Cheapest Way to Ship Heavy Equipment

Are you on the lookout for the cheapest way to ship massive equipment? Then, you landed in the right place! When you are about to move bulky goods, their shipping cost and the safety of your products is the very first thing that keeps you up at night.

You don’t want to pour all of your money into the transit. And you also can’t afford to damage the goods while shipping heavy items. Right?

So, we have prepared a breakdown for shipping heavier equipment most cheaply. Moreover, we’ll discuss some additional considerations to help you make informed decisions about your massive shipments.

Let’s start!

When Do Goods Fall Under The Category of “Heavy Items”?

Before we disclose the fast and easy shipping method for heavy equipment shipment, let us clarify the term “Heavy” itself. Different hauling companies have different standards for categorizing an item as heavy. Here, we’ll discuss the weight limit of a few courier companies.

Weight Limits of Reputable Moving Companies

The first shipping company on our list is USPS. They charge you a specific price for oversized parcels when:

• The measurements of your package exceed 108 inches in length.
• The combined length and perimeter of the package are less than 130 inches.

The USPS services usually set ideal weight limits of 70 lbs for large and heavy packages. For packages heavier than 70 lbs, you’ll have to figure out the additional hauling costs with the USPS.

UPS Ground

Transporting large and heavy items with UPS is possible. But, the minimum billable weight for the UPS packages is 90 lbs. So, you’ll have to pay more if your package:

• Exceeds 96 inches or 130 inches combined.
• Is above 150 lbs (108 inches in length or more than 165 inches in length and girth)

If your package meets these standards, it falls under the category of sober equipment. Therefore, it must be shipped via UPS freight shipping services.

DHL

According to the international delivery company DHL, your package is oversized if your moving meets the following criteria:

• Weighs more than 70kg (154.3lbs)
• Has a single dimension of over 120cm (47.24 inches)

However, it’s always wise to contact the DHL first before you ship heavy packages to stay in the know about the status of your heavy item and how much it will cost to send it to the desired destination. The charges for moving an oversized package with DHL are $89.

FedEx Ground

FedEx may classify your parcel as heavy if it is over 96 inches or 130 inches combined. The minimum billable weight when shipping with FedEx is 90 lbs, so you might have to pay $90 for an oversized package. If you move your parcel at peak annual hauling times with FedEx, you’ll have to pay a peak surcharge of $37.50 per parcel.

What Sober Items Can I Send?

You can ship a broad range of heavy items. For instance:

• Gym equipment
• Tents
• Clothing
• Luggage
• Auto parts
• Golf clubs
• Household goods
• Construction Equipment
• Heavy Machinery
• Vehicles

And anything that fits within the weight and dimensional limits of the courier companies.

Considerations While Shipping Machinery

Multiple factors must be considered while shipping your more oversized items. It all depends on the size and weight of the package. The more an item weighs, the more it will cost to move two heavy items simultaneously. One is small, dense, and heavy, while the other is awkwardly shaped, so you might have to use two parcel-hauling companies to deliver your delivery.

Below are a few other factors you should consider while shipping heavy-weight equipment.

Dimensional Weight

A package's dimensional or volumetric weight is the measurement used throughout the logistics industry to calculate how much volumetric space the package occupies in the courier network. Whether you are sending domestically or internationally, volumetric weight still applies.

The formula to calculate the volumetric weight is: Depth x Length x Width in CM divided by 5000

If you have a lightweight item, the volumetric weight calculation might exceed the parcel’s actual weight. You’ll be charged based on the package’s dimension (overall weight).

Fragility Items

If your shipment contains fragile items that need extra care while transporting, select a shipping company specializing in handling fragile shipments. When the safety of the shipped items is a priority, you might have to compromise on the transit time.

Pickup and Delivery Destination of the Sober Items

No matter what hauling carriers you use, they all use your parcel's origin and destination to determine your package's moving zone. The delivery zone will be higher if your shipping destination is farther than its origin.

And, the higher the hauling zone, the pricier it will be to ship your heavier goods.

