How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Sewing Machine (How to Pack)
The price alone may be heart-stopping. But when you add the cost of shipping onto the price you may need some medical care. Shipping sewing machines is not going to be that cheap. At least when you do the shipping you can add the cost into your purchase price.
How much does It cost to ship a sewing machine? A ballpark figure from the midwest to CA would be around $40 to $50. But shipping is not the only concern you have when it comes to sending your sewing machine across the country. The box you use has to be the right size and the packing material has to make sure the moving parts do not move during transit.
To learn about shipping a sewing machine to your buyer just continue to read our article. We look into the details so you have the right information to use when you need to ship a sewing machine to another state.
Cost of Shipping a Sewing Machine
First off there is not going to be a one size fits all shipping price. There are a lot of factors involved when you have to ship a sewing machine to another person. Here are some of those factors:
- 1. Where is it going? Your shipping costs will vary depending on how far the sewing machine is going to travel.
- 2. Shipping method - How are you going to ship it to your customer or family member? Here you are limited to two options, ground or air. By boat is only considered if you are shipping to Hawaii, Alaska or an offshore American territory.
- 3. How much does it weigh - This is one of the biggest factors when it comes to calculating the shipping cost. The weight of the sewing machine is key. Weigh it before you pack it and after you pack it.
- 4. Who is doing the packing - If you are then you will only have to factor in the cost of the materials. If the company is, then you have to pay for their time, labor and materials.
- 5. Add ons - For example, insurance. That is part of the shipping cost whether you absorb it or pass it on to your customer.
- 6. The carrier - Each shipping company has its rates. You would have to call the different companies to see how much they would charge, giving them the details from #1 to 5 above.
- 7. The number of boxes - You are not making one payment for all boxes in the shipping order. You have to pay for each box that contains all your sewing machine parts. You can as few as 1 box or as many as 3. This will be up to you and your sewing machine situation.
The Cheapest Way to Ship a Sewing Machine
It is very difficult to calculate the cheapest shipping method you can use to send a sewing machine to your buyer. As we have said, there are a lot of depends that factor into the calculations before getting a price comparison.
But there are some cheap methods you can try and talk to their offices to see how much they would charge you.
- 1. Greyhound bus lines - they do ship cargo across the country for you. This is one of the cheaper methods to use. They have passenger fares to help offset the cost of carrying your sewing machine.
The only drawback is that they only accept and deliver packages at their terminals or stops along the way. You and your buyer would have to make the arrangements to and from their terminals. Call them to find u their rates.
- 2. The US Post Office - usually another cheap method of sending packages across the city or the country. They go almost everywhere so the shipping is convenient and your buyer can go to the post office and pick up their sewing machine.
The figure we have is only an estimate and for only half the country and that is between $40 to 50. Again you would have to contact your local post office for more details.
- 3. Freight Companies - These are the pros when it comes to shipping packages around the country. There are many of them everywhere so you may be able to get a good rate. Again, you would have to drop off and your customer pick up the package but the savings may be worth it.
- 4. UPS - They also go just about everywhere and use ground and air to ship packages. Your rates would depend on the usual factors and a ballpark figure for the midwest to CA would be in the neighborhood of $40 to 50.
That is an estimate and your price may change due to the weight, size, and number of boxes you are sending.
- 5. Couriers and mailbox companies - These are going to be your more expensive shipping companies to deal with. 3 years ago the latter charged about $120 for a sewing machine bought off of eBay.
They are going to have their calculations so it is best to talk directly to them.
**There is one thing to be wary about. The small print in your insurance may state that if you pack your sewing machine yourself, the insurance will be voided. Insurance companies can be fickle about minor details like that.
How to Ship an Industrial Sewing Machine
Packing and shipping an industrial sewing machine may not be as different as you would think. The key is going to be in the packing. You do not want it damaged during transit.
If the machine is large do not count on some of the other methods already discussed earlier. They may have a size and weight upper boundaries which means some industrial machines would only be able to go via freight companies.
As to who does the packing, you would have to talk to them about that. If you are a commercial company your professional packers may be acceptable to the insurance companies but again, don’t take our word for that. Talk to the insurance company you are using.
