Whether your clients are just now having employees return to the workplace or they’re looking to upgrade their current offerings, shipping office equipment is at the forefront of the minds of many right now — including yours. With current market conditions and the general challenge of moving costly, sometimes fragile products can make it seem like it’s a difficult undertaking.
However, shipping office equipment — which is the practice of commercially having things like desks, chairs, etc. sent to office places from a manufacturer or wholesaler — doesn’t have to be baffling. Having a better understanding of how to ship office equipment and also how to take steps with the packaging and services can bring great success.
Office equipment is anything that goes in an office and helps a company reach its professional goals. This ranges from pens and paper clips on the smaller end, but can be entire desks, computers, cubicles, electronics or other specialized tools depending on your business needs. With the latter of that equation in mind, it’s imperative to search for the perfect way for moving office equipment.
There are several different scenarios of shipping office equipment that a business will run into and how you’d decide to ship would vary accordingly.
This one’s a little bit more straight-forward and works under a couple of assumptions:
In this case, as the customer, you’re placing a potentially large order. As a retailer or wholesaler, you are expected to be able to not only fill this order but figure out a way for it to be shipped directly to the customer’s space. This can involve picking up the freight in a traditional truckload and having it show up right to the office. If the building the office equipment is going to sports loading docks, even better.
But for other instances where sending an 18-wheeler directly to an office is unfeasible, a smaller vehicle with more specialized services could be a better fit. These can include transport options like a smaller truck that’s more maneuverable and unloadable, or even a van if the order in question is small enough.
If you’re looking to change office locations for whatever reason, it’s very likely you’ll need assistance in this huge undertaking. This might be a scenario where a third-party logistics (3PL) company can lend a hand through white glove delivery or even dry van service, which will be discussed a bit later in the article.
If a customer’s own equipment is being moved, special attention has to be given to either packing it or at least making sure it is shipped in a manner to eliminate any dings or dents that can turn pristine equipment into an ugly eyesore.
But in actuality, if you employ a 3PL to do this on your behalf, they should be able to help you with the best planning at the minimum and may also be able to provide manpower should that be he’s ultimately desired.
There are other times, as a retailer/wholesaler, that you’re trying to maintain stock in a strategic location in anticipation of future sales. For these occurrences, shipping directly to a warehouse might be preferable. There are a few reasons for this.
First off, this will give your products a safe place away from factors like sunlight, moisture, and humidity that can cause harm to office supplies, even ones that are packed well. Warehouses are also extremely easily accessible by freight trucks and the adept employees in a warehouse will be able to unload and load the office equipment with ease.
The warehouse setup can also help with some fulfillment aspects, which means you can get a single 3PL provider to render all of the services of the supply chain for you, including the actual shipment of course.
What all of these scenarios share is that you get professional help moving cumbersome, easily breakable, and high-value essentials from another place to your current setup. Whether you’re the one buying or selling the office equipment, this is an important aspect to take into account.
Besides knowing the best practices for shipping office equipment, an aspect you as the seller have over the condition of the products are the steps you take in properly packaging them. Regardless of if you have the best people delivering your goods, appropriately packing your office equipment will give it the optimal chance to arrive unscathed.
Most office equipment is packed in cardboard boxes with packing materials such as styrofoam, plastic wrap, or air-filled plastic and paper products to insulate the products during the hundreds or thousands of miles the journey will take.
But for bigger equipment, the usage of custom crates might be more helpful. These would be best used for items such as already assembled, extremely heavy desks, or for goods that are deemed to be too fragile for other types of packaging.
Depending on the vehicle used to transport your office equipment, it can also be a great practice to stack the products on pallets if they’re boxed or crated and able to be stacked. Besides the ability to unload an 18-wheeler or box truck with a pallet jack or forklift, being able to shrink-wrap the packages onto the pallet offer another layer of protection since you can effectively immobilize the office goods so that they can’t shift during transportation.
If you have an entire office or multiple offices that you’re shipping your equipment to, a standard 18-wheeler can work for your needs. This will be a fast, convenient method to get your needed office supplies where needed. However, if your customers ask for a quicker, smaller shipment where more careful handling and even in-office delivery is of high importance, then a different option will have to be explored.
Thankfully, this exists in the form of white glove delivery. This is a type of freight shipment that includes the actual delivery but goes the further step of placement inside the building in your preferred place and also removal of any package materials associated with the products delivered.
This is ideal for very heavy packages or those that are of an odd shape and therefore are difficult to handle. This takes the stress away from figuring out how to get bulky or easily damaged office equipment where it goes and, in some cases, built and set up if you require that level of detail.
The term “white glove” is meant to evoke the image of the care and attention to detail a butler would exhibit. This is a premium service, and that’s how you should be treated. You’re likely getting an experienced driver and deliveryman whose only aim is to provide an excellent amenity for your shipping needs.
White glove service usually is not a full tractor-trailer, but instead utilizes a van (or similarly-sized vehicle). In cases where the smaller vehicle is not feasible, a box truck equipped with a liftgate can also be used. One interesting thing about liftgate service: in most cases, you need to indicate beforehand that you’ll need it. Otherwise, if you request it once the driver’s there, it might be unavailable or even if it is, it might cost more than if it had been pre-booked.
With the knowledge gained from this easy guide, shipping office equipment shouldn’t seem so daunting now. Make it even less so by choosing R+L Global Logistics as your freight shipper of choice. We can offer fast, reliable delivery via truckload shipping at a great value to you as our customer.
Our white glove delivery service also shines in this regard, since we can also deploy a van or box truck for smaller shipments that require more careful handling. The box trucks even come with a liftgate for easier loading and unloading.
But regardless of what products you’re shipping, R+L Global Logistics has a solution to help. We can also provide:
But more than just the tools to get the job done, R+L Global Logistics takes great pride in its total commitment to outstanding customer service. Should you ever have a question about anything, we’re available at all times to provide a solution. Furthermore, you’ll rarely — if ever — have to worry about your office equipment not arriving on time. R+L Global Logistics boasts a 99.5 percent on-time delivery rate, and we’re even working to improve upon that!
So when you’re ready to start shipping office equipment around the country, turn to the professionals at R+L Global Logistics to handle your precious cargo. For a free, no-obligation quote, call us at (866) 353-7178 to find out about the difference in partnering with us.
R+L Global Logistics
315 NE 14th St., Ocala, FL 34470