The Cheapest Way to Ship Large & Heavy Items
Contents
There are a number of options for oversized shipping when it comes to large and heavy items. All of the major shipping carriers have options for these items to meet your shipping needs affordably and efficiently.
Heavy items need to be properly secured and packaged. Then, you will need to consider insuring them to protect yourself from potential loss or damage in transit.
Different carriers can offer variable rates and services for shipping heavy and large items. You will need to assess their offerings against your needs to determine which one is best for your business.
Considerations for Shipping Heavy Items
When shipping heavy and large items, there are several factors to consider, including the item’s weight and size, how far it is traveling, the rules of the carrier, how fast it needs to travel, and the contents of the package.
Dimensional Weight vs. Actual Weight
Shipping carriers use dimensional weight, or DIM weight, to determine shipping rates for packages. This differs from actual weight. It is calculated by taking the length times the height and the width of the package divided by a DIM divisor that is set by each carrier.
The dimensional weight determines how much volumetric space the package actually takes up. The price of shipping will be calculated based on which is more, the actual weight of the package or its dimensional weight.
Destination & Origin of Package
Shipping carriers base rates on how far a package has to travel. Carriers use zones to calculate distance and therefore the price of shipping. The lower the zone number and the less distance a package must travel, the lower the cost of shipping will be.
Carrier Rules
Each carrier is going to have their own rules and services related to shipping heavy and large items, which is going to influence shipping costs and speeds. Check with the shipping carrier to be sure they can handle large and heavy items and their specific rules that regulate them.
Speed of Shipping
You will need to consider how fast you need your item to be delivered when looking into shipping costs for heavy and large items. Typically, the faster you need it to arrive, the higher the cost will be.
Contents
If the contents of your package are fragile or require special handling, you will need to take this into consideration when shipping. Some carriers are better at handling fragile items than others.
Calculating Shipping Costs for Heavy or Large Items
When calculating shipping costs, you will need to measure and weigh your package, input the package origin and destination, and then use one of the shipping calculators from the major providers. Here is each provider’s calculator:
Comparison of Major Shipping Carriers for Large & Heavy Items
The major shipping carriers in the United States generally offer shipping options for heavy and large items, but rates, speed and services can vary. Often, you will need to reach out to the carriers directly to find out what their prices and efficiency will be for your items.
When shipping big items in high quantities, it is almost always more cost-effective to use freight shipping services. Here are details on shipping heavy and large items with different carriers:
USPS
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has several options for shipping large packages with weights of up to 70 pounds. These are the options:
- Priority Mail: Packages up to 70 pounds ship in 1 to 3 business days. Your item will need to fit in one of the Priority Mail envelopes or boxes. The largest box is around 1 foot by 1 foot by 6 inches. Prices start at $8.70.
- Priority Mail Express: Packages up to 70 pounds that fit in a flat rate envelope can be shipped next-day or with 2-day delivery. Prices start at $26.95.
- Media Mail: Media up to 70 pounds (such as books, DVDs, or CDs) can be shipped cheaper in 2 to 8 business days with prices starting at $3.19. Your package may be inspected to ensure that it meets the media requirements.
- USPS Retail Ground: This offers more affordable shipping for non-urgent deliveries that will be delivered in 2 to 8 business days. Items must be under 70 pounds and have a combined girth and length of 130 inches.
Pricing starts at $8.50. Pricing depends on how much the package weighs and how far it is traveling. For packages over 30 inches, an additional $15 fee is added.
FedEx
With FedEx, you can ship packages within the United States that are up to 150 pounds and with a combined girth and length of 165 inches through FedEx Ground, which delivers in 1 to 7 business days.
If your package is heavier than 150 pounds or oversized, you can ship it via one of the following FedEx Freight options:
- FedEx Freight Priority: LTL (less-than-truckload) freight is delivered between 1 and 3 days within the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
- FedEx Freight Economy: LTL freight is delivered between 3 and 6 days within the U.S. and Canada.
- FedEx 1Day, 2Day, or 3Day Freight: U.S. air freight is delivered on specific days.
- FedEx International Priority and Economy Freight: This service delivers to more than 130 countries. For priority, it is delivered in 1, 2, or 3 days, while economy delivers in 5 days
Contact FedEx for a freight quote.
UPS
For packages that are over 70 pounds but under 150 pounds, you can ship through UPS by attaching a “heavy” sticker to the box with the weight listed and paying an extra fee. Packages that are over 150 pounds are considered freight.
UPS has several freight options, which include the following:
- North American Air Freight: Freight can be delivered when you need it within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.
- International Air Freight: This option ships to more than 220 countries and is day-specific.
- Ocean Freight: This ships freight across oceans.
- Ground Freight: This service can move freight across the Mexican border.
- Multimodal Freight: This is less expensive than air and faster than ocean for freight delivery.
- Urgent Services Freight: With UPS Express Critical, your package can be on the next flight out within North America and major global metropolitan areas.
Contact UPS for a price quote on freight options.
DHL
DHL offers both air freight and ocean freight options, and it is a good choice for international shipping of heavy and large items. There are choices for how fast you need the package delivered, such as Urgent Air Freight that will deliver within 1 to 2 days and Air Economy that delivers within 5 to 7 days. You can also use day-definite shipping services.
DHL accommodates for special cargo and features temperature-controlled environments.
For ocean freight, DHL offers both FCL (Full Container) and LCL (Less Than Container) options as well as special considerations for cargo contents, as they do with air freight. Freight options can be a great way to move heavy and oversized packages.
How a 3PL Can Help
There are third-party logistics (3PL) providers that specialize in heavy items. A 3PL can help to ensure that you receive the best possible shipping rates as they partner with the major carriers. They can often offer discounts and bulk shipping rates.
You can outsource all your inventory management and order fulfillment logistics to a 3PL. This can save you time and money, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your e-commerce business that may have greater impact.
References
Retail Postage Price Calculator. (2022). USPS.
Calculate FedEx Shipping Rates. (2022). FedEx.
Estimate Shipping Cost. The UPS Store.
DHL Store. DHL.
Mail & Shipping Services. (2022). USPS.
Freight Shipping Services that Fit Your Needs. (2022). FedEx.
How to Ship a Heavy Package. (2022). United Parcel Services of America, Inc.
Freight Services. (2022). United Parcel Services of America, Inc.
