Shipping FAQ
Big companies
USPS
UPS
FedEx
DHL
BAX Global
Other sources that may be cheaper than above
uship.com Kind of like eBay for shipping
Greyhound bus shipping Package rides on a Greyhound bus
Other sources that may be cheap Local shippers. There are many regional carriers that this FAQ cannot detail, but maybe google can find for you. For time insensitive shipping, you can post in your local NASIOC forum, college bulletin boards, and Craigslist as someone may go to the area you wish to ship to, say on vacation, and are willing to take your item(s) for dirt cheap.
But I'm lazy and independantly wealthy and want someone to do everything for me
FedEx Office
UPS Store
Pak Mail
Search the yellow pages as there are hundreds of local "we pack/ship" places in every strip mall in America
How do I ship tires? Many companies will allow you to ship two tires at a time with no packaging, just a mailing label. Ship tires bundled up with metal or plastic banding material. Zip ties ain't gonna cut it, no matter how many you use, so forget it. Most local shipping stores can band them for little money. You might be able to get away with nice small diameter nylon rope, but that is up to your shipping company's rules.
How do I ship wheels? The cheapest and easiest way to package them is to find old wheel boxes. Ask in your local NASIOC forum or visit a local wheel shop as finding boxes for wheels isn't that hard. Once the hard part is done, you simply ship them with your preferred carrier.
How do I ship a motor/tranny? Strong rumor has it that classifying a motor as "USED SCRAP AUTO ENGINE - FREIGHT CLASS 70" with your shipping agent (if applicable) will save you money vs the regular classification. Kind of like when you ship books using book rate with the US Post Office. This tip may or may not work, but give it a shot. As to shipping, most shipping companies will allow you to strap the engine/tranny to a small pallet with a shipping label and ship it that way. If it is going to an engine/tranny builder, you are best served by talking to them about which company/packing method to use as they usually have a relationship with certain companies and can tell you hints and tricks that this FAQ does not cover. If going to a private party, you'll have to talk with the shipping company about specifics. As to shipping materials, these can be obtained from local shipping companies.
How do I ship something big like a bumper? Contact the shipping company as some large items may be shipped as is with just a shipping label. While this isn't ideal, it can be done. Otherwise your best bet is to get creative with packaging. Contact your local Subaru dealership as they may have a box laying around for that item. Or you can visit a store that sells appliances and with say a refrigerator box, you can get creative with a box cutter and lots of packaging tape and create your own box for packaging. Once you have a box you will have dimensions and weight via a bathroom scale to contact shipping companies about shipping costs and times. Your best bet is to place several "what if" calls with the major shipping carriers to see if they will even take oversized packages then decide who will be the ultimate carrier based on delivery time and shipping costs.
How do I ship a whole car? This is where you visit your friend google and start emailing companies as there are many, many companies that do this and it's way too hard to condense the technicalities of car shipment into one post. Email several companies to get their quotes and rules and pick yourself.
Can I just ask a ballpark shipping price on XXX item though? No. There is no ballpark as there are hundreds of shipping resources and all of them have complex pricing structures based on innumerable line items. Variable to shipping include: box size, weight, insurance, packaging materials, carrier service, gas prices, local/regional fees, time of year, delivery time options, and probably 900 other variables. Get a quote via the online calculators in the links above or visit a local "we pack/ship" store and they can quote out several options at once.
What about packaging? Unless it's an item that will not be damaged like tires, always treat a package as if it will be dropped off the Empire State Building. Over protect the crap out of it. They call people who work in shipping "box kickers" for a reason! Many shippers have militant rules on outside packaging, so learn them and follow them ahead of time. Most of these deal with USPS and their penchant for wanting pristine boxes with no outside markings. When in doubt, use a new pristine box to be safe, otherwise you will have to peel off old labels or mark them out with a Magic Marker.
What about insurance? This is a huge farce within the industry as it's slow to repay and often blames the shipper with the vague moniker of "insufficient packaging". Rule number 1 is to always get it for the value of your item. Don't over-inflate the value as come claim time they will want a bill of sale, receipt, or other paper documentation of the value's item. No documentation, no insurance claim! The #1 reason for denying an insurance claim is lack of proper packaging, that is why that is so important. If you want the most expensive and least worrysome way of shipping, probably the best route is to use a UPS Store or FedEx Office. They do the shipping and the packaging for you so any blame is 100% on them.
This post was created because I wasn't able to find a good shipping FAQ. I came up with the text based on LOTS of searching here. Upon reading this you should have an idea of ship stuff. The shipping company is up to you.
