Whether you’re a business owner or an individual buying or selling furniture online, when you need to ship a piece or a few pieces of furniture, you want to save money. Shipping something big and bulky, like a couch or table, can cost you an arm and a leg. Take a look at these options for the cheapest way to ship furniture, and avoid shipping service sticker shock.
Cheapest Way to Ship Furniture to Another State
Depending on the piece, you have some very cost-effective options when moving furniture to another state:
- Shipping Furniture as LTL Freight: Often, transporting furniture pieces as LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) freight is the cheapest option. If you’re experienced in properly preparing and crating your furniture, this is the solution for you.
- Shipping Furniture as Bus Freight: One way to ship furniture long distances and save money is to contact a bus service, like Greyhound and ask about their freight services. Similar to LTL shipping, you will want to know how to prepare your furniture to avoid damages in transit. Another thing to keep in mind is size and weight restrictions. If your furniture exceeds these restrictions, you can quickly go from a cheap solution to an expensive problem.
- Shipping Furniture as Train or Plane Freight: While most people think of ground transportation when shipping furniture, don’t forget about the skies and the rails. Trains and planes have additional limitations and restrictions that can cause the cost of shipping furniture to skyrocket. For instance, larger pieces may require you to register as a TSA-known approved shipper. Also, you will need to get the item to and from the train station or airport, adding even more costs.
- Finding an Independent Furniture Transporter: Transporters who specialize in furniture delivery often have extra room on their truck, and are looking to fill that space. Since they already have a few deliveries, they can usually cut you a deal and end up being the cheapest way to ship furniture long distances. This is also a great option if you aren’t confident in preparing your piece or pieces of furniture for freight transportation. uShip’s shipping marketplace can connect you with just such a carrier today.
Should I Rent a Truck or Trailer to Transport Furniture Long Distances?
While renting a truck or trailer can be very low-cost upfront, it does require more personal effort and potential additional costs that can quickly add up. Expenses commonly ignored are:
- Food and Lodging: If your furniture transport requires multiple days of travel you will need food and a place to sleep for the night.
- Vehicle Part Rentals: You may need to rent additional parts for your furniture move such as a tow hitch for your trailer or a car tow dolly for your truck.
- Additional miles: If you choose to rent a truck, know that rental companies charge per mile once you have exceeded the maximum mileage allotted on your rental agreement.
- Shipping Protection: It will be your responsibility to cover the cost of any damage done to your rental while hauling furniture long distances.
- Additional equipment: For the best protection, your furniture may require additional equipment such as moving pads, tie-down straps, and furniture dollies.
All things considered, renting a truck or trailer is a cheap option if you don’t have many items to move very far. Otherwise, it would be best to explore alternative shipping methods if you are looking for the cheapest way to ship furniture cross country.
Want to see how cheap it can be to ship your furniture? List your shipping needs with details around your couch, chair, table, any piece of furniture or home decor in uShip’s marketplace and start getting furniture shipping quotes today.