They all have different requirements including how it is to be packed. For example, FedEX is more likely to pay off on damage claims if their people did the packing. That may also be the case for freight companies.
Having the company do the packing may cost you a little more but it is worth it in the long run if something happens to the machine en-route to its destination. No matter what, you will need a good box, tough packing materials, and very good packing tape to make sure the sewing machine arrives in one piece.
How to Pack a Sewing Machine
Knowing how to pack a sewing machine will come in handy when you receive one. That knowledge will help you make a claim if there is something wrong with your machine when it arrives. You can spot the mistakes made and use those mistakes to support your claim.
The items you will need:
- 1. You cannot scrimp on packing tape. Make it good, durable and very strong.
- 2. Next, you will need about 20 feet of bubble wrap. This may cost you about $3 a roll or so.
- 3. Styrofoam or styrofoam peanuts - Either one is good. After you bubble wrap the sewing machine and place it in your box you place the peanuts inside around the bubble wrap. The key here is to keep the machine from moving while it is being shipped.
- 4. 2 Sturdy boxes. You are going to pack one box inside the other and the first one should be about 4 to 5 inches larger than the sewing machine, all the way around. The same for the larger box when the smaller one is placed inside.
After you place the smaller box with your sewing machine inside, you add more styrofoam peanuts to make sure you have the machine where it cannot move at all.
- 5. Wrap both boxes with packing tape covering the openings top and bottom, the corners and any weak seams. You do not want the box to break during its journey.
Now that is just putting the machine into its boxes before you do all of that there are some other things you have to take care of. First, you have to remove moving parts that will continue to move when shipped.
Second, you need to fold up handles, levers, and other parts to make the sewing machine as small as possible. Bubble wrap any part that is exposed and cannot fold up, including moving parts that can be removed.
These pieces will go on top of the inner box so make sure to cover them with a thick layer of bubble wrap. When placing the inner box inside the larger one, put a layer of styrofoam peanuts about 8 inches thick on the floor of the larger box.
Then fill the sides and after that place your pieces. When all that is done, you top off the larger box with more styrofoam peanuts covering your parts.
There is still one more task to do before your sewing machine is ready to be shipped. You have to label it and keep the address very clear and easy to read. This can be done before or after you place the packing tape over the openings and sides.
Best Way to Ship a Sewing Machine
There are a lot of companies who will gladly ship your sewing machine if you are willing to pay their cost. But not all shipping companies are the same nor can they be trusted to do a professional and careful job.
Forget those fly by night companies that will shave a few dollars off if you ship through them. Those are the ones that can’t be trusted. Their concern is how much money they will make and nothing else.
It is best to stick to brands that are well known. Even with freight companies, you will run into some shady operators so it is best to do a little research and find out who is the best and most reputable.
Greyhound is a very reputable way to ship a sewing machine. They are professionals and very reputable plus, they may have lower rates due to other revenue streams they get when operating their buses.
The same goes for the post office and UPS. Your most difficult decision in this area is making the decision and then trusting your sewing machine to that shipper. Do good research and make sure you get all your questions answered first before you agree. That all can be done by phone or your computer.
While you now know how to pack your sewing machine for your security and financial protection, let the pros pack it for you. That way you do not run the risk of losing your insurance coverage and you know the job will be done right.
That is the best way to ship your sewing machine. Keep yourself and your machine fully protected at all times until the buyer picks it up and signs for it.
Some Final Words
It is difficult to provide actual figures for you to compare. The reason for that is that not every sewing machine is going to weigh the same nor are they all going to the same place.
Plus, there are so many different shipping companies to choose from and they all have their rates. The best advice we can give you is to get your boxes loosely packed and weigh them on a good scale.
That will give you a good idea of how much the weight will be within a couple of pounds or so. Don’t worry, the shipping company will weigh the box again to give you a more accurate cost.
Weighing it first will give you an idea of the total cost and you can prepare your payment. Do your research and pick the best company that will fit your budget and don’t forget you can pass the cost of shipping and handling on to your buyer.
