keeping shipping costs down

what are you guys doing when it comes down to sending out oddly shaped, heavy items? i've gotten smaller boxes sent out coast to coast for around $10, but get thrown off by quotes for larger items.

putting the shipping cost on the buyer isn't a problem, but if i'm selling something for say...$40 and it'll cost double that to ship, i feel most people (myself included) as potential buyers, would turn down the purchase and look elsewhere.

i'm asking because as of recently, i've come across someone interested in trading exhausts and, of course, the guy lives four or five states away. it's an even trade and we've both decided to eat our own shipping costs. a factory 750F 4-2 won't exactly squeeze itself into a 2x2 box nor is it light.

am i using the wrong carriers by choosing USPS and UPS (refuse to deal with fedex)? are there tricks of the trade, so to speak, you guys feel like passing along?

sidenote: i shipped a gas tank out last week at USPS, marked it fragile, got insurance, the whole nine. as soon as the box left my hands into the postal worker's, it swiftly made its way to the floor...flat out fell (think middle aged asian woman blurting "oops so sorry")

:'(

I ship a ton of shi* everywhere in the world. About 7-10 items a week for the last 6-7 years and have shipped whole motorcycles to probably every state now and 6 different countries across the globe... Mostly through Ebay under id mark13018 but on forums and fb groups a lot as well. Mark Becraft Jr...

print from home and do your own measurements and weights at home... This will save you the most money.... You can schedule pickups at home for free too through USPS only. Anything over 24" one direction and USPS is ridiculous.

USPS is your best and cheapest route for small items.

Larger items, greyhound, uship, and FedEx will be the cheapest and often the safest.

USPS and dhl have been most expensive for me. UPS lost a seat in transit for me and just 2 weeks ago UPS dropped an engine and tried to say I didn't package it well enough. It was a 250cc 98lbs engine. I had insurance, they still tried to deny reimbursement... I've shipped over a dozen engines all the same way, materials and similar weights, never had an issue and they verified this once I called to bitch to them. They reversed the claim but it took several phone calls, emails, faxes, etc and 10 days to get a paper check and in the mean time I was out $579.72 since I paid the ship charges upfront and refunded the customer the next day... Then they proceeded to bill me for return shipping and then had to wait on another check to fix that issue... All said and done it was a headache and won't ship UPS for a while, if ever again...


If you have other questions feel free to pm me and I can even give you my number and we can talk or text... I remember starting out selling and trying to figure out all these things on my own. If I would've known them from the start I could've saved a lot of money.

In addition to motorcycles, I also wrench on cars. I've gotten huge car parts shipped across the country through both Greyhound and Fastenal for very reasonable prices. Also, when dealing with FedEx on freight, always always always go to the terminal in person. Don't use the national call center. Your local terminal can cut you a deal that will literally be half of the national quote or less.

I've had the opposite experience with FedEx... Recently they partnered with Ebay and give discounts that way...
But besides that, I went in to ship a frame from a 69 cb350 and they charged me $187.00 at my local FedEx terminal. I thought it was crazy money and I had the dimensions and weight on my receipt so I figured it up at home on FedEx dot com ... With my account and it was like $72.00... I called their 800 number and explained it to them and they refunded me the difference.... Ever since then I've never went to FedEx in person.

i've heard of greyhound shipping things other than people, but i'm not sure if there's even one near the buyer. I don't like people going out of their way, ya know.

i suppose I could give fedex another shot. I've just had bad dealings/service with them on more than one occasion, but everyone's experiences are different, I suppose. I used to swear by UPS; never had a problem with them other than a package arriving maybe a day after the initial estimated date, but some people have had nothing but problems with them.

i'm just worried that i'm looking at at least $100 in shipping costs when it's the shape more than the weight that's killer. I read of using noodle wrap on it, taping, etc. and giving it to the carrier as such as to keep dimension costs down...can anyone confirm this?

I've shipped, and paid to have shipped to me, many exhaust. Usually around $20-$30 for USPS Parcel Select.

