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I possibly have a job that requires I ship the sign to the customer in state. The sign will be 4' by 5' on 1/2" MDO. Does UPS ship packages this size, or will I have to result to a freight shipper?
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6464 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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Hey, John, I'm with Amy on this one....... go to Freight Quote and set yourself up an account..... they give you about 6 carriers to choose from with their delivery times and prices...... very nice company to work with !! Plus... they bill you after shipment. No prepayment.
And,,, as far as the box goes, make a 1"x2" frame and skin over with 1/4" cheap paneling. I use the 3/4" white styrofoam from Home Depot/Lowe's for packing as required. Glue in a 2" paneling strip where the panels join. Then, in LARGE LETTERS stencil it DO NOT FLAT STACK --- ship in the VERTICAL position !! That way (hopefully) you won't have a pallet of oil drums that weigh in excess of 1500 pounds sitting on the face of your nice pretty sign !!
Oh, yeah.... as for pricing the shipping and handling .... I have established my own rule ...... I take the total amount of materials used in the fabrication of the box and packing.... add 40% and that is the total cost for packing.... plus shipping. Wa-La.... a quick price quote to the customer. ((if you can guest-a-mate it from the beginning)) I use a standard bathroom digital scale for weighing the box.
[ September 22, 2003, 07:10 AM: Message edited by: John Smith ]
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 822 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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John, I have never used the service, but Fedex is in the ground freight business now. I think you can get a quote at their website.
UPS will take some oversize packages but they will not guarantee shipment time, and it goes at a minimum of the 70 pound rate. I do not recommend it. Vic G
-------------------- Victor Georgiou Danville, CA , USA Posts: 1746 | From: Danville, CA , USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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I'm about to ship 2 4' x 8' aluma-ply type signs via Fed-ex ground freight. They're heavy, about 52 lb. each, plus packing. I called them a couple weeks ago for a quote, they told me about $161, based on my guess of 40 lb each.
I just called again, talked to a different gal, and she said they have a 40% discount for first time customers. The new quote is about $104, and they issued a quote number, to use when I'm actually ready to ship.
That is a great tip about the "Do not flat stack".
Don't use my weights as a measure, I'm sure regular MDO is lighter than the stuff I'm shipping. It always looked like that foreign "Luan" (sp?) stuff laminated in there. Heavy as can be. Maybe Amazon ironwood. Maybe somebody on an island cracks it open and glues lead in there.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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