Getting Fragile Item Shipping Quotes is Easy on Shiply

How To Ship Fragile Items

Shipping fragile items can often be a worry as you are hesitant to book a standard delivery service due to the special requirements your items require. Whether they are antiques like an old piano, electronics, or art, their safety is of the utmost importance during shipping.

Because of this, packing fragile items is something you want to make sure is done correctly. Follow our tips to ensure the safety of your fragile items:

1. Ensure that you have a box that is the correct size for the item being shipped. This is important as you want a snug fit that does not allow the object to move around. The box should also be sturdy and made of reliable materials.


2. Protect your item with bubble wrap, tissue paper, or similar. You want to wrap your item in a protective material like bubble wrap to ensure that the risk of damage is minimized. We also recommend packing the rest of the box with material to again reduce the amount of room for the item to knock around in.


3. Label the box as fragile with a sticker, marker pen, or similar. You see this label all the time, and it’s for the simple reason that it tells the delivery driver to HANDLE WITH CARE. Even a small indication of the delicacy of an item can stop it from being thrown around and it’s always worth noting this on the box.

Typically, searching for the right fragile item shipping service can be time-consuming as you search through various web [ages and phone books. On Shiply, however, you simply have to enter a few simple details about your fragile goods and hundred of rated shipping companies will send you quotes, often up to 75% cheaper than usual.

How Much Does It Cost To Ship Fragile Items?

There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of your fragile item shipment, and for this reason, it is difficult to give an upfront price. You can take a look at some of the factors below to try and gain an idea of how much you can expect to pay:

Distance - Obviously how far your item needs to travel is going to affect the pricing, with international journeys likely to cost significantly more. You may find however that longer journeys can still be cheap as the price per mile sometimes goes down on longer routes.

Item Size - How much space your fragile items take up in a vehicle, or whether it is safe for them to be in a vehicle with other items at all, will also have an effect on your quotes as it determines whether a vehicle is needed solely for your shipment, which is likely to be more expensive.

Timings - If you are relaxed with shipping timings then your quote will likely be cheaper as it allows the driver to work out the most economically viable timeframe or the. Rushed jobs may require special treatment, which can incur extra costs.

Locations Of Pickup And Delivery - If the item needs to be picked up from a remote location then this can sometimes push the price up as well, whereas pickup from densely populated areas is likely to be quicker and easier.

Time Of Year - Unfortunately the weather can affect the routes that drivers can take, and in some cases, this can result in a slower and longer shipment.

How Can Shiply Help Find Fragile Item Shipping Companies?

There are clearly many factors that can play into finding the right fragile item shipping service for you, and this is where finding one can seem like a time-consuming process. Shiply aims to make this process simple by putting all of your options in one place for easy comparison.

All you need to do is supply us with some basic information such as what items need to be moved, where they need to be picked up from, and where they need to go. Once you have provided this, fragile goods shipping services will begin to send you quotes for your job within minutes.

Our platform has a feedback and rating system that allows you to see previous user reviews and get a feel for the reliability of a company. You are also able to message them with individual questions, such as the level of protection and insurance that your fragile gods require.

What’s more, shipping companies on Shiply can often quote prices up to 75% less than usual rates. This is because they are already making similar trips and want to fill up space in their vehicles, but it also means that CO2 emissions are reduced as there are fewer duplicate journeys being made when one would suffice.

Preparing For Your Fragile Items To Be Shipped

If you have reviewed your quotes and have settled on a service you are happy with, then it’s time to prepare for your fragile item to be shipped. There are a number of things we suggest looking at when preparing:

Packing - This is obviously very crucial for fragile items, and is worth discussing with your chosen driver. Along with following our earlier guidelines, you should ensure that your items are safely secured in the vehicle, whether it’s you or the driver that is responsible for packing.

Documents - An item going abroad or being sold can often require paperwork and we highly recommend sorting these before going ahead with anything else as without them shipping is impossible.

Cleaning + Photographic Evidence - It can be very useful to clean your fragile items before shipment as it can give you a clear idea of the condition they are in, should any damage occur during transit. Taking high-quality, timestamped photos of their condition is solid proof should a dispute occur.

What To Do After Delivery

You should immediately check the condition of your fragile items after they have been delivered, comparing them to the photographs you took before. If the item does seem to have been damaged, raise this with your fragile item shipper immediately.

We also ask that you leave a review for your chosen shipping company so that future users of Shiply can know what to expect.