Thread: Shipping Rates

UPDATED 01/13:

Want to know how much a premium 'white glove' delivery service will charge? Attached are files you can download to figure a rate via SUN DELIVERY. There are less expensive companies that do this sort of work, but not that has the professionalism and low damage claims that Sun offers. You are always welcome to book your own shipper as well.

ASSESSORIAL SCHEDULE JANUARY 2013.doc

NORTH CAROLINA ZIP RATER DECEMBER 2012-1.xls

How to rate a delivery: Lets use a single sofa from Hancock and Moore in North Carolina as an example, going to a home in Illinois. The standardized weight is 225 lb, and if you look at the IL rate it will be .71 per lb.

225 x .71 = $ 159.75

Fuel Surcharge is currently 32%. 159.75 * 1.32 = $ 210.87

Delivery Notification, Inspection Fees, and Trash Removal is $ 75.00

$ 75.00 + $ 210.97 = $ 285.87 (final cost)

In most cases, you pay direct to the delivery service via Certified Check or Money Order. Credit Cards, Personal Checks and Cash are not accepted.

This is great information! Everytime we put 'white glove' as an option people get excited until they see the price. $250 to ship a sofa from NC to IL is a bargain! Frankly I would rather they spend the extra money to do so because it also gives us the assurance that it will (theoretically) be shipped with more care than a typical LTL type company.

Don't forget to read and download the Accessory page. That's going to have the fuel surcharge, notification fees, and debris removal adds to that rate sheet that have to be factored in as well.

I started using a "white glove" delivery service for my company a few months ago after discussing the topic with Duane. Most of my shipments throughout the US are made by UPS which is excellent in most parts of the country, but I was having a particular problem in New York City.

In NYC UPS hands off their deliveries to 3rd party carriers who have absolutely no regard for package safety, customer feelings or common courtesy. Over a 1 year period almost 1/3 of the orders I shipped to NYC resulted in damages, lost boxes or general customer complaints about their deliveries. Since my company's policy is to provide complete customer satisfaction no matter what, I frequently ended up refunding the shipping cost after a botched delivery.

Since switching to a "white glove" carrier (Classic Moving and Storage) I have had 0 complaints or problems of any kind. Customers call and email to tell us how wonderful the delivery people were. I have not even raised my delivery prices. The elimination of problems and the goodwill created is worth far more than the difference in shipping costs.

Since my upholstered furniture arrives unassembled (for fitting through narrow doors, elevators and stairways) customers are particularly appreciative when the drivers unpack it from the boxes, assemble everything and remove the boxes, all in about 15 minutes. We do not sell our products in retail stores, but we do have many customers around the country who eagerly volunteer to show off their furniture to prospective new customers. Those volunteers had been conspicuously lacking in NYC, but we now have several recent customers, after receiving delivery from our "white glove" carrier who are happy to recommend us to others.

Jeff Frank
www.simplicitysofas.com

LTL is always my VERY last choice in shipping furniture (Less Than Truckload, Common Carrier). By far the highest damage rates and not designed to delivery residential.

"White Glove" delivery services are the preferred carriers for furniture by far. I am still on the search for the 'perfect' carrier among the many that do that. And feedback from customers is the only way I can tell if the service is satisfactory.

Sounds like Classic is doing a good job for you, Jeff. Is that the outfit out of Conover, NC? I've not tried them yet, but if they keep doing a good job for you, let me know.

Hi Duane,

Yes, Classic is out of Conover. The head man is Alex Gaines. His office number is 888-848-4551 and his cell phone is 828-455-6746. It has been really wonderful working with them.

From my standpoint there are only two slight drawbacks -- First that they take 2 weeks to deliver (UPS used to take 2 days) and they have a strange pricing system where they charge by the seat which makes multi-piece shipments very expensive. Fortunately I ship a lot of 2 seat sofas to NYC, which is very cost-effective.

Is there an up to date rate sheet for Sun, (or anyone) available?

Thanks in advance,
Beth

That is still the current rate sheet for Sun Delivery. Fuel Surcharge is currently 1.33 % and holding.

Thanks!

NORTH CAROLINA ZIP RATER NOVEMBER 2011.pdf

Effective Nov 1, 2011 these are the new Sun Delivery rates for furniture coming out of the Carolinas. Current fuel surcharge is 30 %, so add that to the calculation, and don't forget to add the $ 60 accessorial charge that goes on every order.

To compute:

Total weight x rate for location.

Rate x 1.3 %

Add $ 60

EXAMPLE: You have (1) sofa and (1) recliner and live in New York City:

225 lb (sofa) and 125 lb (recliner) = 350 lb
NY CITY rate is $ .67 per hundred lbs (350) or $ 234.50
Multiply by fuel surcharge (30 %) and you come up to $ $ 304.85
Add $ 60 accessorial charge and your total freight charge is $ 364.85.