Also, print your labels online. It doesn't know that it's a funky shaped box. It spits out a price based on dimensions alone.

i'd be surprised if $30 got my package to the next town over.

full stock exhaust, still haven't weighed it nor do i want to :/

Pull the cans off at the clamps, put them in as small a rectangular box as you can. Ship them separately. Then box the header up as tight as you can.

good idea. i suspect the whole system is over 20lbs and i don't think some carriers allow over 20 in one box so I'll go that route. much appreciated.

I have a business account with FedEx and get great rates from them, way cheaper than most walk in prices. I never will use UPS again and after USPS just lost a rare part I sent to China I'll only send stuff insured for 4 times it's value. Greyhound is good and less expensive than most, but care for your package is lacking. I had a CB750 frame, engine cases, a Kimtab wheel sent in a big box by Greyhound. Cost like $125 from Calif. to Ga. The box was totally f*cked when I got it, it was upside down, though clearly marked with arrows and notes of "This side up". You needn't worry about having a Greyhound station near you, they have drop off stations everywhere. I picked mine up at a Shell Gas station/Convenience store. The box had 4 strap bands around it strategically separated. When the box arrived they were all in the middle of the box. Fortunately everything was still in the box undamaged.

I ship loads via USPS flat rate. Most recently I sent an electric motor and controls, weighed nearly 25lbs. $13.50 out the door and they provide the box. The cost of boxes can be considerable so for me its an important facet of flat rate shipping. Though USPS did stick it to everybody that prints their own labels in the spring by removing the discount the encouraged me to buy a printer a few months beforehand.

my problem is usually the size of the box.

most recently, i shipped a 15lb, although one woman at the post office managed to get it to weigh 29lbs...., gas tank from NJ to FL and that ran me about $45.

Get yourself a scale and printer and start printing your own labels. It will pay for itself in a year. Mine pays for itself just on convenience alone. The lines are usually out the door at the USPS offices in Pittsburgh. When they are pre-labeled I just set them on the counter and walk out the door.

What you do is cut the frame into a bunch of pieces (making sure to number each, and provide a drawing for reassembly) and fit them all into a flat rate box.

Little bit of welding later, bam. Frame is ready to go.

Added bonus, when the bike gets sold you can add $500 to the price because everyone knows that if a weld lead has touched it, it's 100% custom.

Sav0r said:

I ship loads via USPS flat rate. Most recently I sent an electric motor and controls, weighed nearly 25lbs. $13.50 out the door and they provide the box. The cost of boxes can be considerable so for me its an important facet of flat rate shipping. Though USPS did stick it to everybody that prints their own labels in the spring by removing the discount the encouraged me to buy a printer a few months beforehand.

Click to expand...

I still get a discount... Less than a $1 now on small flat rates, $2 on medium, right at $3 on a large.

When I ship a seat, it's $8-$15 depending on where it goes when I print the label. Take it in to the post office, it's $20+.

I use USPS Priority Mail on all my small stuff and no matter how big it is, if it won't fit in the mail box, I just leave it on the front porch with the mailbox flag up. Never have to go the P.O. and I save money generating my own labels. Sometimes if I'm buying something from far away I have the seller box it up and give me the specs and then I generate my own label and mail it to them, usually the savings is worth the extra couple of day it takes.

VonYinzer said:

What you do is cut the frame into a bunch of pieces (making sure to number each, and provide a drawing for reassembly) and fit them all into a flat rate box.

Little bit of welding later, bam. Frame is ready to go.

Added bonus, when the bike gets sold you can add $500 to the price because everyone knows that if a weld lead has touched it, it's 100% custom.

Click to expand...

with a little note attached reading "ran before it was parked"

J-Rod10 said:

I still get a discount... Less than a $1 now on small flat rates, $2 on medium, right at $3 on a large.

When I ship a seat, it's $8-$15 depending on where it goes when I print the label. Take it in to the post office, it's $20+.

Click to expand...

What type of account do you have? I just have a standard print and ship account. Medium boxes used to be $10 and some change, now I pay $13.45 just like I would if I took it to a post office.

Sav0r said:

What type of account do you have? I just have a standard print and ship account. Medium boxes used to be $10 and some change, now I pay $13.45 just like I would if I took it to a post office.

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Business account. Medium for me is right at $11.

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