Understanding the Big and Bulky Delivery Category
By Kelsea Mann
Most businesses that handle supply chain management have been challenged by the big and bulky category. These are your shipments that aren’t small enough to be sent via the mail, but aren’t large enough to warrant taking out an entire truck to ship. Another case could be when you need to send a customer just one item, or receive just one item from your supplier, that you know you’ll need before the next shipment cycle comes. In order to understand where big and bulky fits into shipping sizes, we need to break down the main two categories of shipping, parcel and freight.
The Parcel Category
The parcel category generally consists of packaged items that would fit better in a small package rather than a postcard, a letter or a flat envelope, but smaller than you would want in a large package. According to the US Postal Service, the measurements for parcels are at least 3 inches high x 6 inches long x 1/4 inch thick. Commercial parcels must be under 70 pounds. Another division, machinable parcels, are defined by USPS as a parcel prepared so that it can be processed by machine mailing equipment. The size restrictions for this category are no more than 27 inches long x 17 inches width x 17 inches high, and no more than 25 pounds. Regardless of the category of package, the largest weight USPS will process is 70 pounds,
The Freight Category
According to an article by TaxJar, the right time to make the switch to freight shipping is for packages over 108 inches in length, or over 150 pounds. For this type of package, shippers need to consider a less-than-truckload carrier, often referred to as an LTL freight carrier. According to the same article, packages like these are often sent to localized facilities and then distributed onto smaller and smaller trucks until they reach their destination. Gibbs from TaxJar writes, “the main advantage to using an LTL carrier is that a shipment may be transported for a fraction of the cost of hiring a truck and trailer for an exclusive shipment.”
The Big and Bulky Category
Big and bulky shipments could fit into either parcel shipping or the freight category, but often would be more expensive to ship through the mail or on a large truck. Additionally, big and bulky items, such as construction parts or medical supplies, are needed very quickly. Customers don’t want to wait for long shipping times when it comes to essential equipment, but they don’t want to pay in excess for fast shipping across multiple supply chains, either.
The solution is Big and Bulky LTL carriers, like PartRunner. PartRunner works for any type of business, whether you’re a construction and trades industry, or medical supplies. PartRunner is the new way of moving things, bringing your company a tool for productivity, efficiency and cost-savings, and over all transforming the customer experience. Our mobile app allows for anyone to quickly schedule deliveries, and our wide range of vehicle sizing in our fleet gets your shipments there on time, without the extra cost of sending things through the mail. If your business needs something moved from 1 to 1,000 pounds, consider PartRunner your partner in same day and scheduled deliveries!
