Looking for Good Shipping Companies


Many sellers are not willing to ship speakers or other large components like amps or monos. With large speakers I have used Craters and Freighters to mixed effect. I got a nicely crated box with a pair of Thel 5’s with no damage shipped from Birmingham AL. But a Cleveland version of the same company didn’t build a crate and the CS6’s arrived with a big ding on the top of one speaker.
50% is not a standard I want to live with, so no more Craters and Frieghters, especially from the Cleveland area. Since I live in a remote area of west Texas, I have to ship most components, especially speakers. 
I would be interested to know what shippers the members of this forum would recommend as a result of a good experience with that shipper.
michaeljbrown
Lot of people use R + L carriers.  Just sent some Quad's to NW Arkansas.  Reasonable rates - but no insurance.  I think they offered 20 CENTS per pound max - so made no sense.  
R+L-- good company. Of course, use Google to look up West Texas Freight to call others. Mostly I wanted you to know to buy insurance at www.u-pic.com. Follow their instructions to the letter. With them, we have real insurance, even for the smallest Post Office or FedEx package. At the value WE determine!!
Very important:
  • The person buying the insurance is who will get paid. Whomever buys has three days after shipping to buy the insurance which includes registering the tracking number(s) with them.
  • With your chosen freight carrier, declare NO value to them because, as U-PIC explains, the U-PIC claim inspector can’t get started until that freight company’s inspector is done. A zero value keeps that inspector out of your picture.
  • You have to request "Have these two big cartons strapped to a pallet when the driver gets back to the dock, and keep them upright as marked-- I’ll make sure your driver knows, but will you put this on my waybill? Thanks." If not, then good luck on those cartons surviving truckers and forklifts.

Best,Roy
Thanks. Some speakers need to have a crate constructed as well. I had a pair of CS6’s strapped to a pallet and a fork lift managed to snag the top of a speaker.