Shipping Sacks (70kg) - Overland US

[sal930]

Hi All,

I'm in the process of importing some specialty coffees and working through overland logistics. I was hoping some folks on this forum could recommend some companies in the mid-atlantic region that have experience shipping 70kg sacks of coffee. I'm looking for freight companies that could pick it up from the warehouse and take it straight to the buyer/roaster. It would probably be in 1,2 or 5 sack denominations. I assume I could reach out to UPS or some of these other big companies, but wasn't sure if there were smaller companies that specialize in this.

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance,
Stephen

 

[topher]

I use R&L carriers
https://www.rlcarriers.com/
but shipping 1, 2 or 5 bags is going to be expensive...the more you ship the better the rate.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

one bag or 2 bags going to be pretty expensive but if you get into 4-5 bags, thats when prices actually makes sense.
For example: one bag could cost around 100 dollars to ship which doesn't make any sense but 5 bags can cost around $200 which now shipping cost just became very little per pound.

 

[topher]

Trust me I know...I bring in 75 bags a month. I would rather bring in a container every 6 months and only pay for shipping once. One 6 month delivery is about $100 more than what I pay monthly. My problem is space. Hopefully I can build a bigger roastery in the near future.

 

[sal930]

Thanks all for the advice. I was thinking that 1 or 2 bag shipments might be expensive and I suppose I could arrange to handle the deliveries myself in the beginning, but I wonder how these other importers are shipping 1/2 bag orders to roasters without eating into their entire margin?

I'll reach out to R&L and a few others and see what I come up with...

 

[JumpinJakJava]

I am not a monthly or real frequent user of shippers. But I can say I have had coffee and over sized equipment shipped to Ct.
from Texas, Colorado, and California. Palletized and dropped at loading dock.

Have used:
Freight Shipping, Freight Companies, Freight Quotes, Freight Shipping Rates - FreightCenter.com

Always got excellent prices. It is an online brokerage site. Not sure of inward working,
but seems to work something like the show Shipping Wars, where companies will give a set
price for your shipment. You will receive a number of quotes, some really varying. But they will
guarantee the price for a set time. Companies like RL Carriers will participate.
If you are not in a real hurry, prices will even get better, in my past experience.
Loading dock to loading dock-best prices.
I remember asking a broker here to get some prices for me one time, real costly.
So I used the freight center. He asked me about a month later on how I made out.
Told him the best price, and he said maybe you should work for me, he could not come close to
the price I got!