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Shipping furniture- a happy ending

Michael Pekovich, art director

10 users recommend

Door to door delivery service.

A top-heavy hard-to-wrap table. My biggest worry during the move.

One of a pair of side tables.

Wrapped and packed.

Door to door delivery service.

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I had to get three tables with heavy tile tops from Connecticut to Boise. I’d crated furniture to ship by common carrier in the past, but shipping to a residence can be a pain. 

I took the advice of a furniture-maker friend and called the shipping company that Thomas Moser uses, Clark & Reid. It was a good choice. 

The company has experience dealing with woodworkers and understood my anxieties about shipping my work across the country. They sent a small truck to my house to pick up the tables.

I came home from work in order to photograph their packing job, but they showed up early and everything was in the truck by the time I got there. The driver had done a really thorough job of wrapping each piece. Because the furniture was being shipped so far, it was first routed to the company's distribution center and then loaded onto a big rig for the long journey. The company did a good job communicating with the client on the other end and everything arrived in Boise unharmed and on schedule. The total cost was around $700.

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Comments (5)

Barnhouse writes: I've primarily shipped via UPS, for the past 4 years or so, mostly bar stools made of wine barrel wood. I've only had one seat broken and this was due to a lack of packing material between the seat and the top of the box. I've also had a table top broken (wine barrel head) and this was also right against the top of the box. Ok, it's one inch oak. Both of these to California - hmmmm..... I'm limited to a 20x20x30 box which fits my furniture but leaves little room for packaging. The next larger box adds $50 or so. I don't ship the tables anymore. This oversize box ships from Oregon to the east coast for around $120. I wouldn't try to ship anything less rugged via UPS. To see what I'm shipping look at barnhouseproducts.com. But, really, I say support your local craftsmen and skip shipping altogether.
Posted: 1:39 am on March 20th

RicksWoodCrafts writes: Just a word to the new furniture makers out there . You can, and I have,shipped furnishings using UPS or Fed Ex to save some bucks but be forwarned . About 1/3 of the items I've used them for , got broken . I am very meticulous in my packing but nothing can save your hard work from being beat up . Thank God and my wonderful customers , they accepted the pc. cause they loved it and could fix it themselves . But it still hurts !
Posted: 8:34 pm on March 18th

macjack writes: In the last year, I have twice received furniture shipped by Thomas Moser using Clark and Reid. One piece I made at Moser's "Customer in Residence" internship at their shop in Maine (go to their web page to explore this excellent program) and the other piece was a purchase to match the piece I built. In both cases, the furniture arrived in perfect condition and Clark and Reid deliver it with "white-glove" service. These guys are true professionals. They arrived when expected and did a great job. Use them without a second thought.
Posted: 12:14 pm on March 17th

1oldsarge writes: A very timely posting. I'm going to practice making rocking chairs until I get it right. So, what to do with the practice pieces? Give them to friends, of course. But many of my friends live half way across the continent. I've been wondering how the heck you ship a rocking chair . . .
Posted: 1:22 pm on August 13th

zenwoodworker writes: Thanks for this post. I would like to start my own furniture business and I always wondered what shipping company professional furniture makers use to ship delicate custom pieces. You answered a big unknown for me. Thanks again.
Posted: 10:02 am on August 8th

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