What is the Cheapest Way to Ship Large Items?

What’s the Cheapest Way to Ship Large Items? When facing options for shipping large items, some of your choices might seem expensive. When shipping items under 70 lbs, parcel shipping is typically the most cost-effective shipping method. Parcels can often be shipped via ground or economy, depending on your specific item and requirements. However, if your item weighs over 70 lbs, the quoting process can get slightly confusing. FreightCenter is here to help you find the most affordable way to ship large items.

To take advantage of FreightCenter’s negotiated rates and see how much it will cost to send your shipment, use our easy freight quote tool to compare rates now.

Understanding Weight Density and Shipping Costs

One important thing to remember when looking for the cheapest way to ship large items is that an item’s weight density can significantly impact shipment costs. What does this mean? Let’s take a look at an example.

Say you have a box holding 50 pounds of feathers and another box holding 50 pounds of bricks. Of course, the feathers container will be larger than the bricks box. The bricks will be less expensive to ship than the feathers. Why?

The denser something is, the less likely it is to receive damage during transit. The less likely it is to receive damage during transit, the lower the freight class. The lower the freight class, the less expensive it is to ship.

When measuring your freight shipment dimensions and weight, ask whether the carrier you select goes by weight or density weight. This will make all the difference in your shipping cost.

Understanding Modes of Transportation and Shipping Costs

How your freight is transported, whether by truck or plane, will also impact your cost. The most common modes of freight transportation include:

-Road: Also known as truck freight. Road shipping is generally a budget-friendly option that is readily available for both residential and small business shippers.

-Rail: Rail is another cost-effective option for the cheapest way to ship large items. It’s generally available and not typically affected by the weather, which can sometimes affect road shipments. Rail freight is usually reserved for large and heavy loads and large-volume shipments.

-Ocean: Ocean shipping is another cost-effective option when road or rail shipping is not an option. For example, the state of Alaska does not contain many highways outside the metropolitan areas. Therefore, many items are either brought into the state by boat or plane because, in many instances, road and rail shipping isn’t an option. One important thing to remember with ocean shipments is that they can take longer and are not ideal for time-sensitive shipments.

-Air: Air freight is the most expensive but the fastest option, making it an ideal choice if you are on a tight deadline. However, it is important to note that weather conditions can cause delays, which can significantly impact shipping deadlines.

Choose a Good Shipping Partner

Not all freight brokers have access to the best rates. FreightCenter has strong partnerships with most preferred carriers and, therefore, can offer discounted rates to shippers. The difference in price is sometimes shocking. One business received a quote to ship a trade show booth through a well-known carrier that specializes in trade show booth shipping. At the standard rate from the carrier, the shipping cost was $4,883.42 for the small business. The small business owner then called FreightCenter and could not believe the difference in price. Through FreightCenter’s partnership agreements, the shipping cost was $618.78! I think you can guess whom they booked with for this and all future shipments.

History

Freight Center opened its doors in 1998. We expanded from nationwide shipping to cross-border shipping from the U.S. into Canada to international shipping. FreightCenter has been well-reviewed by the many customers we’ve assisted over the years. While we may not have started back in the 80s, more than 80% of reviewers recommended FreightCenter; those being customers and Built IN, referring to us as one of the top Tampa Bay transportation companies.

Get a Quote and Schedule your Shipment

Are you ready to find the cheapest way to ship large items before sending your shipment? Our freight experts can help make sure you’re asking all of the right questions and covering all of your bases. Get an online freight quote, or give us a call today by calling 800.716.7608.