Re: shipping pre-built cabinets vs. build-on-site

[Bill Woodcock <woody () pch net>]

      On Mon, 6 Apr 2009, Peter Beckman wrote:
    >  Probably be cheaper to get shock-tolerant packing crates and use normal
    >  cabinets.  You'll probably learn a few hard lessons the first time around
    >  -- should have put in styrofoam wedges between servers, or the rackmounts
    >  you used didn't hold up to shipping, or your shipper isn't as careful as
    >  they said they'd be -- but with the right packing crates and shipping
    >  partner, it's doable.

That's good advice.  I've found that it's critially necessary to close the 
loop by having the same person open the crate on the receiving end as 
packed the gear on the shipping end, and have it be that person whose week 
is wasted in transit or has to spend it scrounging parts in Lagos.  Once 
they learn a set of techniques that work, you can stop flying them around, 
but hang on to them.

One of the best employees we ever had at this had grown up on a 
family-owned winery, and had been shipping cases of wine internationally 
since she was ten years old.  Knew both the packing and customs ends of 
things.

That's an important thing to remember...  Your initial packing job will 
only get you 80% of the way there.  Some customs monkey will often unpack 
it for you in his attempt to get good enough photos to post to eBay, but 
you'll still have to get the crate the remaining 20% of the way to its 
ultimate destination, though that'll be domestic truck freight within the 
country.

    >  Plus the crates can be re-used, lowering your costs.

Only if the cost of shipping the crates home again is lower than the cost 
of building new ones, which is unlikely, even if you slow-boat them.

                                -Bill