Specialty Freight 101: Antique Shipping Tips

Did you know that people avoid buying things because they're too cumbersome to ship? Many people enjoy traveling the country shopping for antiques that are hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles from home (or wherever their collection might be). Why pass things up because your collection is far away?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates there are 5.9 million commercial vehicle drivers in the United States. That's a lot of people to help you ship your valuables. While specialty freight services are certainly not always necessary for shipping, but in the world of antiques, we have some advice to keep your newfound pieces safe.

Pack wisely
Per antique item, you're going to have different packing needs. A cast iron bauble isn't going to require the same packing delicacy as, say, a pearl inlaid hand mirror. While professionals who handle trade show shipments, antiques, and the like, know transportation and packing logistics, doing some research on packing for trade shows and talking with on-the-road peddlers of antiquated wares is a great place to start. They ship their things all around the country, they know how to get their livelihood from place to place, and their advice is sage. Plus, they might have a connection with a few trusted freight companies!

Freight Transportation
A little research into the freight world will help, too. Different freight services are better suited for variable tasks, but as far as shipping antiques, there are a couple specifics to break down. There are two prime differences between freight services:

• FTL Shipping: Full-Truckload freight is exactly what it sounds like. The truck you ship your items in is generally required to have a full trailer. Auctioneers and trade show dealers use services like this to ship their whole stores. It can be risky, but in their field,
  they've narrowed down the FTL services they trust the most.
• LTL Shipping: Less-Than-Truckload is for smaller shipments that don't fill the entire truck. Depending on what you're shipping, this may be an ideal choice for specialty freight and antiques that are more fragile or valuable. This is best for keeping personal shipments safe, knowing your item isn't packed with hundreds of others.

Know when to hire someone
As much as we love to see people taking charge of their shipping needs, there comes a point it's most prudent to hire professionals. This is especially true in the antiquing realm. We never want to see something passed up because of a daunting trip. We definitely don't want to see something beautiful broken in transit.

So, if you see something you want and begin having doubts on the antique trail, remember your options! Tell that antique dealer "Yes, please!" and let specialty freight services move it to your collection without so much as a bump.