Shipping

[michael1947]

How do you guys and gals ship stuff around. Do you have an "account" with UPS, FEDEX, USPS? How do we get the rates down as it seems expensive to haul it down to the UPS store. Anyone with experience with this I would appreciate the help. Thanks, Michael

[DaveHo]

I ship using my employer's UPS account. Basically I pack things up, bring it to work, tell them where it's going & they handle it from there. I'm still responsible for the bill, but it's cheaper than the average Joe gets. Do you have a local Fed-Ex or UPS hub? If you can pack things yourself & drop it off there, it'll be cheaper than a UPS store or Fex-Ex/Kinko's location.

[falconcry72]

I use FedEx, and I have an account with them. I have EXTENSIVE experience shipping with FedEx, UPS, and the USPS, and I prefer FedEx. We used all three at a manufacturing corporation I used to work at, shipping roughly 500 pieces/week.

Anybody can sign up for a FedEx account. Packing items yourself saves the most money. Then just create the label online, print it, and drop off the box and label at any local FedEx location. This is much cheaper than letting them do it.

I live near DC, and I can get packages to nearly the entire Eastern half of the country in 2 days via FedEx Ground, which is their cheapest method. Pretty remarkable.

All carriers treat packages like crap from time to time, so pack accordingly.

Check out this outbound map for FedEx Ground from my location: (reddish color is 1-day, light blue is 2-day)



I just shipped a pretty big and heavy package (a CS350LS), that was 30x18x15 and weight 30lbs. It will be to its destination in NJ in just one day, and it cost 18 bucks. Less than the gas money would have been if we drove to meet each other. I also recently shipped a small package to FL, and it will be there in 2 days, and it cost 7 bucks.

[michael1947]

Thanks a bunch fellas, this is a real help and I will report back with my results...I'm shipping an Emotiva XPA-5 and the shipping weight is 83 pounds.

[F1nut]

FedEx will be cheaper. Be sure to double box and use dense foam between the boxes.

[ZLTFUL]

FedEx will be cheaper. Be sure to double box and use dense foam between the boxes.

QFT!

Dealing with a UPS claim now myself. The package MAY have survived if I had done this...but it definitely would have fared better than it did.