How does one ship large speakers 2000 miles?

[Ducatista47]

I have just purchased a pair of 4333's from Jay in the Portland, OR area. They need to end up at my Audio shop in Peoria, IL. We are investigating how to ship them. Jay and I have figured how to pack for FedEx Ground (limit 150 pounds to a busines - OK), but is it almost as safe as freight? It doesn't seem to be a traditional option to ship speakers of this size and value. The cost would be only $140 or so, plus boxes.
Forward Air has a container option for $327. It uses tie-downs we would supply.
Craters And Freighters is 8-9 hundred of my favorite dollars, no thank you very much!:barf:
Mech896 was kind enough to give us a lead on a Favored alliance Air Freight contact, and we will check it out.

Jay might ship in the next day or two, I don't know. I think he wants to ship before he misses them too much to let them go (he needs the room).
Any wisdom about packing and/or shipping these speakers would be most appreciated!:)

[clmrt]

Packing is all about materials, patience, and a little skill. If it were me, I'd box them and then wrap and strap to a skid and feel great about it. Toss in budget constraints, like we all must, then you will really have to pack these well to avoid damage, unless the carrier shows care. Insurance and fragile stickers actually do help, better then Fragile with no insurance indications at all.


Fed has always done a better job of arriving intact, and a business addy will help a great deal in proper handling.

[saeman]

My 2 cents - I've shipped several pairs of big monitors east coast to west and overseas, with zero damage. If you pack them solely in a box, any box, you're likely to have damage. The packed box ends up being too heavy to handle or pickup. The handlers end up using other means to move it - like a fork lift. If they can't pick it up they're likely to push it off the truck upon arrival (I've witnessed that before). But if it's just a box they can't get a hold of it. The box will arrive with fork holes stabbed in it and maybe the speakers too. If you box them consider the following: Band the box to a pallet so it can be handled, regardless of the end weight. Take 6" wide heavy cardboard strips and form them into an "L" and with shrink wrap, wrap ALL corners of the cabinet. Then cover the corners over the cardboard with bubble wrap and more shrink wrap. Do another cardboard "L" over that if you feel it necessary. Cut the cardboard srtips longer than the cabinet so they overhang the edges of the cabinet 2 to 3 inches. Put the cabinet in the box BACK SIDE DOWN on a blanket of large bubble wrap at least 3" thick, 4" or 5" would be better. With the cardboard corner wraps overhanding the edges of the cabinet, there will be space between the cabinet sides and the box. Fill the voids with bubble wrap. Forget foam peanuts. They're worthless for heavy objects. Mark the top of the box "DO NOT STAND ON" and/or "DO NOT STACK". Try to locate a box that is big enough to provide 3-4" of space all around the sides/top/bottom once the speaker is in the box.


I don't use cardboard boxes but instead built crates. $50-$60 at Home Depot should be enough for 4331's/4333's. Consider Forward Air. 3 days and minimal handling and less chance for damage. Speakers this size are out of UPS/FedEx area of reliability and weight range.

Boxes on PALLETS or CRATED and they'll arrive safely. Boxed only - you're taking a big chance. I shipped a pair of 4333B's a couple months ago from Chicago to LA, crated for less than $150, 401 pounds. 3 days and not a scratch on the crates let alone the speakers.

[Titanium Dome]

Yes, they should be put on a pallet and shipped by a real shipper. I've used Pilot Air, but you need to be near a major city.

Good boxes, adequate corner protection inside the box, wrapped and strapped to a pallet; that's the ticket.

[Don C]

Your quote for truck freight sounds high to me, this can be pretty reasonable. Make sure that you quote is calculated on the basis of you building the crate and delivering to the dock yourself. Getting delivered to and from a residential address can more than double the quote over dock pickup. Get more quotes.

[John]

My 2 cents - I've shipped several pairs of big monitors east coast to west and overseas, with zero damage. If you pack them solely in a box, any box, you're likely to have damage. The packed box ends up being too heavy to handle or pickup. The handlers end up using other means to move it - like a fork lift. If they can't pick it up they're likely to push it off the truck upon arrival (I've witnessed that before). But if it's just a box they can't get a hold of it. The box will arrive with fork holes stabbed in it and maybe the speakers too. If you box them consider the following: Band the box to a pallet so it can be handled, regardless of the end weight. Take 6" wide heavy cardboard strips and form them into an "L" and with shrink wrap, wrap ALL corners of the cabinet. Then cover the corners over the cardboard with bubble wrap and more shrink wrap. Do another cardboard "L" over that if you feel it necessary. Cut the cardboard srtips longer than the cabinet so they overhang the edges of the cabinet 2 to 3 inches. Put the cabinet in the box BACK SIDE DOWN on a blanket of large bubble wrap at least 3" thick, 4" or 5" would be better. With the cardboard corner wraps overhanding the edges of the cabinet, there will be space between the cabinet sides and the box. Fill the voids with bubble wrap. Forget foam peanuts. They're worthless for heavy objects. Mark the top of the box "DO NOT STAND ON" and/or "DO NOT STACK". Try to locate a box that is big enough to provide 3-4" of space all around the sides/top/bottom once the speaker is in the box.


I don't use cardboard boxes but instead built crates. $50-$60 at Home Depot should be enough for 4331's/4333's. Consider Forward Air. 3 days and minimal handling and less chance for damage. Speakers this size are out of UPS/FedEx area of reliability and weight range.

Boxes on PALLETS or CRATED and they'll arrive safely. Boxed only - you're taking a big chance. I shipped a pair of 4333B's a couple months ago from Chicago to LA, crated for less than $150, 401 pounds. 3 days and not a scratch on the crates let alone the speakers.

I second this procedure, That is the way I would go about doing it and after 20 plus years in the transportation business I have seen it all!!!http://audioheritage.csdco.com/vbulletin/images/smilies/applaud.gif

[norealtalent]

One pair 4343's with grilles, boxed and palleted (400 lbs), from terminal in Bakersfield, CA to terminal in Syracuse, NY via Alliance Air Freight, $350. This was only a few months ago. 800-684-6359 ask for Torri Smith.

[Wardsweb]

Check out this link for some large items I've shipped.

http://wardsweb.org/shipping/

[norealtalent]

Today I am shipping L300's to Charleston, NC. From terminal in Syracuse, NY (one hour north of me) to the mans door in Charleston, NC. The charge is $225 ($203.75 without insurance) through Alliance Air Freight with $2500 declared value. I was intrigued by the Forward Air rates shown in the previous post so I called them. Forward Air wanted $185 (without any declared value insurance) for the same shipment but required me to drive the pallet 3 1/2 hours (if there is no traffic) down to their JFK terminal in NYC and my customer would have to pick up his pallet at their terminal in Charleston. Alliance Air Freight, you can not find a better rate or better service unless you deliver it yourself!http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/bouncy.gif http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/bouncy.gif http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/smilies/bouncy.gif

Torri Smith at Alliance Air Freight 800-684-6359
http://www.allianceairfreight.com/home.htm

BAX Global is the way to go International, IF you can drop your pallet at an associated business with a BAX account, otherwise they will not provide you service. I have a good friend who let me open a BAX account through his business, http://www.jsgaudio.com/ . Most people are not that fortunate. Usually it doesn't cost much more to go to international ports vs domestic door to door.

[sonofagun]

Try Greyhound package service - is VERY inexpensive.