[mca]

I am in the process of trying to sell my Genesis 6.1 speakers. They are the largest I have sold yet and I'm not exactly sure how to ship them. Each speaker weighs 136 lbs and the box and packing is probably another 20 lbs or so. Each box is 67" x 24" x 18".

I don't know if these can even go via UPS or FedEx or if I would even want to ship them that way. The previous owner had custom boxes made that are very stout but I still worry about how they would handle them. Does anyone have any experience with shipping large speakers that can give me a recommendation on who to use? I have had several inquiries on the speakers, but the first thing people want to know is how much would shipping be to...

[Brian Cheney]

Your speakers are too large for UPS or Fedex Ground.  Your choices are:

1. Common carrier (truck).  Base rates are high but discounts are frequently available.  Contact several truckers in your area that have direct service to the state you are shipping.

2. Airfreight like DHL, BAX global, Aerologistics etc. can be economical if you find the right one.  Try the local Yellow pages.

[zybar]

I used Yellow Freight to ship a pair of large speakers.

They were the cheapest of the freight carriers I contacted.

George

[TheChairGuy]

UPS and FEDEX now both have freight (common carrier) services. 

If you, or maybe the company you work for, has an account with them.....they might be the automatic choice if you can get in on the discount structure your company might enjoy with them.

They're both good/competitively priced with most carriers (unless you know a discount broker or have a discount arrangement with a common carrier) - we use them a lot on larger loads (over 1000 lbs that must be palletized) shipped from our West Coast warehouse, for instance.

[richidoo]

I have Legacy Focus, 200# each when packed up. I always wondered what to do if I sold them. Thanks for the advice guys.

Will the freight shippers come pick them up at your house, palletize it and load it onto the truck? You want those two big boxes to be strapped together right? Plastic wrapped? Does it matter which way the drivers face during transport?

Do they insure the delivery as an option?

mca, what those custom boxes made of?
TIA!
Rich

[ted_b]

Shipping large ATC speakers I used TeamAir.  They were cheaper than many freight companies and yet used air-ride trucks when grounded (like a moving company).  Much better for large fragile items.

[AB]

I second the Team Air recommendation.

When I purchased my Andra IIs ( 215# per) they picked them up from the seller's house - they actually carted them out of his living room - and delivered them to my driveway. I suppose they would have helped me carry them up the two flights of stairs to my living room if I had been ready and asked.

http://www.teamair.com/index_ie.php

They were also happy to insure them too.

[mca]

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Rich,

The boxes are double layer heavy cardboard with corrugated cardboard braces inside and heavy bubble wrap   sleeves. Much better than most original speaker boxes I have seen.   

[richidoo]

Thanks Mike, AB, & Ted 

[Photon46]

There's been a number of discussion threads about this topic at Audiogon. Go to their discussion forum and try searching "shipping speakers" and pay particular attention to the "shipping expensive speakers, watch out" thread.

[JLM]

Don't neglect the option of shipping them yourself.  I picked up my current speakers (about 90 pounds each) that way as they were custom designs and already mostly broken in. 

The idea of cardboard and 100 pound speakers scares me.  I'd use semi-rigid foam in wooden crates.

But I do like the idea of letting the hauler be responsible door to door (boxing, insurance, everything).  Only one party to be blamed and no where for them to hide.

[goldlizsts]

I used Yellow Freight to ship a pair of large speakers.

They were the cheapest of the freight carriers I contacted.

George

Anytime I ship big heavy things, I'm really at the mercy of the handlers/deliverers.  All one can do is "pray."  Just last week, I passed by a UPS truck, the guy was standing inside the truck, throwing packages to the rear edge of the truck.  Of course, those are smaller packages.  But.... I've had two CD spindle shipments damaged recently.......  Regardless, I have had turntables destroyed, speakers damaged....... These companies don't "train" their employees to use care, not to mention "profession" due care.  You can label "fragile" all you want on the packaging, don't matter.  "The faster the trucker drops off, the sooner he/she (to be gender-neutral) can take his/her coffee break, or go someplace else he doesn't have to see them" kind of attitude.

