Starting to ship - a few questions

[tampasnooker]

I am going to begin shipping some of my frags in the future and have some start up questions about shipping.

First is for the Florida farmers - UPS ground is usually discussed as a standard $15 overnight within Florida. I'm expecting a box of rics from the keys (I'm in Tampa) and UPS says ground is 2 days. Is that due to location of the shipper or them covering themselves in case it takes 2 days. Overnight is $65. I want them here overnight to prevent any stress from riding in a hot truck or sitting in a warehouse, but would love to save $50. Who is your favorite shipper and method?

How do you find out the routes that the package goes? I've read that shipping out of state the packages often go to a hub for processing in route. Seems necessary in terms of planning for temperature control inside the box.

Last (for now...) supplies. I read Uline is a popular source. Are there any more economical sources that you like for styro boxes, urine cups, heat or cold packs and any other items?

Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

 

[KLR]

I just shipped out my first from nc to va........dont know how it went but it is suppose to arrive at the buyers house 2day.......and it went from my house to raleigh, to Kentucky(the larger hub around here), then richmond,now it is being delivered

 

[KLR]

check out ship your aquatics for supplies

 

[KLR]

You def need to go overnight for best survival rate even though its pricey...ship your aquatics price isnt as bad as fedex or regular ups

 

[soccerbag]

Not sure why the shipper would be sending out 2 day. Good rule of thumb (especially in extreme temps) is to ship overnight. Personally, I use Fedex exclusively. And always ship Priority Overnight. Yes, this costs extra but we are talking about live corals here. If you ship Fedex, there are two main hubs in the middle of the country (Memphis and Indianapolis). For example, if I ship from VA to CA, it will go through Memphis so it is always good to check the weather there before shipping (especially in the winter). If I ship from VA to FL, it will still go to Memphis first - just how it goes. If I ship from VA to the Northeast (NY, NJ, PA, DE, etc), it will go to Indianapolis first. Yes, it's WAY out of the way but that's how it goes. So you need to take that into account before shipping. Not sure of the UPS Overnight routes as I don't use them.

Uline is a very good place to get supplies. I typically just reuse boxes that I've rec'd coral shipments in (I buy alot so I always have 5-10 handy). I triple bag all of my corals when shipping and, when using bags, is the expected standard IMO. I get my supplies from Ken's Fish ( http://www.kensfish.com/shippingsupplie.html). He has always been reliable and you can buy in bulk and save.

As for heat packs and cool packs, it just depends on time of year. You have to keep in mind that it's not just surface temperature you're dealing with. When en flight via Fedex or UPS, the cargo holds are not temp controlled and it can get quite cold at 30,000+ft (down to about 30-40 below).

My advice is talk with the buyer and see what he / she wants. And you can always ship to a Fedex Kinkos location and that is typically guaranteed by 9AM and it's a temp controlled environment. Hope this helps a bit....

 

[Speg]

You can ship USPS overnight in Florida for less than $20. It may even be $15 depending on the weight of the item.

I looked through all the different shippers and it seems just so much cheaper to ship USPS express. If you go to their website, you can see if the package can be delivered overnight or not and in most areas it can.

As for supplies....I've found some cheap urine cups on Ebay..but I'm still trying to find a good price on styro boxes....thinking of just buying styrofoam sheets and making my own box.

Good luck.

 

[ksc]

"When en flight via Fedex or UPS, the cargo holds are not temp controlled and it can get quite cold at 30,000+ft (down to about 30-40 below)."

Are you sure about this? I would doubt any coral would survive if those holds aren't heated.





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[soccerbag]

Not saying that the temps in the bags reach this temperature but it's not the same comfy temps you and I are used to on commercial airlines. That's all I'm saying.

 

[tampasnooker]

Thanks for chiming in, all. Second day shipping isn't and wasn't an option. Looking for specifics on shipping UPS within FL if anyone has experience. Most of FL is overnight via ground. Their rep didn't have good answer as to what areas are next day vs second.

 

[Anemone]

I ship with UPS through shipyouraquatics.com when I ship my seahorses. I've never had a problem, my seahorses have always arrived the next day before 10:30 AM. It's also about a 30% discount off of walking into to UPS and paying when you drop off your package.

 

[KLR]

i used shipyour aquatics and had great results ...the woman in virginia said i did a great job and she loved the free frags..lol

anyways..i shipped 16 frags!! SPS,LPS,and zoas & palys, and all of them did great!

 

[tampasnooker]

That's a cool way to get a discount until volume justifies having a commercial account. Thanks for sharing.