In 2010, both FedEx and UPS increased their ground shipping costs by 4.9%. considering packaging and shipping costs, it might be in your best interests economically to replace a bed and mattress rather than ship them. However, there are some instances you have no option but to ship them. For example, your bed and mattress can be brand new or uncommonly valuable. Moreover, you could be shipping them into a region or location where the shipping rates are unusually low. In all these cases, shipping a bed and mattress might make sense.
Now that you’ve established that shipping is the best and most prudent option, how do you keep the shipping costs low? Are there cheap shipping solutions?
Inexpensive Shipping Solutions
Can you self-pack your mattress and bed? If you can, then the cheapest option would be to use LTL carriers. If you choose to pack everything for yourself, you must make sure that the packing is excellent to avoid damaging mattress, bed, and bed frame.
Another inexpensive option is seek the services of a blanket wrap carrier. Blanket wrap carriers are furniture delivery firms that fill the additional space on their trucks with small interstate furniture shipments.
Blank Wrap Shipping
Blanket wrap shipping is somewhat different from other conventional carrier since carriers can pick up and unpack from any location including a showroom, home, or manufacturer. Just like its name suggests, the carriers wrap your products in blankets and secure them to their truck with straps instead of using costly packing materials.
It is available in two types:
- Used/new furniture
- New furniture
Some of the biggest blanket wrap shippers are individuals, online marketplaces, boutique furniture companies, antique stores, re-sellers, and manufacturers that want to move shipments that are less than 1500 pounds. Choose this shipping method for these three reasons:
- It’s the lowest risk method available. All products shipped are put in a truck with the same goods which greatly reduces odds of damage.
- Cost effective.
- Environmentally sustainable.
The only downside of this shipping method has to do with the long time it takes to deliver. In spite the slower delivery and slight inability to accurately predict shipping timeframes, the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages.
LTL Carriers
As we all know, you can move your products via different modes of transport – truck, rail, water and air. In the US, movement by truck provides shippers infinite flexibility because of relatively low costs. Unlike rail, truck transportation moves large items such as beds and mattresses faster as it doesn’t depend on the timetable of a railroad.
Freight carriers in the country provide two types of service:
- LTL (Less Than Truckload)
- FTL (Full Truckload)
FTL carriers move full trucks or containers of items from one customer. LTL, on the other hand, consolidates goods from different customers and ships them. obviously, the latter option is more cost effective and pocket-friendly.
Costs of Shipping a Bed
So how much does it cost to ship a bed and mattress across the United States? The rates vary based on the weight and dimensions of the mattress and bed. The distance of transport is also a determinant. On average, the cost translates to around $2.50/mile for shorter transport and $0.70/mile if the distance is longer. Freight alone without lift gates or residential fees should run you around $160 – $400. Full service packaging and shipping for a mattress and bed should cost at least $700. A variety of companies are equipped to professionally handle packaging and moving. They include your local pack and ship stores.
Shipping is the easiest and safest way to move your mattress or bed. By working with a professional shipping company, you can rest assured that your package will arrive quickly, safely, and without any hitches.
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