3SGuide

Anyone shipping used parts after a sale or trade knows it is a pain. Here you’ll find out how to keep the cost down when shipping car parts in general.

([2] 65″ boxes, [1] 60″ box, [2] smaller ones)

The first thing you’ll need to know before selling an item is how much it will cost to ship.

Carrier

For SMALL SIZE and LIGHT items USPS is the cheapest. First Class Mail goes up to 13 ounces and is very cheap. Priority Mail (2-3 day transit) starts at around $5.00 and has a “flat-rate” option which costs $8.95. This is useful for SMALL SIZE and HEAVY items (same price no matter the weight). You must use one of their 2 designated free boxes for this. A good example of what I would use this for would be an alternator. If you take the bracket off, it fits perfectly. Rather than spending $20 shipping it, it costs only $8.95 and the box is free! Parcel Post is reasonable for slightly heavier items (5-10lbs) but gets much more expensive after that in my experience. Please note that their online rates are cheaper than in-person rates. Visit USPS.com for specific rate quotes, to order free shipping supplies, or to see their shipping terms.

For MEDIUM SIZE and MEDIUM WEIGHT items, I typically use Fedex Ground or DHL Ground. Most of my packages fall in this category but the rates are still pretty good even with fuel surcharges increasing. Some examples in this category would be an intake and exhaust manifolds, turbos, or headlights. You will need to sign up for a free account with each of them to get good rates and to easily manage your packages and account. As an added bonus, these shipping companies also offer the option of picking up the packages for a small fee. This is very useful for those short on time. DHL has been very prompt and i’ve had a good overall experience with them.

For LARGE and LIGHT items such as fenders, spoilers, sideskirts, bumpers I use either DHL Ground or Greyhound PackageXpress. With a student discount (high school and college students) I can ship a bumper for $50-60. Greyhound is cheaper, but often more of a hassle because you must drop off the package at a designated bus station, and the buyer must pick it up from one also. They do take good care of packages since they are loaded by hand onto the buses and not tossed around on 50 conveyer belts then squished into a delivery truck. DHL has very competitive rates too. Depending on the destination location and fuel surcharge, you can ship a 10-pound, sub-60″ package (non-turbo spoiler) for $10-20. One sideskirt will cost around $40-60 to ship. Visit DHL.com and Fedex.com for information and rates. Both offer free shipping supplies, too.

Lastly, for LARGE and HEAVY items such as engine blocks check out uShip and Freight101. For transmissions up to 150 lbs you can ship with DHL Ground (non-turbo is ~75 lbs, turbo 5-speed is ~150, 6-speed will need freight). I recommend using a box rated for this kind of weight (i.e. dish boxes). I don’t have much experience with very heavy parts because I try to sell them locally.

Here are some more great shipping tips

Supplies

A few supplies you’ll need (left)

Checklist:

Tape Dispenser
Packaging tape ($1/roll Walmart)
Shurtape (for heavier items)
Scissors (one for paper/tape, one for cardboard)
Measuring tape
Black Sharpie marker
Shipping labels* (self-adhesive)
Boxes**
Newspaper as padding (or bubble wrap)

*Shipping labels available on eBay

**Free boxes available @ USPS.com

 

 

 

As an extra piece of advice, you can flip the USPS Priority Mail boxes inside-out by cutting one side at the seam vertically, then flipping it and re-taping it together. This will reveal a brown, unbranded exterior so you can use it with other companies.

(an example of a USPS Flat-rate Priority Mail box)

Packaging

For items that fit in boxes, this is pretty straight forward. If your part can leak or is sensitive to packing materials entering it, wrap it first in plastic or garbage bags. This is especially important on turbos. Fill any remaining space in the box with crumbled paper or foam peanuts so that the item does not shift around. Avoid having “pressure points” on the box that could damage the part through the box. Always assume your package is going to be thrown around. I tape both sides twice, and go in both directions on heavier items (so as to form a +).

For parts that are too long or wide for conventional boxes, you’ll need to fabricate one on your own. Always keep old boxes (especially large ones) folded up for this occasion. I have a lot of boxes left over from moving, so I tape those together to form a large one. It takes a long time, but finding pre-made, enormous boxes is difficult and expensive. Rigidity can be a concern with home-made boxes, so I typically I insert pieces of cardboard to form two or more layers, as needed. Pay close attention to the ends of the part and pad them appropriately. I like to re-enforce bumpers, sideskirts, and fenders with bubble-wrap and cardboard on the corners. If the part you’re shipping needs to be protected from scratches, wrap it entirely in bubble-wrap.

You may have some luck finding boxes on Craigslist, local stores, car dealerships, auto parts dealers, etc. Ask around–people throw away perfectly usable boxes all the time.

Lastly, when using self-adhesive labels, press down on all of the corners and remove any air bubbles. If you use regular copy paper, tape all sides so that the label cannot be ripped off accidentally (it happens more than you think!).

Your package is now ready to be picked up or dropped off at an authorized location! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.