General Shipping Information
For most frozen grape orders, Brehm Vineyards will work with our winemaking customers to ship their orders to them. Each customer's order is unique as well as their shipping requirements. For this reason, shipping costs can not be included in the price of our frozen grapes.
Each of our frozen pails weighs 50 lbs and each frozen drum weighs 425 lbs. Due to the size of our products, our shipping methods are limited. Frozen Pails can be shipped by Air Cargo to many airports across the United States. Frozen Pails can also be shipped by truck transportation using carriers that have refrigerated containers. Frozen Drums can only be shipped by truck due to their size.
We work with many airlines and trucking companies and for each customer's order, we will find the best possible shipping arrangement. Shipping costs can change at anytime. Truck companies and Airlines all currently add fuel surcharges and other fees (security charges, insurance charges) to the final cost of shipping. All these factors contribute to the total shipping cost of frozen grape order.
These accounts provide us (usually) with shipping rates lower than that of the casual or off-the-street shipper. These lower costs we pass on to our customers. Brehm Vineyard's charges a $35 handling charge when Brehm Vineyards make shipping arrangements and pre-pays for a frozen grape order to be shipped to the customer.
There is no handling charge for grape orders in which the customer picks up the order at our freezer facilities or makes shipping arrangements and pays for the shipment themselves.
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Truck Shipping Information
The trucks contracted by Brehm Vineyards to pick up and deliver frozen grape orders have a 40 to 53 foot trailer capable of refrigeration to sub-zero temperatures. A fully loaded truck weighs about 25 tons. In order to accept a delivery from one of these truck carriers, a customer will need to make arrangements for a delivery to a location with a truck delivery dock and / or a forklift.
Photo: Pick up your frozen pails in your Pick Up Truck or have them shipped in a freeway bound tractor trailer.
Residential deliveries can be arranged, but the truck carriers that do this type of deliveries will charge added fees for residential deliveries or other special delivery circumstances.
Because of the special nature of our product and the unique shipping situations of each customer, Brehm Vineyards must coordinate shipping arrangments with each customer.
Cost of Truck Shipments
The cost of truck shipments are based on the weight of the shipment and the distance between the pick up location and drop off location. There are other charges such as gas, and special pick up or delivery instructions that will add to the total shipping cost.
Brehm Vineyards is located on the west coast of the United States and most shipments will originate from Richmond, California.
In order to provide a customer with a specific rate for their order, this delivery location must first be secured. When we talk with to the truck companies, we must provide them with the pick up location, delivery location, as well as how much weight and or pallet spaces are to be shipped.
Less than Truck Load (LTL) carriers all will have a minimum charge for a shipment. This minimum charge is usually for 1 pallet space of product shipped from between 1 and 1500 pounds. After this minimum weight, which will vary by truck company, charges are usually incurred at a per pound rate.
Bascially, the more you ship at one time, the less it costs. For this reason, Brehm Vineyards tries to arrange shipping points for multiple customer orders. That way, we can ship to many customers at once, and save everyone a little bit on the shipping costs.
As of February 2008, the average shipping cost for 1 pallet shipped to all points in the United States is roughly $400-500.
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Air Cargo Shipping Information
A very efficient method for shipping frozen grape orders of few pails or more is to use the air freight/cargo services offered by many airlines. Unfortunately, not all airports are serviced with air cargo. Most metropolitan airports are available for air cargo shipping.
This method of shipping requires that customers pick up their pails from the airport shipped to. We will work with our customer to find the closest airport to ship to.
Photo right: Checking in at Southwest Airlines at the Oakland CA Airport.
As of February 2008, Brehm Vineyards ships pails of grapes/juice as air cargo with U.S. Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines. All pails are shipped as general freight. For shipments with U.S. Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the grape pails are shipped as General Freight. Since they are shipped as General Freight, they are not guaranteed to be flown out immediately. It may take up to 2 days for the pails to arrive at their destination airport. In most cases, pails are shipped on the next available flight and will arrive at their destination airport within 24 hours.
For shipments with Delta Airlines, the grape pails are shipped as priorty freight. Since November 1st 2001, Delta only offers Priorty First freight service. The costs for this service is slightly more than corresponding General Freight service with U.S. Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. However, with Delta's priority service, shipments are delivered to the destination airport within 24 hours of shipment.
All airlines charge a Fuel and Security Surchage to the Billable Weight being shipped.
Grape orders can be rushed or shipped as Guaranteed Freight (so they are sent on the next flight guaranteed). Airlines charge rush deliveries will be charged 200-400% (or more) higher than the General Freight/Priority Freight.
Cost of Air Cargo Shipments
All air cargo shipments will originate from Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California. Like truck shipments, air cargo shipping costs increase the farther east the pails are shipped. Thus, a shipment to Denver, CO will be slightly less than to Tampa, FL.
Photo above: Pails get labeled for air cargo shipment at Southwest Airlines Oakland CA center.
In an effort to make this method of shipping work to lower the costs to our customers, Brehm Vineyards pre-pays for each shipment. Tariffs, inspection fees and other charges normally incurred to someone shipping by air freight are thereby avoided.
Brehm Vineyards also insures each pail for damage incurred by the shipment. This does not apply to the grapes thawing during transit. By shipping their order as air cargo, the customer must be aware that the grape pails do thaw en route. The speed of the shipment, though, means you will usualy have a day or so more of thawing upon picking up your pails.
Brehm Vineyards will then bill you, the customer, with the cost of the shipment.
Brehm Vineyards $35 handling charge applies to all air freight shipments.
Currently, for shipments within the United States, the average minimum air freight shipping cost for a one or two pail shipment would be approximately $90. This is based on a minimum air freight charge of $55 for the air freight shipment plus the $35 Brehm Vineyards handling charge.
When shipping 3 or more pails by this method, the cost per pail actually goes down because the airlines begin to charge at a per pound rate. Thus, the average cost per pail will be between $35-45 (in addition to the $35 handling charge.) Of course the distance between Oakland International Airport to the destination airport is also a factor in the cost of the shipment.
All air cargo/freight shipping charges are subject to change without notice.
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International Shipping Information
All shipments outside of the United States are subject to customs fees and other international tariffs and taxes. Customs brokers in the country to be shipped to must be hired in advance of the shipment.
Shipments to Canada
Brehm Vineyards is able to export our premium wine grapes to Canadian winemakers via established distributors in British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, the Niagara Peninsula, Toronto, Eastern Ontario and Quebec.
Areas without an established distributor should contact us directly.
Grape shipments to Canada and other international destinations are required to clear customs. For this reason, we find it necessary to refer Canadian winemakers to an authorized Brehm Vineyard's grape distributor or reseller.
Please Contact Us for information about your nearest distributor.
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Picking Up At Freezer Facilities
Brehm Vineyards maintains frozen pails of grapes in Richmond, CA Chicago IL, Hatfield PA and New Haven CT. These frozen pails can be picked up for no additional shipping charges. We can also arrange to have these pails shipped by truck. Air cargo shipment is only available for frozen pails located in our Richmond CA freezer.
Please Contact Us for information about picking up at our freezers.
Photo: Picking up frozen pails from Dreisbach Enterprises Cold Storage in Richmond CA.
