As a coveted material used to craft a large variety of different products, fiberglass is in demand and therefore needs to be shipped all around the United States. But what if you don’t have the first clue about freight shipping fiberglass parts? Or if phrases like freight insurance are foreign to you?
Freight shipping fiberglass parts, the act of carefully having various items made of fiberglass transported between two points, is all about making sure attention and care is taken so these goods arrive at their destination in one piece. Things to think about when freight shipping fiberglass parts include packaging, insurance, shipping speed, and more.
Besides identifying various fiberglass parts, we’ll take a look at how to properly protect these assets.
From pool liners to high-end sports cars, from home insulation and buildings to boats, fiberglass is a lightweight, strong, flexible material that is made from a mixture of plastic, tiny glass fibers and chemicals to adhere the previous two together.
Fiberglass is a non-conductive and corrosion resistant material, so it is used in instances where metals would not be a good fit. Even in places where metal could be used, some prefer fiberglass because it is more easily molded into shapes of your choosing. Also, fiberglass does not combust, rot, or attract rodents or insects, which is why it is preferable to a material like wood in certain cases. Another potential benefit of using these products is there are no links between using fiberglass and serious health issues.
The application of quality fiberglass in many products is well-known, but here are a few everyday items that are used made of the material:
Also included in its usage is fiberglass grating implemented to line bottles. These are used by breweries in this fashion. Aquariums implement fiberglass in helping build their displays while amusement parks featuring aquatic attractions have used the material to construct its waterslides. Circuit Boards used for consumer electronics — think cell phones, computers and TVs — are produced with fiberglass as a prominent material.
While they are renowned for their strength, parts made out of fiberglass are not indestructible. In fact, while fiberglass products are known to be scratch resistant, it is not entirely scratch-proof. The reason these two things are being brought up is to illustrate how appropriate packaging and shipping can ensure that something known for its sturdiness arrives in pristine condition.
Some fiberglass parts will be able to fit in standard-sized boxes which can easily be placed on pallets and shipped. The only thing needed is good stacking and a healthy amount of shrink-wrap to secure the boxes onto the pallet. In that respect, these types of fiberglass parts are no different than having similar commodities shipped.
But some fiberglass parts, like car accessories, might be shipped as oversized fiberglass parts and need special accommodations like irregularly shaped shipping boxes or containers which make them unable to be perfectly stacked. Other specialty parts, such as boat tops, are shipped in in a wooden frame that acts like an exoskeleton of sorts. This ultra-specific type of packaging protects the boat tops and prevents them from bending or collapsing.
Going a step further, if it’s a whole fiberglass pool that needs to be shipped, an enclosed 18-wheeler won’t work. The fiberglass pool will require a special flatbed trailer.
Regardless of the company you choose to ship these parts, you should aim to partner with a freight shipper who will make sure they can handle specific requests based on what you’re shipping and treat the valuable, somewhat fragile components being hauled with an eye toward minimizing any actions that could potentially cause damage.
Fiberglass parts should be packaged well enough that the issue of protecting yourself against fiberglass particles shouldn’t be a regular occurrence. However, if there is a concern that you might have to handle fiberglass parts directly, it might be a good idea to wear a mask covering your mouth and gloves while dealing with it as a precaution. While fiberglass particles are generally not a threat to your health, it will absolutely irritate anything it comes into contact with on your body. If you breathe in the particles, your lungs will not be happy. In the same vein, possibly consider wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants if you’re directly handling any fiberglass parts where the microscopic pieces of glass could get onto your skin.
USA Truckload Shipping, powered by R+L Global Logistics, can handle any shipment. You can even look to us when you need freight shipping clothing and shoes for retail.
One aspect of fiberglass parts that’s yet to be discussed is their potential monetary value and how that relates to their shipment. In the previous sections, we’ve discussed high-priced fiberglass items like pools, boats, car accessories and both airplane and spacecraft parts. If you’re making very small shipments of these types of goods, the included insurance that comes with the shipping charges associated with a truckload may very well offer enough coverage to satisfy you in relation to your commodities.
However, if you’re shipping a bunch of goods at once that carry a high overall value, you might want to add more comprehensive freight insurance to your load to further protect yourself. Freight insurance is an additional policy purchased through a third-party company — which could be the third-party logistics company hauling your freight, or someone else — where you can choose to have your cargo partially or fully covered monetarily and against a greater variety of risks. This also covers nearly any reason for loss, rather than just the loss that the carrier itself is deemed responsible for.
Freight insurance is also something you are able to procure for all of your shipments or for an individual freight load. Overall, freight insurance can really help protect your valuable fiberglass parts since the carrier liability insurance included with your load will often be for less than the value of your products and also be limited in what it will cover.
Also, when having your fiberglass parts hauled, it’s important to understand that there is a difference between freight insurance and cargo insurance. These two phrases are sometimes mistakenly used to describe the same thing but the distinction between the pair is that freight insurance refers to insurance for trucks, trains and semis while cargo insurance should be used to denote insurance that covers ships or planes.
Now that you know the best practices for freight shipping fiberglass parts, let the experts at R+L Global Logistics handle the transportation of your valuable commodities. With a vast array of experience in the field, we can ship anything fiberglass-related to any place in the United States.
First of all, you’re getting a team that knows the ins and outs of transporting a wide range of commodities which includes all manners of fiberglass, fiberglass parts and products made out of fiberglass. We have the knowledge and practices in place to make sure your products reach their destination in a timely fashion in the same great condition they were in upon loading.
There are a number of reasons why R+L Global Logistics should be your first phone call once you’re ready to start shipping. First off is our on-time delivery rate, which sits at 99.5 percent. That means you’ll rarely, if ever, have to be concerned that your freight won’t arrive when it should. We also offer unparalleled customer service that leads the industry, so whether you have a question about your freight load or a concern of any type, you’ll receive a helpful answer quickly.
If time is more of the essence than usual, R+L Global Logistics can offer our expedited shipping service. Depending on the trip’s distance, we can shave a day or two off. Besides just freight shipping, our company has the full range of supply chain services at your disposal. So if you need order fulfillment or warehouse storage — to name a couple popular aspects — we can do it for you with ease. Overall, the value we can offer in comparison to our freight shipping costs is unmatched.
If you’re shipping something made out of fiberglass that won’t fit in the back of an enclosed 18-wheeler, R+L Global Logistics also offers flatbed carriers to move your special-sized freight. Lastly, should you want an added layer of protection to provide further coverage for the value of your load, we can help connect you with freight insurance for that added peace of mind
So when you’re prepared to begin freight shipping fiberglass parts, get in touch with R+L Global Logistics. We’ll give your freight the care and professionalism it deserves. Call 866.353.7178 for a free quote and see how we can make a difference for your business.
R+L Global Logistics
315 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470