Most economical way to ship packages?

bethel · 08-03-2006, 10:53 AM

Since my DS will be flying to his school, we will be shipping a nember of items from home - boxes will be 24" x 18" x 12" and will weigh about 20 - 30 lbs each. What is the most economical way to ship them?

dt123 · 08-03-2006, 10:55 AM

Use ups.com to find out the exact cost. I suspect that will be the cheapest way.

Lukester · 08-03-2006, 11:25 AM

I just read about a new web site called www.redroller.com where you can compare shipping costs. Kind of like a travelocity type site except for shipping boxes instead of people.

TutuTaxi · 08-03-2006, 11:28 AM

Hi bethel, the best way to determine the cheapest means of shipping your packages, is to go to the web site of UPS, USPS (parcel post) and FED EX (ground) and plug in the numbers (box size, wt, and beginning and ending zip codes). One thing to consider is the ease of receiving the boxes. Will the school’s receiving room store the boxes for your S? Is the receiving room open on weekends? Every summer my daughter attends a ballet summer program and we ship boxes of bedding, etc. This year we shipped to the closest UPS store because she was arriving and checking in on a Sunday and the school’s receiving dept was closed. The UPS store charged a small fee for receiving the boxes and storing them for a day but it turned out to be hassle free.

Also if you are shipping books, separate them from the other items and ship them media rate (MUCH cheaper than UPS, or USPS parcel post).

I’m not sure for UPS but with USPS if you print the label from the web-site (“Print and Click”) it is cheaper than if you go to the post office and have them do it. You can pay either online or at the PO.

GOOD LUCK

2boysima · 08-03-2006, 11:30 AM

UPS or Fedex ground is likely to be the least expensive.

If any of the items are "new" -- consider holding off the purchase, and try to purchase on the internet and have shipped directly to the dorm -- from a company that doesn't charge for shipping.

Also...check with the airline he's flying on. While there are baggage limits for what you take on for free, it's often possible to pay for extra bags/packages. While this is usually a more expensive option, depending on the size, weight and quantity, it may not be that much more expensive for you. Just make sure your son's ride from airport to school doesn't charge a fortune to transport whatever "extra" he's got!

"just"aMom · 08-03-2006, 11:55 AM

Just a quick drop of info into www.redroller.com showed a 19 lb "medium" box, cheapest was DHL. I'd heard DHL was less expensive, now I see the proof.

redroller is pretty cool, although it is a "beta" site, so it may disappear tomorrow.

mootmom · 08-03-2006, 12:37 PM

I've used DHL (formerly Airborne) to send all my cross-country-to-kid-at-college packages and all my get-to-relatives-for-Christmas packages for years now, and (except for one experience where one box got shipped ground instead of air and took a long time to get there and no one was sure where it was because it was in a container on a truck somewhere en route), I've had only good experiences and excellent prices. (The above was one package out of probably 60 or so.) I recommend them: certainly compare prices, but don't rule out DHL/Airborne.

lalady · 08-03-2006, 01:06 PM

I have frequently used DHL for business but every time I have used them for personal there has been some delay/loss/damage. I'm glad to hear someone else has had a more positive experience. I may try them again.

EllenF · 08-03-2006, 01:47 PM

I've had problems with DHL, too, so I use FedEx or UPS.

Beernutz14 · 08-03-2006, 02:24 PM

I have been using RedRoller for about 2 months now and they are awesome. I sell stuff on eBay so for me it is the most perfect online tool. Setting up shipping is really easy, it links up with eBay and pulls all the information right into the ship page. They just started offering DHL@Home which is probably the cheapest way to ship available. I spoke with a customer service rep and they said that international shipping is going to be available soon as well. Highly recommended@!

cangel · 08-03-2006, 02:41 PM

Last year when I was shipping D's stuff for freshman year, someone pointed out that fewer, bigger boxes was a cheaper way to go than more small boxes. We ran into problems with weight and size of large boxes - my D is very petite - but it is something to consider, definitely less expensive if he can get the box up the stairs.

atomom · 08-03-2006, 03:33 PM

Thanks so much for this info--I'm packing boxes right now. I found that USPS is cheapest for me--and all of the ground rates were less than I'd expected. Certainly worth the $20 or so for shipping--S won't have to check/collect bags or move bulky stuff from shuttle to shuttle.

jmmom · 08-03-2006, 04:26 PM

Just want to be sure you've not overlooked the airlines, depending on how many of you are flying to the school for move-in/orientation. With the allowance of 2 checked plus 1 carry-on each, we had more than enough capacity since DH, DS and I all went to Orientation - no cost. But, if you're not all flying, then of course you need to look at shipping some stuff.

atomom · 08-03-2006, 05:16 PM

Kid is flying alone, has to take two shuttles. He's the type who loses stuff--his laptop and carryon will be enough for him to keep track of. I'm shipping two boxes--bedding, bulky clothes/few books, misc. items (the velveteen rabbit, blankie, etc.) He's a "minimalist." Wow--$20 to skip checking in bags, claiming bags, getting a cart, wheeling large bags around, dragging them on and off one shuttle, and on and off another--what a deal! (Not that I don't enjoy seeing my son suffer a little, but now is not the time. . .I might ask him to pay postage, though).

jmmom · 08-03-2006, 05:35 PM

'Nuf said, atomom. Shipping is definitely the way I'd go in your situation. Don't even ask what happened to my S' stuff when he came home from Tulane by himself.

Suffice it to say he's been home a month and we've yet to see his large duffel and one box.