Toltechs Robotics (Team 499) will be attending the Bayou Regional in New Orleans and then the Lone Star Regional the week after.
We plan on using our free Fed-Ex shipments from our home in San Antonio to New Orleans and then from Houston back home, Soooooo…
We need to find a cost effective shipping method from New Orleans to Houston (consecutive regionals).
I’m wondering in there are any other teams planning to attend those two regionals as well. Perhaps if there are several teams, we can find a shipping company that will give us a discount.
I know that SES is working with the teams here and provided a discount for teams going from DC to Annapolis. One of the teams called and worked this out.
Robot Transportation guidelines can be found in the manual, Section 4. Below is an excerpt from this section. You must use Shepard for shipping from back to back regionals.
4.10.3. Event to Event Shipping - Two Choices
Remember to print/bring the shipping address information to each event in which you compete.
Find them here: www.usfirst.org/frc_regional_events Crates will return to the drayage terminal
post event and ship out on the Monday following the event.
Crates must ship directly from event to event, either through:
A. Shepard Logistics carrier. Go to the web link and follow directions for your online quote. www.shepardes.com/first
OR
B. The FedEx donation. Teams CANNOT use the FedEx donation for back-to-back events.
Bring the supplied Bill of Lading and your next event’s drayage address with you to the
event.
4.10.4. Consecutive Weekends
Teams CANNOT use the FedEx donation for back-to-back events.
The shipping cost for back-to-back events is extremely costly. Compare shipping a small
package to a location at a “ground” rate, and the cost of sending it overnight. Use this same
scenario to compare freight shipping rates for a 3 or 4-day freight shipment to an overnight or
airfreight shipment. The difference can be staggering!
FIRST discourages teams from competing in events on consecutive weekends if they are
more than 1,000 miles apart. To have your robot ship and arrive at the next event on time,
make arrangements with Shepard Exposition Services Logistics (www.shepardes.com/first)
early to help ensure timely arrival. This is the only option.
Contact your event’s Drayage Company(s) well before both competitions to see if it can/will
ensure a timely shipment and extend the Monday crate arrival deadline for your team.