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#373949 - 26/11/2022 02:13 Shipping expensive speakers
DWallach
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
A good friend of mine unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack, and now I'm getting his home theater speakers. They're tower speakers, but not outrageously tall or heavy (1.2m tall, 32kg each), plus a center channel and a big subwoofer.

I'm trying to understand how to get them from Seattle to Houston. So far as I can tell, the two main choices are going to a pack-and-ship store, which sends them via UPS or FedEx, or calling up a freight shipping service who does everything end-to-end, probably including custom boxes, and everything presumably goes on a shipping palette and is somehow routed through the shipping network

I've searched the usual suspects, like AVSforum, but there's not a whole lot about this sort of thing out there.

Thoughts?

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#373956 - 30/11/2022 02:13 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
jmwking
old hand

Registered: 27/02/2003
Posts: 768
Loc: Washington, DC metro
I have to imaging speakers bang themselves around when played, so should be resilient to shipping. What's your concern?

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#373957 - 01/12/2022 23:24 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
DWallach
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
So far as I can tell, the speakers are under UPS's maximum shipping weight (68kg), but heavy enough that they match up with UPS "special guidelines" for heavy packages (>31.5kg), which requires more sophisticated packaging, like a double-thickness cardboard box.

Conversely, I could call a commercial freight shipper and probably end up spending a lot more money, but then maybe they would do a whole shipping pallet, shrinkwrap and straps and such, which might maybe do better in a cross-country adventure?

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#373958 - 02/12/2022 00:35 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
jmwking
old hand

Registered: 27/02/2003
Posts: 768
Loc: Washington, DC metro
I used Greyhound for oddball oversized shipping several times. They just ended that service, though. Trailways seems to offer a similar one.

When I worked with LTL carriers in my retail days, they didn't require pallets or shrinkwrapping - just clearly labeled boxes and "x of (total)" boxes on each label. (It's been ages though.)

I've heard about (but never tried) some movers that will sell extra space on a van. Seems Seattle to Houston might be a fairly common move.

Good luck!

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#373959 - 02/12/2022 17:58 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
DWallach
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
Interesting. I know nothing about the LTL universe. Are there brokers that I'd contact who would look for that extra space?

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#373960 - 02/12/2022 18:38 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14472
Loc: Canada
Google works. "LTL carriers".

Eg. https://yrc.com/

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#373961 - 02/12/2022 21:23 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
robricc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Originally Posted By: DWallach
So far as I can tell, the speakers are under UPS's maximum shipping weight (68kg), but heavy enough that they match up with UPS "special guidelines" for heavy packages (>31.5kg), which requires more sophisticated packaging, like a double-thickness cardboard box.

This is just a quick comment to say I once shipped a Subaru WRX 5-speed transmission through UPS from New York to Rhode Island. It was not doubled-boxed, though I used copious amounts of expanding foam. It was accepted and delivered with no issues.

Originally Posted By: DWallach
Conversely, I could call a commercial freight shipper and probably end up spending a lot more money, but then maybe they would do a whole shipping pallet, shrinkwrap and straps and such, which might maybe do better in a cross-country adventure?

We routinely ship loose cartons with YRC, ODFL, R+L, and other LTL carriers. These are items that are outside the dimensions UPS or FedEx accepts. We have contracts with these carriers that take something like 80% off their published rates. But, services do exist that also have access to these rates, add a markup, and then sell to you. One such service I'm familiar with is freightquote.com. I'm sure there are plenty others.
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736

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#373962 - 03/12/2022 02:46 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
DWallach
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/04/2000
Posts: 3810
This is fantastic, gives me a place to start investigating. I'll call them up and see what they have to say.

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#373963 - 08/12/2022 15:23 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: DWallach]
tahir
pooh-bah

Registered: 27/02/2004
Posts: 1896
Loc: London
Don't you have a service like Shiply in the US?

https://www.shiply.com/

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#373964 - 12/12/2022 17:36 Re: Shipping expensive speakers [Re: tahir]
robricc
carpal tunnel

Registered: 30/10/2000
Posts: 4931
Loc: New Jersey, USA
Originally Posted By: tahir
Don't you have a service like Shiply in the US?

https://www.shiply.com/

Actually, we have a reality show called "Shipping Wars" which seems to follow these gig-worker oddball shipping guys. That's a good point, but I am not aware of what sites these guys use to bid on jobs. Nothing is jumping out on Google, but I'm probably using the wrong search terms. I'm not likely to watch the show to do more research...

EDIT: Wikipedia says the reality show takes bids from uShip.com in the first 8 seasons.


Edited by robricc (12/12/2022 17:38)
_________________________
-Rob Riccardelli
80GB 16MB MK2 090000736

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