Shipping an Amplifier

How to Ship Your Amplifier

You have a few options when it comes to shipping options for your amp:

• Less-Than-Truckload (LTL): For freight loads weighing between 150 and 15,000 lbs. Your shipment shares space in the trailer with other shipments, and the carrier stops for loading/unloading at several terminals before arriving at your delivery point. It’s ideal for items that are too big for parcel service but not enough for a full truckload.
• Full Truckload (FTL): For freight loads over 15,000 lbs or loads unable to share trailer space. The customer uses the entire trailer to transport goods from one location to another. This is perfect for faster transit time and greater flexibility for pickup and delivery times, but it can get expensive.
• Partial Truckload (PTL): Halfway between LTL and FTL, this option is for items that don’t require an entire trailer but cannot be in an LTL truckload for some reason. It reduces shipping time and streamlines handling and transfers from one trailer to another.
• Expedited: For shipments that need to arrive quickly at their destination. Benefits include faster deliveries and less risk of damaging and losing cargo. Expedited services range from cargo vans to dry van trailers to air cargo. However, this option is not always available, and when it is, it’s expensive.

What is the best way to freight ship your amp? It will depend on how heavy and fragile the amp is. Most of the time, LTL will do just fine. Amps don’t take up much space, even in a crate. However, you need to consider if you are transporting this amp alone or with other equipment or if your amp is sturdy enough to be handled with other packages.

Now that you know your shipping options, it’s time for the hard part: packing your amp.

How To Package Your Amplifier

How you package your amp really depends on its size, weight, and age. Instrument amps, for example, are usually small and light enough to send through parcel carriers. There are exceptions; vintage instrument amps, which use vacuum tubes to amplify sound, are heavier and more fragile than modern amps that use transistors or microprocessors as their amplification source. However, most audio and instrument amps can be sent by parcel. We have details on shipping smaller amps by shipping box in the FAQ section below.

If your amp weighs over 150 lbs, or is being transported with other heavy equipment, or if you are shipping multiple amplifiers simultaneously, freight is the best option. Amps shipped by freight must then be placed in a crate or on a pallet.

Crate

Crating is the best option if your amp is fragile or contains glass. If properly packed, crates can handle road vibrations and movement within the trailer, keeping your amp’s more vulnerable parts, like the speaker, intact.

There are several types of crates, including plastic and metal, but wooden crates are the most popular type. You can purchase a crate from a shipping supplier like ULine or hire a professional crating service. When crating your amp, stuff all sides of the crate with strong packaging material, like bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or heavy-duty packing paper. You want to be sure that your amp doesn’t wiggle during transport.

One downside of using a crate is the cost. A crate increases the weight and size of your shipment, adding around $50 to $100 to your shipping rate for a smaller crate and hundreds more for larger crates. However, it’s the right option for keeping your amp secure while in a trailer.

Pallet

If you have multiple amps to ship or your amp doesn’t need the full protection of a crate (or if it’s inside an amp box), palletizing it is a great option. Pallets are cost-saving measures; a forklift can easily and quickly move your shipment from one trailer to another, and strapping it down will keep your shipment in place. This also helps if you want to use a shipping box for your amp instead of a crate, though know that these boxes don’t always provide the best protection.

You can find pallets from shipping suppliers or receive one from a grocery or hardware store. When putting items on a pallet, ensure your items do not exceed the pallet’s dimensions (a standard-sized pallet is 48″ by 40″). When placing your items on the pallet, cushion around the items and between empty spaces. Then, shrink-wrap your items to keep them uniform, and strap them down to hold them together.

An even better option is to combine the two packaging options: strap a crate onto a pallet. A forklift can easily move your crate from one trailer to another, and strapping it means extra protection. For more information, check out our tips for packaging your cargo or our article about professional crating services.