Boston Burningtruck Shipping Guide

Last updated: 2012

Preface

The container project is a collective effort that is made possible by everyone doing a share of the work.

We really want to emphasize that this is not a service provided to you!

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. If you’ve been a problem in past years we might remember, and we might turn you away.

Reasons why you might be denied service this year, or in the future:

• Dropping things off at the MA load location or Playa load-in and leaving without helping load the container.
• Dropping garbage off at the container site or shipping garbage back to Boston.
• Not labeling items clearly.
• Not reloading items you unloaded that were in your way when unloading on the Playa.
• Abandoning items at the Boston loading/unloading area.
• Shipping hazardous or illegal materials.

We will notify, cancel your order, and refund your payment if you buy a share but are on our black list.

Container share request and payment

Currently we have reservations for all shares on 3 containers. Drop out may occur so if you want to be considerd for that enter your request here.

During the week of June 18th through the 24th all those that have signed up for a share on containers 1-3 will be send an email with payment information. Follow the instructions in the email otherwise your payment may be refused and your share released. Examples of not following instructions, if you send a personal check instead of a Cashiers Check or you send it for the amount you say on the original surveymonkey form not that in the email you are sent.

If you have not received an email pertaining to payment by June 27th send an email to peterdurand01@yahoo.com

Load and unload locations in MA have not been determined yet. You will be sent an email when they are.

This site will be updated as to the locations of the containers on the playa. They may be spread across two camps.

VERY IMPORTANT
As has been indicated (and called out for) container number three is in need of a manager. This person will be responsible for helping find load/unload locations, as well as building the teams to meet the containers, build the shelves for them, and manage load and unload. Wonderful ground floor opportunity to find out what really is needed for the container project and to run your own container.

People asked for a third, you have it, now make it happen.

Container Information

• 53′ container and chassis.
• Outside Dimensions: 53′ 0″(l) x 8’6″(w) x 9′ 6 1/2″(h)
  Inside Dimensions 52′ 6 1/2 ” x 8′ 3″ x 8′ 11″
  Door: 8′ 2″(w) x 8’11″(h)
• Volume: 3863 Cubic Feet of space.
• Weight Limit: 57,600lb

How to Calculate Volume

Measure the length, width, and height of the object, in feet, multiply them together. The result is the volume in cubic feet. It’s magic! For example, a box that us 5′ x 5′ x 4′ is 100 cubic feet.

Here is a link to a tool that can help you calculate volume.

It is best to round up and over estimate the volume of objects being shipped.

Getting Involved

This project is a community effort and depends on volunteers to get the work done. Plesase sign-up for the Burningtruck planning googlegroup and get involved. This project is not possible without your help. Remember, this is not a service we are providing to you!

Some of the more critical roles are:

1. Container prep — Loation to be determined (August 11th, 9AM until it’s done)
   • Shelf builders
   • Supply runners to retreive materials and vehicles that are capable of transporting 4′x8′ sheets of plywood.
2. Container load — location to be announced (9:00 am until it’s done)
   • Pack-masters to guide the load-in here in Boston and out on the Playa. The pack-master has the vision of how the load will fit together and leads the loading effort.
   • Share Enforcers to monitor share usage,labeling, and packing methods.
   • Helpers to aid and berate those who have not packed their things properly. You are all helpers.
3. Container load — Black Rock City. (begins September 3rd, containers are locked on the 5th in the morning)
   • Container re-organizers will need to reorganize the items left inside of the containers all week for easier loading.
   • Loaders will burn or reload items abandoned and left around the truck all week.
   • Moopers to clean up the area around the truck.

Loading and Unloading

Loading the container is hard work. Since this is a collective effort, it is everybody’s responsibility to help load and unload the container in Boston and on the playa. We ask that you consider this when planning your arrival and departure times.

Pre-playa loading

Container loading takes place Sunday, August 12th. Saturday will be devoted to shelf construction. Sunday load-in will begin at 9:00am. Everything going to the playa must be on site by 5pm Sunday afternoon. Bring beer, drinks, or food to help fuel the loading. Hungry, sober packers don’t work very hard. The share enforcers will be looking over your stuff for labels, hazardous materials, and making sure that it does not take more that the volume of space you signed on for (100 cubic feet per share). Plan on staying for the duration of the load-in.

We will attempt to load the containers in a way that will ease the path for people arriving earlier in the week (before the event). So, if you are arriving on playa After August 30th, you must arrive by 2pm with all your gear so we can load you in first. If you have anything over-sized, or art car like, you should also arrive by 2pm so we can stage the load in properly. Large camps arriving early on-playa will be loaded in later so you can get to your stuff, however this does not mean you should arrive later in the afternoon! Get your stuff there early! If you will have to make multiple trips to get your things to the container, feel free to start dropping your things off BEFORE 2pm – pick an area that is not blocking the flow of traffic, mark it off, and begin piling your stuff up.

BRC Unloading

Container unloading will begin when the container arrives on the Playa, early afternoon, Wednesday, August 23rd. Take all of your stuff when you arrive – the containers are not for on-playa storage.

Please be careful moving things around in the container. Please reload anything you removed while digging for your stuff.

