A stone sculpture requires a heavy crate

We built a sturdy wooden crate for this 400-pound Colorado Marble cougar sculpture from John Kessler. Total shipping weight of 500 pounds meant it shipped to Florida with a freight carrier.

John Kessler cougar sculpture

Pak Mail packs stone for small package & freight shipping

Stone table tops require special packaging for safe shipping. Smaller pieces like the petrified wood slab can ship as a UPS or FedEx small package. The slab is protected and kept absolutely flat in a rigid Styro-lined box, which is then floated in a second box filled with peanuts. Small packages shipped with UPS or FedEx must withstand the rigors of handling by carrier drivers, various package orientations, and facility conveyor belts.

Larger, heavier pieces like the sandstone table top ship on a pallet with a freight carrier. The packaging also keeps the stone flat in a rigid Styro-lined box; a second box is not required. The finished package is placed on its edge and strapped to a pallet.

A little extra care ensures safe delivery.

Petrified wood table top packaged for small package shipping

Sandstone slab table top packaged for freight shipping

Weight and dimensions determine shipping methods

Pictures tell the story. Even though the packages in the first photo look “large,” they are actually small packages shipping FedEx Ground. They include a rug and some paintings from the Discover Goodwill online auction. The second and third represent freight shipping — from prepping to pickup by the carrier. The crate (barely visible near the door) in the third photo contains a bronze bird. The boxes on the floor are from an estate and the boxes on the pack table are a sentimental cradle. The three pallet shipments in the second photo are the cradle, the estate items, and a van conversion kit from Wayfarer Vans.

Small Packages Ready for FedEx Ground

3 Pallets Ready for Freight Pickup

3 Shipments: Two on Pallets; One in a Crate

Shipping furniture and delicate glass items

A Pak Mail customer recently traveled to the Colorado Springs-Denver area to shop at our local household furnishings consignment shops. She came away with two tables, some paintings, and the glass chandelier pictured here. After packing the items and securing them to a custom pallet, the shipment left our store. It was delivered safely.

What is the best way to pack a solid glass chandelier? Suspended in a sturdy box or crate filled with packing peanuts, and strapped to a pallet for freight shipping. This method keeps all pressure off the delicate arms of the chandelier.

Delicate Green Glass Chandelier

Two pallets on Tuesday

Discover Goodwill online auction furniture to the left; US Air Force Academy footlocker to the right. Very diverse freight shipments today. Front lobby is empty and ready for more. What will come thru the front door next?

Pak Mail builds custom corrugated boxes & wood crates

Mailbox customer looks at the large corrugated box being prepared for a grandfather clock and says, “Now that’s a big box!”

Another private mailbox renter comments on a very large (80″ tall) wood crate, “I don’t think that’s big enough!”

Our regular customers enjoy seeing our shipping challenges and express disappointment when the front lobby is empty. Luckily, that’s a rare occurrence. This week was a mix of Goodwill auction, estate (the clock), basketball tournament, USAFA, online returns, small business, and gift shipping. Some items ship as small packages with UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS; some require a pallet and ship with LTL freight carriers.

We never know what will come through the front door next! It keeps our regulars entertained.

large custom wood crate

large custom corrugated box

UPS, FedEx, DHL and freight carriers are operating February 19

Pak Mail offers services with FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS postal, and large freight carriers.

President’s Day packing and shipping options:

• Pak Mail is open President’s Day, February 19. UPS, FedEx, DHL and freight carriers are following normal hours for delivery and pickup.
• The Post Office (USPS) is closed. There is no mail pickup or delivery at Pak Mail on President’s Day.

See you in the store!

Creative design ideas for used pallets

Colorado College Student Shipment on a Pallet

Pak Mail regularly ships large items — household goods, estates, artwork, delicate equipment — on pallets. How can a wooden pallet be recycled? At the suggestion of an online design company, www.designrulz.com, we added a new tip about creative ideas for recycling wooden pallets. Check out their recycling ideas here.

Commemorate 2017 and Welcome 2018

Thank you to our customers – both “old” and new – as we continue to thrive. Our 2017 was a year of growth and change.

• Customers can attest to the number of large freight shipments we did in 2017.
  It’s amazing the shipping challenges that come through our front door.
  

  Dad – Everett Minck 1925-2017

• My Dad quietly left this world in March saying, “I’m ready to fly.” His gentle entrepreneurial spirit lives on.
• Jesse completed an 18-month course in medical equipment technology in August. He moved on to a full-time position repairing high-tech equipment. He continues to work part-time at Pak Mail on most Saturdays and a few afternoons.
• Stop by and meet our new employee Shane – not related, but treated like family.
• Albertsons became Safeway. Pak Mail is still two doors north and has been since 1996. Ten years of ownership is fast approaching at the end of February.

We appreciate our customers! Pak Mail ships small packages and documents with UPS, FedEx, DHL, or USPS; rents private mailboxes for personal and business use; builds custom boxes, crates, and pallets; packs and ships large items with LTL, air, and ocean freight carriers; and provides basic office services.

Thank you!

Fragility, value and shipping method determine packaging preparation

Pak Mail prepares items for packing and shipping based on several factors including fragility, value, and shipping method. Packaging prep for non-fragile items like clothing or soft toys is simple: place the items in a bag to keep them clean, then into the appropriate box for shipping with UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, or freight. Easy!

Packaging preparation for shipping other items is a little more complicated. The shipping method — freight on a pallet or small package — is the first consideration.

1. Freight on a pallet: Small pieces of framed artwork require glass mask, small bubble, and corrugated sandwiches. A small amount of cushioning material will keep them safe during transport. These pieces shipped with the furniture shown in #4. This same artwork shipped as a small package requires two inches of protection around all dimensions (large bubble and packing peanuts).
2. Small package with FedEx ground: High-value artwork needs soft foam on the plaster frame, acid-free paper on the painting, and Styro lining before being placed in a custom wooden crate.
3. Freight on a pallet: Van conversion kits from Wayfarer Vans are wrapped in felt blankets and placed in custom corrugated boxes.
4. Freight on a pallet: Delicate furniture is wrapped in a felt blanket before placing in a Styro-lined box.

1. preparing framed artwork

2. preparing high-value artwork for crate

3. preparing van conversion kit

4. preparing fine furniture