Shipping Oversized Items
The e-commerce sector is fiercely expanding, and the number of consumers who are purchasing online is constantly growing. According to, holiday e-commerce sales in 2018 have reached $120 billion compared to $103,88 in 2017, which is a 15.5 percent growth. Purchasing oversized items, like furniture or equipment, is becoming more common. However, many people still experience difficulties when it comes to shipping oversized items.
What are the options?
Whether buying or selling bulky items via eBay or Craigslist, there is always a dangling question: how does it get to the owner? Even more, pressing is how it can be delivered fast and without damage. With services like GoShip.com, shipping oversized items is easier than ever before.
Shipping oversized items via LTL shipping
One of the best possible alternatives for large pieces of transportation is LTL (less-than-truckload) shipping. LTL shipping does not require the full truck capacity, and you can pay only for the space you actually use. LTL shipping providers, like GoShip.com, offer user-friendly services to safely and conveniently deliver large items. Many of these services are based on online marketplaces, so you can arrange delivery 24/7 without extra communication. To approximately understand the cost of a certain shipment, you can get a free estimate based on the size and dimensions of the object. Often large shipments cannot be delivered by standard parcel services and need complex packing. Shipping services offer palletization, wrapping, cushion, or crate to deliver your items safely. There are also other additional services, such as lift gates, to make the shipping as comfortable as possible for you.
Benefits of LTL
If safety and convenience are important, LTL shipping is the soundest solution for your needs. You don’t have to worry about burdensome operations or communication with dozens of people. Everything is done online within a few clicks. Online shipping services let you easily and safely move items and offer reasonable pricing. It is always challenging to arrange such complicated things when shipping yourself. It can turn out to be a more expensive and stressful delivery than when using a trusted LTL shipping provider.
Quick Tips for Shipping Oversized Items
Getting bulky, oversized items from one place to another can be difficult to do on your own. So getting some help from an LTL company can take most of the burden off your shoulders. Now all you have to worry about is preparing your items for pick-up. So how exactly do you pack up oversized items? What are the things you will need in order to prevent damage to your things?
Here are a few tips to help make your move easier. Take a look:
Protect the Corners
Larger items tend to take up space and can rub against other objects. Failing to protect the corners and other delicate parts of your furniture can lead to damage. You can protect these sensitive parts by making use of bubble wrap and corrugated boards to serve as a protective barrier between your furniture. To avoid paint and finishes getting ripped off by packaging tape, make sure to cover the surfaces with moving cloth or cling wrap.
Wrap Them Up
Cling wraps aren’t just for food. They’re extremely handy for moving furniture too. Plastic wraps are great ways to secure your items together. These are also great for keeping cabinet doors and drawers shut so they don’t swing around during transit. It also serves as duster protection. We know how dirty things can get during moves. So a layer of cling wrap will mean that you don’t have to do any dusting once you unpack your oversized items.
Use Cardboard
If you are moving large items with glass surfaces, you can use cardboard for added protection. Put it on top of your glass items, then wrap it in bubble wrap. Don’t forget to tape a large “X” on the glass to prevent shattering.
Get Some Sliders
Larger items tend to be heavier. If you do not have many people helping you pack up your oversized items, then some sliders will be amazing tools to help make things easier for you. Sliders make it easier to move heavy furniture across the floor. All you have to do is position them under the items you are moving, and you’ll be good to go!
Get Moving Blankets
Covering large furniture with moving blankets is one of the best ways to avoid damage during your move. They can also serve as replacements for sliders. Lay it flat on the floor and slowly lower your furniture on top. Now, you can use that to slowly slide your item across the floor without the risk of damage.
Get Some Dollies or Hand Trucks
If you are moving tall objects such as a cabinet or a giant vase, then a Dollie is a great tool you can use. Dollies look like small, flat platforms with four wheels underneath. They are also perfect for transporting stacks of boxes.
Hand trucks, on the other hand, have a similar platform, but these only have 2 wheels underneath. These are ideal for taller furniture like dressers or bookcases. However, unlike the Dollie, hand trucks can’t handle heavier furniture.
Ask for Help
Lastly, get some help packing your larger items. No man is an island, and we certainly can’t lift every single heavy object ourselves. Getting some of your friends and loved ones to lend a hand, even if it’s just for sliding items across the floor, can make your move worlds easier.
Once you have your items ready, LTL shipping services will be the ones to handle the rest of the heavy lifting. Professional movers will be the ones to load up the trucks with all your oversized furniture and all you have to do is stand back and relax.
Conclusion
Moving oversized items alone can be stressful and that is why LTL services exist. LTL service providers will be the ones to transport your items for you, so all you’ll have to do is wait for the moving staff to finish loading and unloading your items.
But the packing has to be done by you, and that can be tricky if you do not have much experience dealing with oversized items. Hence the tips we gave above! Should you have more questions or concerns about moving large furniture, be sure to leave them in the comments section below. We’ll do our best to answer them in the future.