What is the cheapest way to ship heavy items?

Calculating shipping costs and choosing the most economical shipping method can be confusing. Our Cheapest Way to Ship Anything guides make it easy to compare shipping costs and choose the right method for your cargo, whether you're shipping common items like boxes or difficult-to-transport goods like antiques or artwork.

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1. How Much Does it Cost to Ship Heavy Items?

We've calculated shipping costs for three common shipping methods: USPS, parcel shipping, and consolidated freight.

i. USPS shipping costs

ii. Parcel shipping costs (eg. UPS or FedEx)

iii. Consolidated freight

2. Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about shipping heavy items.

Thanks to their heft, heavy items can be awkward to ship or move. To complicate matters further, there is no commonly accepted definition of what is considered a “heavy package”. Every carrier defines it differently:

• USPS cannot carry packages over 70 lbs and has no heavy item distinctions.
• UPS and FedEx define any package over 70 lbs as heavy.
• Consolidated freight providers consider items over 125 lbs to be heavy but do not have maximum weight limits.

Heavy items can include things like auto parts, mattresses, gym equipment, or pallets of packed boxes. There are many reasons why you might need to ship heavy items, such as:

• You’re a retailer sending heavy purchases to customers, including artwork or equipment
• You’re relocating a business and are sending heavy items and equipment to other locations
• You’re moving long-distance and are shipping heavy boxes, furniture, artwork, or household goods your new home

Whatever your reason, there are a number of special considerations to keep in mind when shipping heavy items:

• Weight limits: Most shipping companies have a weight limit on how much they can carry. USPS cannot carry packages over 70lbs, for example. FedEx and UPS have weight limits for flat rate shipping but can carry heavier packages using other shipping services. Consolidated freight shippers are the most capable of carrying heavy items and don’t have maximum weight limits to worry about.
• Accurate measurements: It’s especially important when shipping heavy items to make sure you accurately weigh and measure your package. Providing accurate information to your shipping provider will help you avoid incurring unexpected oversize or overweight surcharges.
• Speed of delivery: Ground shipping is the most cost-effective way to ship heavy boxes, but it may take longer to deliver your items. LTL ground shipping typically takes 3-5 business days from pickup to delivery, so if you need fast delivery, you’ll need to use air freight, which will significantly increase the cost of shipping heavy items.
• Packaging: Heavy items are more likely to be carried by forklift, so your packaging needs to be capable of handling heavy weights while withstanding the rigorous carrying practices these packages require. Always use new, strongly constructed boxes, ideally with stitched or stapled seams, or consider crating and palletizing especially heavy items. Heavy items are also more likely to shift in transit, and standard packing materials like crumpled paper or bubble wrap may not be sufficient to prevent damage. Corrugated board or engineered foam enclosures are often recommended, but can add to your shipping costs.
• Fragility: Heavy items are more prone to damage because they can be difficult to carry and are more likely to shift in transit. If your heavy items are fragile, you’ll want to work with a shipping provider that has the experience to help you properly pack and transport these items safely.
• Physical ability: Some freight shippers will require you to carry your cargo to the curb for loading, and parcel shippers may not be able to schedule at-home pickup or delivery for certain items or locations. In these cases, you’ll need to have the physical ability to carry your heavy items to the curb or into the store. You may need tools like dollies or a hand truck to help out.
• Insurance: Because heavy items are more susceptible to damage than lighter packages, you may want to purchase additional insurance to protect your shipment in the event it sustains damage, especially if you’re shipping valuable or antique items.

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How much does it cost to ship heavy items?

The cheapest way to ship heavy items depends on the exact weight of your cargo and the distance it will travel. Consolidated freight is typically the cheapest way to ship heavy packages.

Compare shipping rates for heavy items using the most common shipping methods:

• USPS
• Parcel shipping (such as FedEx or UPS)
• Consolidated freight

USPS

USPS cannot transport any item over 70 lbs, and is therefore not ideal for heavy packages.

If your package weighs less than 70 lbs, flat rate shipping is the cheapest option. Learn more about shipping flat rate boxes with USPS.

If you need faster delivery or a larger box size, you’ll need to use a variable pricing service.

Parcel shipping (UPS or FedEx)

Parcel shippers like UPS and FedEx have their own sets of rules when it comes to packing heavy items.

UPS considers any package over 70 lbs to be “heavy”. For items over 70 lbs, UPS requires you to attach a “heavy package” sticker directly beside the address label with the weight of the package clearly legible, and your package must meet UPS Box Strength Guidelines. If your package weighs over 150 lbs, you’ll need to ship it through UPS Freight. The cost of UPS Freight shipping depends on whether you need ground freight or air freight, as well as the freight class of your items. Additional charges will apply for value-added services like use of liftgate, inside pickup or delivery, limited access, and extreme length.

FedEx offers a number of shipping options for heavy items. The right service depends on the weight of your heavy item. FedEx Home Delivery can transport packages up to 70 lbs, while items between 70-150 lbs will be considered “heavy” and will be shipped through FedEx Ground. Any package over 75 lbs requires a safety label placed over the diagonal corners of the package. This safety label can only be acquired by contacting FedEx directly. For packages over 150 lbs, you’ll need FedEx Express Freight or FedEx Freight. 3 day, 2 day, 1 day, and overnight delivery is available with FedEx Freight services.

Compare FedEx shipping options for heavy items below:

Here’s how much you can expect to pay to ship heavy items using parcel shipping freight services:

Shipping cost estimates are calculated using individuals providers’ online cost estimator tools. Details, exact prices, and shipping times are not guaranteed.

Consolidated freight (TSI)

Consolidated freight shippers specialize in transporting heavy and difficult-to-transport items.  Unlike parcel carriers, freight shippers do not have any special requirements for heavy items—items are considered heavy and may require special equipment when they exceed 125 lbs, but there are no “heavy package” designations to worry about.

Heavy items are commonly loaded and unloaded using a forklift, but the driver may also use a pallet jack to push your cargo onto a liftgate before lowering it to the curb. Proper packing will ensure your cargo stays safe throughout this process, but the correct packing method ultimately depends on what you’re shipping:

• Some items, such as household goods or general merchandise can be safely boxed with the appropriate padding and packing materials
• Delicate or valuable items such as engines, transmissions, car parts, and other equipment should be crated for the most protection
• Shipments of 15 or more boxes or especially heavy boxes should be palletized so they are easy to load and unload from the truck. TSI can help palletize your boxes for an additional fee.

Additional charges will apply for White Glove shipments such as heavy furniture, artwork, or valuable items that weigh over 300 lbs. These items cannot be transported by forklifts or other heavy machinery, and instead will require additional labor—typically a third person—to move them safely.

There may also be additional charges for use of liftgate for items 150 lbs or heavier, as well for delivering to a residence—residential addresses typically don’t have the facilities to send and receive heavy items, such as loading docks, and extra attention or equipment may be required. Most commercial facilities have a loading dock and the means to safely load and unload a shipment. When requesting a quote, be sure to describe what facilities or equipment are available so your logistics specialist can provide an accurate quote.

We’ve put together two examples of heavy item shipments to give you an idea of how much it costs to send heavy items through consolidated freight:

1. One single 300 lb item, not including liftgate charges
2. A pallet of boxes weighing 550 lbs, including liftgate charges

NOTE: Box size does not factor into freight pricing.

Learn more about LTL freight.

NOTE: Shipping cost estimates are calculated using individual providers’ online cost estimator tools. Details, exact prices, and shipping times are not guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions