How to Ship Bulbs: A Complete Guide to Packing and Sending Bulbs
Standing and table lamps are one of many common household items that you can ship in boxes from major carriers. But before you start the process, there are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to packaging your lights, the shipping service you should use, and keeping your overall costs low. Luckily, Shipping School is here to shed some light on this matter (get it?). This guide is all about shipping your bulbs, including proper packaging, insurance, and getting the most money saved along the way. let’s start!
Table of contents
Pack the different parts of the lamp into the smallest possible shipping box
The first step in shipping a light is to separate its base from the shade and secure a brand new corrugated cardboard box to house the two parts inside. Shipping costs depend on the size, weight, and distance of the box. Making your box as small as possible is a surefire way to keep costs down. In general, your box should be large enough to fit all the parts of the light in, but small enough that there’s hardly any wiggle room once everything is in.
Learn more about where to get a shipping box.
Will your light break down into multiple pieces?
When shipping a lamp that has broken down into several different parts (as is the case with many standing lights), you need to make sure it is completely disassembled before shipping. Basically, you want your bulb to be shipped in as small a volume as possible… breaking it down into different parts is the best way to keep the bulb nice and compact. Any way that this can be done, must be done! As we said before, the smaller your box, the lower your shipping costs.
notes: If you can’t get all the light parts in the same package, you may have no choice but to separate them into different boxes.
Protect your light bulbs with suitable packaging
Many lamps are fragile and require ample packaging to protect them from damage during shipping. In addition to using a strong cardboard box as the outer packaging, the inner packaging is also important to protect the bulb.The type of packaging material you should consider for inner packaging is protected Bubble wrap (around the base and shade, if your lamp has one), air pillow provide cushioning on the bottom and sides of the box, and Packed Peanuts Once you put your lights in it, it fills up any empty space in the box.
Once you’ve got your box all packed and taped down, a good test to see if you’re using enough protective material is to gently toss it in your hand. If nothing moves during this process, you should be good to go!
don’t add bulbs to lamps
Here’s another big one: if your lamp has a bulb in it, take it out! Leaving the bulb inside the lamp is a recipe for disaster as all the exposed glass is sure to break at some point during shipping. You may place an unopened sealed bulb box inside the package if desired, but no unopened and unprotected bulbs should be placed alone.
If you do get a new set of bulbs in the box, you’ll also need to pack that box In bubble wrap or air cushions to keep the bulb from shattering during shipping. The more protection you can use, the better!
buy shipping insurance
Since the bulb and its different parts are easily damaged, we recommend purchasing shipping insurance to cover the full cost of the package. It only costs about $1 for every $100 of value you declare, and it’s worth it in case anything happens in transit. It happens from time to time that your package might get lost or arrive with damaged parts. When you protect your package with insurance, if anything goes wrong, you’ll be able to claim the full cost of the bulb. This way, you can ship with zero risk and sleep better at night!
Save on Bulb Shipping Costs with Online Shipping Software
When it comes to shipping costs, every penny counts. The trick to keeping shipping costs low is to save as much money as possible—the best way to do that is to buy labels at a deep discount using shipping software.
When you use shipping software, you get special pricing levels that carriers usually reserve for large shippers who send tens of thousands of packages a year. For USPS, these discounts are called business pricing. For UPS, the discount is part of the Digital Access program.With these special pricing tiers, you can sometimes Save tens of dollars per pack Compare that to what you’d pay to ship the same box at your local post office or UPS store!
Shipping software companies are able to offer you these deep discounts because they have such a large customer base. As a result, these companies have formed special partnerships with shipping companies like USPS and UPS to offer mailing services at prices usually reserved for large commercial shippers. Essentially, you’re paying for everything USPS and UPS provide…just a lot less.
Choose slower service to save more on bulb shipping
In addition to using a shipping software, the speed of service you choose can also affect the shipping price you pay.If you can afford your lights not to arrive as quickly, opt for a slower service such as USPS Package Select Ground or UPS grounding Always the wiser choice. Ground service is always cheaper than air services like Priority Mail or UPS 2nd Day Air…and since the bulbs don’t contain any time-sensitive or perishable parts, it’s always wiser to opt for a slower shipping service when sending them.Believe it or not, using a slower service like UPS Ground can Put dozens of dollars in your pocket…your shipment will still Arrive at final destination within 1-5 business days!
Learn more about the difference between USPS Ground and UPS Ground, and which service is right for your business.
