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« on: October 14, 2022, 02:30:59 AM »
It's been several years since I last shipped anything that big so I don't know what the current options might be. Last time I did, I used Forward Air. I would only use them as a LAST RESORT. They were the cheapest back then, TRUE. The problem is the inconvenience.
FIRST, the shipment has to be dropped off and picked up at their airport depots. They don't pick up or deliver. They don't have depots at every airport, so in my case, it was almost an hour drive each way to drop off a shipment.
SECOND, and this is the worst part to me, is the whole drop-off procedure. When you arrive, you have to check in, then WAIT until they're ready to unload you. Then WAIT until they put your shipment on a scale to determine the shipping cost. Then WAIT until they call you to the counter to tell you the shipping cost. When they tell you the shipping cost, they'll tell you to go to a nearby liquor store and get a money order to pay the shipping cost. The shipping depot doesn't accept cash, checks, credit or debit cards. ONLY MONEY ORDERS. So, after driving there and unloading your shipment, you have to leave to go buy this money order and hope nothing happens to your items before you come back. Then, when you return with the money order, you get to WAIT some more until they're good and ready to take your payment.
I did this a few times until I just got too tired of it. I would make my trips at 10-11 at night to try to avoid traffic and thinking they might not be real busy at that hour. I don't know what might've happened had I gone earlier, but my late-night trips were all at least four hours long from start to finish. I hope a good option turns up. I'd be interested, as well.