Has anyone else noticed that the cost of ground shipping has increased?

[bleumax]

Just set up a package to ship and it is $10-$15 more than what I might have paid a couple of months ago. Must be rising fuel costs...but, they even have a surcharge for fuel.

[Fergy07]

 :UND> You have noticed the corresponding increase in gas prices, haven't you?

Andy

[bleumax]

yep, but FedEx has a separate surcharge for fuel in addition to their higher base prices.

[CF Larrivee]

Might be "grounds" for divorce?

[jimmyd]

Just wait. We haven't seen the worst yet. Probably sooner than later everything from groceries to guitars will have to pass along price increases of fuel costs.

[Randy_R]

and the higher prices go, the more taxes you'll pay....

see the pattern here?

[ronmac]

Hang on kiddies, this ride is a long way from over.

I participated in a manufacturing symposium this weekend where each and every participant I spoke to mentioned higher product prices coming soon due to an increrase in energy inputs.

[Gemnoc]

We're starting to pay for being the most energy-hungry continent on the planet.

Actually, fuel prices are already much higher in Europe than here. Something like $5 per US gal. Of course this amount is heavily taxed.

[dodge]

I am a transplant from England and gas prices over there are more like 7-8 dollars a gallon, price is going up here but it still beats back home. I hope guitars don't go up too much, mahogany just went up, what's next? :huh:

[parsky1]

Don't expect them to go down... demand for oil is up in China because its middle class is booming.

Finding the next source of energy that doesn't come from fossil fuels will be one of the biggests discoveries of the century.  I'm really hoping for Nuclear Fusion or Cold Fusion, both are so close to working.

[Ratishna]

Actually, China's middle class is just starting to emerge.  They are far from affluent, and when they do reach that point it will forever change world commerce because of the sheer number (half billion) who fit in that category.

E. Shoaf

[knight_lite_1974]

Speaking of shipping...I used to have this info...but I lost it. Can someone tell me what the usual dimensions and weight are for a packaged guitar, when it comes to getting an idea for calculating shipping costs?

Also, between USPS and Fedex...do you guys have any preference?

[knight_lite_1974]

Anyone?

[Randy_R]

I just measured a box that a C-19 came in thru Fedex.  it is 9"x21"x50"


The Fedex label just said 25#

[ronmac]

I think there is a break in price if you can keep the box 48" long or less.

My recollection of the last box I shipped (dread) was 47 x 10 x 20.

[knight_lite_1974]

Thank you gents.  Randy...1 away from the 4000...you go boy!  -_-

[bleumax]

I think there is a break in price if you can keep the box 48" long or less.

My recollection of the last box I shipped (dread) was 47 x 10 x 20.

ron, thanks for the info. that's funny since a lot of guitar boxes are 48 to 50 inches long.

[Gemnoc]

I believe this 48" rule applies to all packages.

[guitarcrazy]

The magic number is 108" total length and girth.  Some services (USPS Global Express, for example) won't accept a package larger than 48" long, but in general if you keep the total below 108" you stay in the reasonably affordable realm.  fedEx is better than UPS in that their base weight is lower for oversize than UPS.  They don't charge the actual weight when you are oversize, they charge a "dimensional weight" which is a penalty to account for the size of the box.  I use FedEx almost exclusively, but I use USPS Global Express to Europe and UPS to Canada.  J

[solarbean]

ron, thanks for the info. that's funny since a lot of guitar boxes are 48 to 50 inches long.

Just cut the box down to 48" and add some padding at each end. Saves a lot when shipping.

Frank Ford shows you how:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/General/Boxes/CutBoxes/cutboxes.html