Concrete sleepers are heavy, and a pack of them arriving in the wrong spot can cost you a morning. A bit of planning before the truck leaves Virginia makes delivery day easy. Here's how our delivery works, what kerbside and on site mean, and what to sort out on your end.
Our own trucks, out of Virginia
Every delivery goes out from our yard at 923 Old Port Wakefield Road, Virginia, on one of our own trucks: Neils Transport, The Wolverine or the Pie Cart. Neil, Jamal and Trevor drive them. Deliveries are booked ahead, and we confirm your delivery date when we book it. A quote isn't a booking, so once you're happy with the quote, give us a call to lock in a day.
How freight is priced
Freight is priced by zone, and your delivery postcode sets the zone. Each zone has a base charge that covers the first 50 units, then a rate for each unit after that. One sleeper, crib or plinth is one unit. Bagged concrete and steel are counted by weight against a standard sleeper, and the Delivery and Freight page explains how.
Freight rates include GST. Product prices on our site are ex GST. On a quote, the goods and the freight are on separate lines, and each total says which basis it's on.
Here's a worked example from the current table. 180 units to Zone 3, kerbside, is $220.00 for the first 50 units plus 130 more units at $4.40, which comes to $792.00 inc GST. Zones 5 and 6 are quoted on request. The full table, with example towns for each zone, is on the Delivery and Freight page.
Kerbside or on site
Kerbside is standard. The order is dropped at the kerb, and you or your crew move it from there.
On site means we place the order where you need it, past the kerb, so your crew isn't carrying sleepers up the driveway one at a time. With a 2.0 m standard sleeper weighing about 74 kg, that's a lot of carrying saved on a 100-sleeper job. On-site placement is priced at the kerbside rate plus 15%.
We can only place goods where the truck can get to safely. If you'd like on-site delivery, tell us where the goods need to go when you ask for the quote, and we'll let you know if anything gets in the way.
Get the site ready
A few things make the drop quick and safe:
- A clear path. Move cars, trailers, bins and building materials out of the way, on the street and on site.
- Firm, level ground. Packs of sleepers are heavy. Pick a spot that won't sink after rain, and isn't over a septic tank, pipes or a soft lawn.
- Overhead clearance. Look up for power lines and low branches near the drop spot.
- The right spot. Close to where the wall is going, but not where you'll need to dig.
- A phone number. The driver needs someone to call on the day.
If access is narrow or steep, or the goods need a crane or hiab, tell us when you ask for the quote. The standard rates don't cover crane or hiab work, so we quote that separately. The first 30 minutes on site are included in the delivery charge. Where a site is hard to get into, a surcharge may apply at the driver's discretion.
If nobody's home
If the site is safe and accessible, the driver can leave the goods and take photos of where they were left. Once they're unloaded, they're yours to look after. If the site isn't safe or accessible, the goods come back to the yard, and redelivery is charged at your zone rate.
Changing the date
Plans change, and that's fine. If you cancel or change a booked delivery after 2:30pm on the business day before, the full delivery charge applies, so ring us as early as you can.
When it arrives
Check the order against the delivery docket while the driver is there if you can. If anything arrives damaged, let us know within 48 hours with photos and we'll sort it out with you.
Rather pick it up?
You're welcome to collect from the yard. Our team loads the order and you sign for it at the gate. Call ahead on 0439 361 734 to arrange it. Trade hours are 7am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 2pm Saturday. Retail hours are 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm Saturday.
Plenty of people tell us they didn't know we were here. Now you do. Send us your postcode and your list and we'll get a metro quote back to you within 24 hours, freight included.
Cheers,
Alex and the team