# How to ship a heavy box? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512 "2009-11-22T09:29:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/1 "2009-11-22T09:29:36Z")
Let’s call it a cubic yard and maybe 50 or 60 lbs. What is the cheapest way to ship it domestically? The cost with UPS or FedEx is prohibative and I can’t find a freight line that is cheap for one box. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/2 "2009-11-22T09:42:26Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Let’s call it a cubic yard and maybe 50 or 60 lbs. What is the cheapest way to ship it domestically? The cost with UPS or FedEx is prohibative and I can’t find a freight line that is cheap for one box. Place in bed of pickup truck and drive it? Your OP has eliminated the people whose business is to do such things as cheaply as possible.. You’re not shipping a Soviet warhead are you? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/3 "2009-11-22T09:47:09Z")
> [@Quintas](#): > > Place in bed of pickup truck and drive it? Your OP has eliminated the people whose business is to do such things as cheaply as possible.. With gas it would be $200 up and back. Its a floor jack and stands (long story) ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/4 "2009-11-22T09:52:05Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > With gas it would be $200 up and back. Its a floor jack and stands (long story) I’ll be interested in the responses. If Fedex costs too much, i’d say you are SOL. I mean, if some other company could do what they do, but cheaper, then they would be Fedex. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/5 "2009-11-22T10:25:34Z")
I recently shipped a large 50-60 pound box with UPS ground, and it was a little less than $50, which seemed pretty reasonable to move something that big 1000 miles and delivered to a doorstep. I don’t think you’ll find much cheaper than that unless you are a regular shipper of heavy boxes that gets a bulk rate. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/6 "2009-11-22T14:01:40Z")
Have you checked with Greyhound? ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/7 "2009-11-22T14:33:56Z")
> [@Bootis](#): > > I recently shipped a large 50-60 pound box with UPS ground, and it was a little less than $50, which seemed pretty reasonable to move something that big 1000 miles and delivered to a doorstep. I don’t think you’ll find much cheaper than that unless you are a regular shipper of heavy boxes that gets a bulk rate. Just wanted to add that this is what most airlines will charge for a checked bag weighing over 50 lbs anyway, so the prices here are comparable. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/8 "2009-11-22T15:11:45Z")
Are you in the States? If so, use the USPS, but break it down into two boxes (if at all possible!) Their costs for boxes over 40lbs are quite high, but below 40lbs, not so much. If you can possibly break it down into _two_ 30lb parcels, it would make your shipping considerably cheaper! (With great thanks to and bittersweet memories of **QED** , who informed me of this when my FIL was trying to ship an 80lb package to Australia without having to re-mortgage the house). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/9 "2009-11-22T16:00:29Z")
When dealing with Fedex, be sure ou’re looking at Fedex Ground, not regular Fedex. Huge differenece in price. And to echo **norinew** , there is a huge increment in price about the time the package gets too heavy for a small person to easily hand-carry. Two 30s are almost certainly cheaper than one 60. Bulk often has a surcharge as well. Two boxes at 3’x3’x18" might be much less expensive than one at 3’x3’x3’ . ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-ship-a-heavy-box/518512/10 "2009-11-22T16:00:52Z")
Try posting on [uShip](http://www.uship.com/) and see if anyone will take it for less than UPS. If you’re flexible with the timing, you might find someone who is making a larger delivery in the general areas and will give you a good price.