Shipping via Freight

[Hambone404]

Hi!
Does anyone have any advice on shipping items via freight carrier shipping within the USA? I have an item that is just a few inches over UPS normal shipping rates which is now tripled in shipping cost (large item surcharge). Item is only 50" x 40" x 5" 10 gauge steel sign.

I need to compare with a freight shipping option.

Thanks,
Brad

[djreiswig]

Check out Fastenal. I have not personally used them, but I guess they have good shipping rates. They ship from store to store, so you have to take it to one and the receiver has to pick it up from another one.

[Hambone404]

Thank you djreiswig !

[Larry83301]

This was up on the board a couple of years ago, it's a great read if you ship your pieces.

http://plasmaspider.com/viewtopic.php?f ... ing#p62514

Larry

[Hambone404]

Thanks Larry.

I received a message back from Fastenal that they do not ship "Metal signs" which I listed as the product type. Hmm.

[djreiswig]

It says they require it to be crated. Maybe that's the issue. You would have to build a crate or strap it to a pallet.

[Hambone404]

Here is Fastenal's response...

"Good Afternoon,

Unfortunately, Fastenal would not be to ship this item because it part of our Forbidden Commodity List. We do not ship Metal sign.

If you have any questions, please let us know

Thank you, "

[djreiswig]

Maybe call it something else. How about just "sheet metal".

[Hambone404]

Good Idea. I will reply when I get another response from them.

[abmetal]

We ship the same signs regularly through FedEx to different branches of a real estate company in different states and the package maximum is 39x49 inches. I wasn't paying enough attention to my sizing once and wound up with 40 x 50 and HOLY MACKEREL did the price ever jump! It more than doubled. So I had to take it back to the shop and cut it back to the 39 x 49 which was the bare minimum. I've even considered reducing the sign size by 1/2" in the future. What a pain!

Allen

[urbnsr]

(Outside of UPS Freight and Fedex): Freight shipping can be an adventure and I can get widely ranging quotes. The best price I have found is when I use a freight company that can carry the item from pickup to delivery. If the originating shipper cannot deliver the item because it gets out of their service area, they can transfer the item to another freight company. They apparently would like to be paid well for this, so I have found the cost much higher.

Many (all?) freight companies that I have worked with indicate their primary service area on a map. Some specialize in north-south routes, others have east-west routes and there is usually some that do better with regional-only shipments. It pays to investigate.

HTH
Paul

[see&see]

The USA freight system is a victim of it's own design which puts us at the mercy of that pattern as well. I actually had to re-design my product down to size and weight that would keep it conforming to size and weight rules already established. I know UPS had a series of injured drivers caused by picking up more than they should. I leave a light weight fold up dolly out front but most drivers don't use it.

If it's practical for your application you might consider a two piece sign???

[bigcreek]

I ship lots of big signs all the time and use freightcenter as my broker agent to sift through various carriers and get quotes from them. It saves me tons of time. Shipping is expensive, no doubt about it. So long as the customer pays for it though what the hay... I always crate my stuff in crates made of osb and lumber to protect contents.

[_Ogre]

I always crate my stuff in crates made of osb and lumber to protect contents.

this is the only way to ship big stuff, sometimes the crate is more expense than the part
any freight company will stack and jostle the part being shipped, protect the part