Post Burn Load-in

Reloading on the playa is the most difficult part of the process! This load in begins on Sunday, September 2nd and we expect you there to help. We will need a full crew of loaders and pack masters for load in Sunday afternoon and Monday. DO NOT just drop your things off at the container and leave without loading them in and helping out others for at least an hour. Bad planning, flights and rides, and poorly thought out travel arrangements are no excuse for not sticking around and helping everyone load up! If you drop unlabeled items off, there is no guarantee that you will end up with it back in Boston. You have been warned – we are getting old and bitter and we will burn your precious pile of dusty junk if you leave it for us to load. Container loading will end Monday at noon for a Tuesday morning pickup. Screwing this up is a guaranteed way to be blacklisted and get endless shit from the people you left to load your bad art back in.

Container Unload in MA

Come help unload and get your stuff immediately. There will not be any storage at the loading area, so please arrange to have someone pick your things up and help unload. Abandoned items will be thrown out or re-purposed and we will give you some bad attitude. There should be a container unloading party that Saturday evening after unloading… if you fucked up, get back on our good side and bring strong liquor.

Shipping Art Cars

If you are shipping an art car in the containers, you must provide us copies of the “ticket” you receive for your vehicle. When vehicles are approved for on-playa inspection, the owners receive an invitation by email that is their “ticket” through the gate. This email includes the name of the vehicle and owner, and clearly states that vehicles without invitation letters will not be allowed into the event. There will not be any exceptions made – if you have a vehicle that falls under the DMV rules, you must provide this documentation. If you show up with a vehicle without proper documentation, we will not ship your vehicle. No refunds.

Please provide us with hard copies of your paperwork on load-in day and forward us the email you received from the BMORG.

Please refer to the DMV website for all relevant information.

Packing

First of all, DO NOT build yourself a single crate whose volume is 100 cubic feet and then load it with stuff. DO NOT ship crates that are impossible to move! Use common sense when building crates! If 1-2 people can’t move it, your crate is too big! You are also not allowed to load a large empty crate into the container, and then load it once it is in the container. Duh. If you think you are being all crafty by attaching wheels to your box to ease movement, don’t do it. Your wheels probably suck. We can not have a situation where your immovable object is preventing movement in the container.

Pack tightly! All loose items must be contained in a box or crate. Please use strong, durable, and reusable packing containers since things will be stacked on top of your boxes. You will also want to use the same boxes to return your things home in. Cardboard is not a durable, reusable, or strong shipping container in most cases, and will be crushed and rendered unusable for the return trip. Things like toolboxes, plywood, or strong items that can be packed in and around (like a golf cart and road cases), do not need to be boxed. Carpets must be rolled and bound tightly. Loose or bagged (trash, shopping, or other thin plastic type) items are not acceptable! Army bags, backpacks are OK – keep in mind that they will be crushed.

Your goods must be packed in accordance to these guidelines in both directions or they will not be loaded in!

If you are looking for good reusable packing material, look into plastic crates. Tupperware sucks. Large stand up trash cans also suck. Check out MSC for a good supply of reusable, stacking storage bins. Search for ‘Akro-Mils’ on the MSC website and go crazy. You will never use Tupperware again.

Bikes

We recommend that you pack your bike in a wood crate or similar durable container. This is not a requirement though. If you don’t crate your bike, keep in mind that it will get scratched and possibly be damaged during the trip. We will not be held responsible in any case. If you do not crate your bike you are required to do the following: remove the front wheel, tie it to the frame. Tie the back wheel to the frame so it does not spin. Spin the handlebars around so they lay flat with the frame(you might have to loosen the headpiece to do this). Tie the handlebars to the frames so they don’t move around. Compact bike, yes, but it is not protected from the rigors of shifting gear and other savage bikes. Wrapping the bike in a blanket or sheet adds a layer of protection. Another option is to stop by your local bike shop and ask if you can have bike a frame shipping box. They usually have these left when they receive bikes from the manufacturer. If you do not prepare your bicycle as described above, it will not be put on the truck. Do this preparation before the loading day since we will not be able to help you or offer tools to do this.

If you are motivated and care about your masterful piece of art bike, then protect it. Build a crate and load your bike in. Maybe you can stuff some extra supplies and tools in that crate if you do it right – even if you only bought a bike share.

Labeling

Everything must be labeled in both directions. The label must have your name. If is not labeled, it will not be packed in the container. Labels and Tags must be durable so they don’t peel and and come off. We recommend tags that tie on or marking directly with a paint pen, or laser printed stick on labels. Unlabeled items will not be loaded into the container.

If you are splitting up your share or give it to someone else, then all names must be on the label! This means the label should have the name of the person who bought the share as well as the name of the person using the share.

What NOT to pack

• Water – get it in Reno!
• NO Combustible Materials – no cans of gasoline, explosives, fireworks, etc. Get your fuel and propane in Reno.
• A good general rule is not to pack anything that could affect the supplies, art, health, etc of others.
• Guns. People. Animals.
• No Garbage
• Anything that could get you or the rest of us in trouble.

Take this seriously. This container will be on rail and in the sun for 10-12 days – without any ventilation. Any slow leak or evaporation of combustible materials/solvents could turn the box into a firebomb. Don’t do this. We will check gas cans/tanks. If a container is full, it will not go on until you empty and dry it out. Generators must be dry!

Drop off/Unloading in MA

Unload locations will be announced to share holders only.

Camping with the container

The Boston containers are not the default camping area for anyone needing a good location. If you are considering camping with the containers, you must ask us first! Container camp has grown at an alarming rate and it has become a liability on my part in terms of clean up.

Think when you pack! Don’t fuck up.