upkeep and insurance on owning a truck year round if you don't need a truck year round.

Machka 

Absolutely! When we had the treadmill delivered recently, they not only dropped it off, they also set it up for us and made sure it was all ready to go.

And years ago, when I had my belongings shipped over from Canada, the delivery guys had that truck unloaded and a stack of boxes in our lounge room in no time.

wipekitty

I assume this is about bike trailers. IIRC, there was some community or another where a group of people got together and pitched in on a shared Bikes at Work trailer.

If there is an actual community interest in a large trailer being available, this seems like the kind of thing were a few people could split the cost and either share it among themselves or set it up more publicly through a bike co-op or community oriented LBS. One could just ride to the trailer location and pick it up. Hauling this kind of stuff, however, requires an adequate bike and skill set, which not everyone possesses.

As others have mentioned, most businesses will deliver large items. It seems to me that the big problems are going to be things like thrift shop furniture and self-service yard waste/recycling in rural areas without city services for those things. But, if you live in such an area, there's a good chance that a neighbor with a pickup truck or trailer will help out in exchange for a six pack

FBOATSB

I refurbished one of these things and sold it to a group of neighbors down in the city to use communally for hauling stuff.


I would think delivery, rental and pickup of trailers would be prohibitively expensive.

cooker

I had a large load delivered on a pallet. The guy had a motorized dolly (sort of a hand pulled forklift) in the back of his truck and a motorized lift as a tail gate, so he picked up the pallet with the dolly, rolled it onto the lift, lowered it to the ground and rolled it into my driveway. I happened to be home and I unloaded the items by hand into my garage. However if I hadn't been there, it would have been pretty difficult for thieves to steal - they either would have needed to hoist the whole load back into their own truck or unload the box by hand, which would have been tedious and highly visible. Had he left the stuff on a trailer, it might have been easier for thieves to steal both the goods AND the trailer.

Bonus - he told me to keep the pallet.

Miele Man

I brought home a good size dehumidifier on the side of my rear rack on my bicycle.



I just LOVE those Coghlans Arno Straps.

Cheers

cooker

That is hard core.