[zmanbands]

Try to have the buyer get a U-Haul and come get them. I'm in Pa and had a buyer come from Tennesee and pick up Klipsch Horns. Worked great. The odds favor damage especially where freight is involved. UPS does handle up to 150 lbs with the regular trucks but your boxes may be too big as mentioned. You may want to double check the box size with them.

[RAW]

Mike
Build a pair of crates the same as the HT8 crates you now have

Use the same materials we use 2x2 with 3/8 or 1/2" plywood.
Screws every 6" and the screws must have a shoulder not a wood screw they will pull threw.

Line the crate with 2" solid foam all around leaving another 1.5" for a soft wrap like bubble wrap to cover the speakers.

So when you open them up you have the crate,2" foam walls inside and then the cabinets wrapped in bubble wrap.

And last the cabinets before the bubble wrap a fabric sock.Just like a sono tube sock .This will stop minor scratches while handling them.

The rest make them as bullet proof as possible, sit back look at them and if you think they are week packing materials in anyway .You will be correct.

WE have learned the hard way.DO NOT SHIP VIA UPS OR FEDEX even freight with them.The handling does not change.Use a freight company and put them on a pallet.Make not for pick up and delivery they will need a tail gate and payment will need to be arranged to have them put them in the garage of the delivery location if that is a option.

Next take pictures of the complete packing materials during the time you pack them up right till they are ready for pick up.

With this then no shipper will be able to make comment they were not packed correctly, you have the proof.

Last Mike INSURE them.

Did I say we do this from time to time aa

The worst, we even had afreight company drive a fork lift into the side of a pair of Apex II.Lucky for all the compression as they were fine.

[mca]

Anyone know what freight class these would be?

[richidoo]

Al, what to use for foam? polyethelene rubbery kind (indestructible) or the polystyrene kind used for commercial building construction. I don't know where to get polyethelene foam in that large quantity, but I know it's good stuff.
Thanks

[RAW]

OK while foam 2" sheets from Home Depot cost around $12.00 each if I remember.
But they shred all over I prefer to just use the insulation foam(BLUE), yes more money per 4x8 sheet but way less mess to cut as well has a better compression with out breaking apart like the white sheets do.

[jrebman]

Mike,

There are a bunch more tips on the Lansing Heritage forums -- in the classified section, if I remember correctly.

Look in your local yellow pages for a crating company that can build you a pair of crates and strap them to a palette -- more often than not they will have an arrangement with with a couple of freight companies to have things picked up at their shop (which you'll find is not necessarily the case if you want to ship from a residence.)

There is a franchised chain called cratersandfreighters.com, and they may have a branch near you, but they are ridiculously expensive, for everything from crate construction to freight charges -- like double or more than most other options.  You can have them ship things directly except that they won't insure for anything but a lost package unless they build the crate themselves.

I'm going through this now as I get ready to sell my vintage JBL L-300s.  They haven't got as much as a single scratch or dent on them and I'd like them to arrive at their new home that way.  I found out that the company who made the shipping crates for the Hubbell mirrors is only about 20 minutes drive from my house, so that's where I'm going to have my packing and crating done.  I'll leave it up to the buyer to decide what freight company he wants to use.

HTH,

Jim

[WGH]

Yep, a large palletized crate with 2" of foam on all sides seems to work. I use 1/2" OSB for the top and bottom, 3/4" thick 1x4 and 1x10 pine for the sides with 2x4 skids attached on the bottom. Trucking companies have insurance limits, so you may need to buy supplemental insurance so you are fully covered. Order a lift bed truck if you don't have a fork lift handy, the driver will appreciate it. My crates weigh an average of 150 lbs. each before anything is added. Bubble wrap or peanuts plus 2" foam will absorb any shock if dropped, but make sure everything is well packed so it is tight and not able to shift, I also use a foam wrap so nothing gets scratched, my customers are very picky. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.




Wayne