Need to ship a bumper skin from Portland to Phoenix...ideas?

[sc]

I need to ship a bumper skin from Portland to Phoenix.
So its large and a little flimsy.
Any ideas?

[mepstein]

Box it with plywood.

[Cory M]

I used to do this a lot when I sold fiberglass bumpers. I would get flat cardboard sheet and make a box, since I could never get them in the right size. Greyhound is the cheapest shipping, although they've gone up just like everything else. There are a lot of horror stories about Greyhound but I probably shipped a hundred packages and two of them were damaged, none were lost. The communication is pretty poor though, so if the shipment is late don't expect a notice. You have to drop off and pick up at the station too.

[mepstein]

Originally Posted by Cory M

I used to do this a lot when I sold fiberglass bumpers. I would get flat cardboard sheet and make a box, since I could never get them in the right size. Greyhound is the cheapest shipping, although they've gone up just like everything else. There are a lot of horror stories about Greyhound but I probably shipped a hundred packages and two of them were damaged, none were lost. The communication is pretty poor though, so if the shipment is late don't expect a notice. You have to drop off and pick up at the station too.

I don't think they offer the service anymore. Good riddance. I did it once, never again.

[EC900]

I also made my own large shipping boxes. You can scrounge up some cardboard just about anywhere in a dumpster or appliance/furniture store. Hot glue some of those cheap generic pink insulation foam to the inside for rigidity and cushioning. Use PirateShip to print your own label and get for good rates via UPS, drop off at UPSStore location.

[Cory M]

Originally Posted by mepstein

I don't think they offer the service anymore. Good riddance. I did it once, never again.

Overall my experiences were okay. You just have to know it's going to take a couple of weeks and there's going to be zero communication. It made some deals feasible that otherwise wouldn't be, no one wants to pay $300+ to ship a $200 bumper...

+1 for Pirate Ship, I haven't tried to ship any large packages with them but they have been great on the smaller stuff I've shipped

[lindbhr]

Originally Posted by mepstein

I don't think they offer the service anymore. Good riddance. I did it once, never again.

Correct. Greyhound no longer ships parcels. Use a bicycle box to ship the bumper. Make sure to cut it down to size. A few extra inches in height can more than double to cost shipping by FedEx. You can use their cost estimating tool online and vary the length, height and width to optimize your shipping cost. Can you bundle any other parts with it? The cost to ship would be the same, so essentially free shipping on the additional parts.

[Ken.e]

I've been using freightquote.com whenever I have to ship or receive large items. They always find the best rate and have excellent customer service. They are a broker so the experience with the actual shipping company varies.

[tsuter]

uship.com

[2.7RS]

I happen to have a FedEx hub 15 minutes from me

I've been pleasantly surprised of shipping cost when you cut the middle men retail

I box the stuff and is reliable, insured and tracked

[theiceman]

fasten it to a Porsche and drive it there

[sc]

If I could find someone that has room and traveling from the Northwest to the Southwest...That would be perfect!

Originally Posted by theiceman

fasten it to a Porsche and drive it there