Big companies
USPS
UPS
FedEx
DHL
BAX Global
Other sources that may be cheaper than above
uship.com Kind of like eBay for shipping
Greyhound bus shipping Package rides on a Greyhound bus
Other sources that may be cheap Local shippers. There are many regional carriers that this FAQ cannot detail, but maybe google can find for you. For time insensitive shipping, you can post in your local NASIOC forum, college bulletin boards, and Craigslist as someone may go to the area you wish to ship to, say on vacation, and are willing to take your item(s) for dirt cheap.
But I'm lazy and independantly wealthy and want someone to do everything for me
FedEx Office
UPS Store
Pak Mail
Search the yellow pages as there are hundreds of local "we pack/ship" places in every strip mall in America
How do I ship tires? Many companies will allow you to ship two tires at a time with no packaging, just a mailing label. Ship tires bundled up with metal or plastic banding material. Zip ties ain't gonna cut it, no matter how many you use, so forget it. Most local shipping stores can band them for little money. You might be able to get away with nice small diameter nylon rope, but that is up to your shipping company's rules.
How do I ship wheels? The cheapest and easiest way to package them is to find old wheel boxes. Ask in your local NASIOC forum or visit a local wheel shop as finding boxes for wheels isn't that hard. Once the hard part is done, you simply ship them with your preferred carrier.
How do I ship a motor/tranny? Strong rumor has it that classifying a motor as "USED SCRAP AUTO ENGINE - FREIGHT CLASS 70" with your shipping agent (if applicable) will save you money vs the regular classification. Kind of like when you ship books using book rate with the US Post Office. This tip may or may not work, but give it a shot. As to shipping, most shipping companies will allow you to strap the engine/tranny to a small pallet with a shipping label and ship it that way. If it is going to an engine/tranny builder, you are best served by talking to them about which company/packing method to use as they usually have a relationship with certain companies and can tell you hints and tricks that this FAQ does not cover. If going to a private party, you'll have to talk with the shipping company about specifics. As to shipping materials, these can be obtained from local shipping companies.
How do I ship something big like a bumper? Contact the shipping company as some large items may be shipped as is with just a shipping label. While this isn't ideal, it can be done. Otherwise your best bet is to get creative with packaging. Contact your local Subaru dealership as they may have a box laying around for that item. Or you can visit a store that sells appliances and with say a refrigerator box, you can get creative with a box cutter and lots of packaging tape and create your own box for packaging. Once you have a box you will have dimensions and weight via a bathroom scale to contact shipping companies about shipping costs and times. Your best bet is to place several "what if" calls with the major shipping carriers to see if they will even take oversized packages then decide who will be the ultimate carrier based on delivery time and shipping costs.
How do I ship a whole car? This is where you visit your friend google and start emailing companies as there are many, many companies that do this and it's way too hard to condense the technicalities of car shipment into one post. Email several companies to get their quotes and rules and pick yourself.
Can I just ask a ballpark shipping price on XXX item though? No. There is no ballpark as there are hundreds of shipping resources and all of them have complex pricing structures based on innumerable line items. Variable to shipping include: box size, weight, insurance, packaging materials, carrier service, gas prices, local/regional fees, time of year, delivery time options, and probably 900 other variables. Get a quote via the online calculators in the links above or visit a local "we pack/ship" store and they can quote out several options at once.
What about packaging? Unless it's an item that will not be damaged like tires, always treat a package as if it will be dropped off the Empire State Building. Over protect the crap out of it. They call people who work in shipping "box kickers" for a reason! Many shippers have militant rules on outside packaging, so learn them and follow them ahead of time. Most of these deal with USPS and their penchant for wanting pristine boxes with no outside markings. When in doubt, use a new pristine box to be safe, otherwise you will have to peel off old labels or mark them out with a Magic Marker.
What about insurance? This is a huge farce within the industry as it's slow to repay and often blames the shipper with the vague moniker of "insufficient packaging". Rule number 1 is to always get it for the value of your item. Don't over-inflate the value as come claim time they will want a bill of sale, receipt, or other paper documentation of the value's item. No documentation, no insurance claim! The #1 reason for denying an insurance claim is lack of proper packaging, that is why that is so important. If you want the most expensive and least worrysome way of shipping, probably the best route is to use a UPS Store or FedEx Office. They do the shipping and the packaging for you so any blame is 100% on them.
This post was created because I wasn't able to find a good shipping FAQ. I came up with the text based on LOTS of searching here. Upon reading this you should have an idea of ship stuff. The shipping company is up to you.
