What was shipped in this U-Box portable storage container will sound unbelievable, impossible and just plain loco. That’s because it was … wait for it … a locomotive! (Where’s the drum sting when you need it?)
This little train and passenger car, purchased by our customer (not pictured), is designed to run on an equally little track.
When a customer arrived at U-Haul Moving and Storage of West Greenville (783-073) with his U-Box container in tow, General Manager (GM) Jeff Dickard wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary.
“The customer, William Hoey, rented a U-Box container from a dealer across town and was dropping it off at my location to be shipped back to his home in California,” Dickard recalled. “As we were talking about the procedures for shipping, he asked if I wanted to know what was inside the box.”
Now, anyone who has seen the thriller “Seven” knows that asking “What’s in the box?” can be very dangerous. But, since Dickard wasn’t investigating a series of crimes, the thought never crossed his mind.
Loco load
The cargo turned out to be a tiny train similar to the kind you see in shopping malls or as a kid’s amusement ride, but designed to run on a train track. The size of the train obviously presented a shipping challenge for Hoey who came to U-Haul in search of the solution.
This passenger car fit perfectly in a U-Box portable storage container.
“He purchased the train from a local individual and needed a way to get it home,” Dickard explained. “He told me of past adventures shipping other trains and pieces of trains such as boilers and track sections. He mentioned that it had always been a difficult process.”
Hoey came to the right place—the moving and shipping experts at U-Haul.
“He was so glad to have this option,” Dickard declared. “He said the train cars fit like a glove and renting a U-Box container saved him from having to construct his own shipping container and find a reputable shipper.
“He found everything he needed in one neat package,” Dickard continued. “He said that U-Haul one-upped the postal service’s ‘if it fits, it ships’ slogan.”
Of course, U-Haul is always pleased to meet and exceed the needs of our customers—especially one choo-choo-choosing to ship a train with a U-Box container. Ba dum tsh!
What crazy items have you shipped with a U-Box portable storage container? Tell us in the comments!