Type of Carrier and Service You Used

Each heavy equipment logistics company has its own rules. They all have their own regulations to support goods of a certain size, weight, and fragility status. The carrier you choose to ship your package with influences the shipping cost of your parcel. You also use the type of service that significantly influences your shipment’s cost and hauling times.

The Cheapest Way to Ship Bulky Items

So, now is the time to tell you what you are here for—the cheapest way to ship more oversized items. USPS, UPS, and FedEx are the biggest names in the oversized moving game, which involves moving domestic and international machinery.

Transporting your goods through these three hauling companies is the best and the cheapest way to ship colossal equipment. However, you are sure to find at least one good option for your package to ship using these services because not all of these shipment services are pocket-friendly.

To enjoy the best services, you’ll have to find the proper service that suits the nature of your package. However, many e-commerce shops suggest consolidated freight as the best way to ship heavy goods.

We’ll compare the hauling rates of three pack-leaders in the shipping services for heavy items below:

USPS:

USPS offers different moving services and mail types to transport your stuff to the desired destination, including Priority Mail Express (Overnight), Priority Mail, Media Mail, and Ground.

Priority Mail Express (Overnight)

Do you need your equipment shipped as soon as possible? The Priority Mail Express by the USPS is the best option for you. Their charges for a package under 70 lbs start at $22.50 (but that’s the price for a flat-rate envelope). If your item can fit into the flat-rate envelope, this shipping service is the best, not to mention the cheapest option.

Priority Mail (1-3 Days)

Priority mail is ideal if you are not in a hurry and have a large but heavy item to ship. This hauling service limits packages to 70 lbs, but their largest box size is 1 foot by 1 foot by 6 inches—prices for this type of delivery service range from $6.95 to $17.60.

Media Mail (2-10 days)

As the name implies, media mail is the most suitable option for moving any media, including books, CDs, or DVDs. You won’t find a better service for large packages of delivery media than USPS media mail.

Warning! If you break the norms of the media mail and try to abuse the system by hauling non-media goods through this service, USPS has the right to return your package.

Retail Ground (2-8 days)

When your product is too oversized to fit in the flat rate envelopes and is also unfit to ship through priority mail services, this retail moving service can prove to be savvy. The maximum weight range is still 70 lbs; however, as this is a ground shipping service, you can expect slower delivery.

FedEx:

If you feel too bound by the USPS hauling service's 70-lb weight limit, FedEx embraces your massively heavy packages with open arms. Ideal for moving oversized and sober items, FedEx offers a weight limit of a whopping 150 lbs. So take a glance at their moving services.

Ground Shipping (1-7 days)

Do you want to ship heavier and larger packages than the USPS's dimensional limits? Worry not! FedEx has you covered. FedEx ground services allow you to send an item heavier than 150 lbs. But they, too, have some dimensional limits. The size of your heavy package must not exceed 108 inches in length and 165 inches in length plus girth.

FedEx Freight (Priority or Economy)

You’ll find a good range of packages when you ship heavy items with FedEx freight, depending on your package’s hauling zone and size. In addition, Priority Freight delivers quicker than Economy Freight. As a result, FedEx Freight becomes a cheaper way to ship heavy equipment in surplus. You can also use FedEx for auto shipping. FedEx isn't the popular auto transport option because of its higher price. The cost of FedEx auto transport services largely depends on what you are sending, how many, and where you are sending them to.

DHL:

The above two are the cheapest shipping options for moving your items domestically. DHL is a cheaper and easier option for moving heavier equipment internationally.

Air Freight

DHL has a broad network of airlines that ship your deliveries globally through the scheduled flights along major routes. DHL also offers you different delivery options for how fast you want to ship your freight. Such as:

• Urgent Air Freight – 1 to 2 days
• Air Economy – 5 to 7 days

Additional beneficial options, such as special cargo options, a temperature-controlled environment, and day-definite international shipping with DHL air freight, are also available.

