Ordering & Shipping Information

Bobcat Material Credit Terms

• Bobcat Materials offers NET 15 DAY terms to qualified customers
• We also accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express (credit card payments are subject to a 3% convenience fee)

Freight & Logistics

Bobcat Materials is happy to arrange and track your freight. Freight options include: less-than-truckload (LTL), dedicated 48′ or 53′ van, dedicated flatbed carrier and in some instances, railcar or container. Availability of flatbed carriers can be limited. In addition, certain times of the year (such as during fruit harvest) can result in a shortage of dedicated carriers in certain areas of the country. While we do our best to assure our customers receive timely and accurate deliveries, we are not a freight company. We work with the freight companies as an advocate for our customers to minimize freight related issues, however once the freight is loaded and in route our influence is limited.

Delivery Times, “Rush” & Expedited Deliveries

In most cases, pricing is such that expedited service is not a realistic option for our customers. However, when order quantities are sufficiently large the difference in expedited pricing compared to standard delivery pricing may be a little more reasonable. “Rush” deliveries are not an option offered by freight companies. Bobcat Materials will give an estimated date of delivery based on the freight company’s delivery lanes. However, these are only estimates. Please try to provide as much time as possible for delivery to occur by placing your purchase orders in a timely manner.

Freight Rates

Due to the large amount of freight we schedule, we often have rates that are better than our customers can negotiate. We are happy to pass these discounts on to our customers.

Can I Handle The Freight?

Any customer that wishes to handle the freight themselves is welcome to do so. Please understand that if you arrange the freight we are not in a position to track the freight or negotiate over lost, damaged or misrouted goods. Should you decide it is in your best interests to handle the freight, we have included some helpful information on our products, sizes, weights, dimensions and classifications. The nature of rolled goods leads to inconsistencies in product diameter. As such, these dimensions are not guaranteed to be accurate for all products, but work very well as a general rule. Classifications are an item that can be negotiated with freight companies. We are happy to provide you with the classifications we use, but keep in mind that your freight agreement for classification of geotextiles or rolled goods may differ from ours. Freight companies always reserve the right to reclassify freight and increase the charges.

Arranging For Pick-up

Pick-up appointments must be arranged prior to pick-up with the shipping department. Bobcat Materials will provide you with the appropriate contacts and phone numbers.

Off-loading Rolled Goods

Most geotextiles are shipped in a roll wound on a cardboard core, typically 3″ to 4″ in diameter. As such, companies used to dealing with palletized products may have issues with off-loading this type of product. Roll pullers are available to assist those who do not have docks in off-loading rolled goods. Please contact your sales rep for pricing and availability. If you have a forklift, another option would be a carpet pole (image, right) that attaches to the forks. Again, please call your representative for more information on this.

Dedicated Carriers

Full truckload quantities or loads in excess of 10,000 pounds will require this service. Please keep in mind that our truckload quantities are based on a 53′ van. A smaller van or a flatbed will decrease the amount of product you can fit on the truck. Trucks, should they be van style or flatbed style must have a floor height of approximately 54 inches. Additionally, reefer (refrigerated) containers reduce loading capacity.

Requirements For Flatbed Carriers

For flatbeds carrying a full load of geotextiles, only standard height trailers are acceptable. No “low boys” or “drop decks” will be loaded. Since we are dealing with rolled goods, maximizing loading capacity of flatbeds will require a set of (12) pipe stakes, 8 foot in length. Stakes are an add-on item and will increase the cost of shipping by as much as $500.00. If your carrier does not have stakes, we may have them available for purchase at the loading facility. Below is a diagram of those stakes.

Tracking Dedicated Freight

For dedicated vans and flatbeds, Bobcat Materials will inform our customers with the correct freight company and contact information as soon as it is available.

Tracking LTL Freight

For LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) deliveries, Bobcat Materials relies on a variety of common carriers. Some of those are: Fed Ex Freight, R & L Carriers, XPOLogisttics and AAA Cooper. Below are links to these companies websites. Once an order has been loaded and is at the delivery terminal, Bobcat Materials will be able to provide a PRO# that will allow you to track your freight while it is in route. Go to the links below and put the PRO# in the appropriate place to get updates. As always, Bobcat Materials is happy to help you track your freight. Please do not hesitate to give us a call.