Ocean Freight

DHL's ocean freight services are similar to those of their air freight services. The only difference is the goods are shipped overseas through the ocean and various ocean carriers. You can transport your heavy-weight equipment through full container load (FCL) and less-than-container load (LCL) options with various special options. Temperature, cold areas, and even transportation of liquids, for instance! When you have a few pallets of freight that need to be shipped in one container, you should opt for consolidated freight because consolidated freight is the safest and cost-effective way to ship heavy items.

Preparing to Send Large Goods

When you are ready to ship heavy items, there are some things that you can do to prepare your shipment to reach its destination smoothly. After all, your parcel will travel with tons of other packages from the warehouses. Hence, you’ll have to prepare your package accordingly.

We have put together some tips for preparing your package before you send it to its next destination.

Weigh Your Package: If you don’t want to pay surprise charges for your package, you’ll have to weigh your parcel accurately. You might be tempted to weigh your package before it’s properly packed, but this would prevent you from knowing the accurate measurements of your shipment.

Proper Packaging: When heavy equipment is shipped, it is more susceptible to knocks, bumps, and damages. Therefore, you must use heavy-duty or corrugated cardboard boxes (ideally new ones). Use strong tapes around the edges of the box to prevent damage. Wrap each item in your box individually with bubble wrap to restrict movement and keep the items snuggled inside the box.

Shipping Insurance: Large items are usually expensive to ship. You can’t afford to lose your valuables or have them damaged, so your best bet is to secure your shipment with moving insurance.

Tracking: Slow deliveries can be a headache. But when transporting oversized equipment, you should ensure you have access to your package’s tracking number. This will help you lower the delivery anxiety.

Types of Transportation: Basically, there are four modes of transportation in logistics, i.e., Truck, ship, train, and plane. Furthermore, these days, removable gooseneck trailers and step deck trailers are also used to ship heavy items.

Things to Avoid When Shipping Machinery Packages

Damaged Boxes: You shouldn’t ship sober items in damaged boxes, as they don’t provide the level of protection a good-quality box can.

Unsealed boxes: Ensure that your package is correctly sealed so that nothing falls out of the package during shipment.

Creased boxes (Barcodes): When moving boxes are damaged, they might have a creased surface, which can also cause the shipping barcode to crease. This damage might prevent the tracking process.

Unboxed Items: Never ship any equipment without boxes. Instead, pack them suitably for transit.

Suitcases: Don’t use suitcases to haul heavy items. Their handles and wheels can be damaged while in transit. Plus, if the suitcase gets overfilled, it can split, and the goods inside can fall out.

However, if you need to ship heavy items in the suitcases, make sure:

• To tape down all the handles
• There are no wheels on the suitcase
• Fasten the labels securely
• Insert hauling labels inside

The Potential Cost of Sober Items Shipping

The cost of hauling heavy items depends on factors like the exact weight of your package, the moving method you opt for, how far it will have to travel, how quickly you want it delivered, special permits (if your parcel requires any), and when you purchase additional insurance.

The average cost of moving bulky goods per mile ranges from $5 (for shorter-distance journeys) to $1.75 (for longer-distance shipments).

Here are some other factors that can affect the final quote of your heavy equipment shipping.

• Shipment Size: Your item's size directly affects your shipment's cost. Larger packages sometimes also mean they will have to be moved through a longer route, which is more likely to raise the prices.
• Delivery Timing: If you expect your delivery to be completed within a certain timeframe, you should also expect to pay a higher price.
• Distance between the Origin and Final Destination: When your pickup location is remote, it will take more time and charge more to ship your package than an urban location.
• Time of the Year: Inclement weather conditions also influence your delivery charges, and they can even cause the carrier’s route to elongate. As a result, your shipment arrived late with enhanced moving costs.

Conclusion

Shipping heavy-weight goods takes proper planning.

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all cheapest way to ship sober items. However, moving heavy items is no biggie. By following these tips and tricks and making an actionable plan, you will be able to determine which delivery method is most appropriate for your shipment.