Beer shipping tips

You were told you can’t send FedEx to a PO Box address? Shouldn’t be an issue. Otherwise for one bottle in state you could use any box and it would be low cost at USPS. Stick the box you packed in another slightly larger box and bring to post office.

 

Thank you all ! Your comments are helpful

 

A guy at my local FedEx office said they can’t do it. You’re right. I will bring it it post office. Thanks again !

 

Out of curiosity, what happens if USPS discover beer in package, perhaps if it’s a broken bottle? The status for the package I sent last week said “In Transit - Arriving Late.” I paid two day priority shipping and it should have arrived Thursday.

Obviously I just need to chill and wait. But just wondering if the tracking status would say something different on if alcohol was discovered? Thanks.

 

USPS tends to repackage and send along. Also, I've had lots of delays with USPS since the pandemic started.

 

Just be patient. I just sent two different packages from Detroit to New York and Pennsylvania, respectively, via 2-day Priority this past Tuesday morning. Each had similar tracking updates. Each wasn't delivered until yesterday afternoon. Same for the return trade coming from a New Jersey Post office.

FWIW: Package sent UPS Ground from NY to me in MI shipped on Tuesday and arrived Thursday. Less than 2 days!

 

With my 30+ trades in the last year I’ve shipped exclusively with usps priority boxes.
I’d say 4/5 times they get anywhere in the US in less than 3 days.
the few delays I’ve had coming and going have been pretty minimal.
the only time I received a broken beer/wet box usps had essentially put a plastic bag around the box with a “damaged in transit” label.
there was also one time where someone sent a box that was pretty heavy and full, and it made a pit-stop at a random place in the Midwest. Then it arrived just fine. Someone wrote “liquid?” on it. I found that funny. It was like someone flagged it because it was heavy and probably made a sloshing noise, but then just sent it along without opening.

 

For those of you using the USPS priority boxes - which ones are you using? How do you fit 16 oz cans and large bottles (22 oz, 750 mL) in them? Do you just put them in so they're laying on their side in the box?

 

medium box. up to 8 cans or 2 - 22oz bottles .
large box . up to 16 cans or 3 - 22oz bottles or 2 - 750ml (I also shipped 3 750ML in a large box and it survived [I don't recommend it, I was proxying and the guy was being cheap and wanted to take the risk] but even 2 - 750ML is a bit risky)

I haven't messed around with regional boxes, but those can be smaller and cheaper.

 

Depends which boxes you are using

large flat rate box:
16 cans (16oz) will fit perfectly
2 750ml bottles and something small
12oz bottles x6
500ml bottles x 4

med flat rate box:
8 cans comfortably
750 ml I wouldn’t do due the size of the box
12 oz bottles x 4
500 ml bottles x3

regional a and b boxes are good as well
A box is a bit smaller than med box
B box is a bit smaller than large box

 

Also usps priority boxes are the best option if your shipping cans cross country because it won’t take a week or more to get there.

 

Thanks for the replies and detailed information. That's the content I'm here for.

I'm guessing that the larger bottles have to be packed in the box sideways? I realize the box can be rotated but the print on the box seems to determine which way is up, and even the large flat rate box is only 6 inches in the "H" dimension.

 

Yes, on side. 16oz cans need to be on side also. 12oz cans fit standing up.

 

People are fitting 3x 750's into large flat rate boxes? That just seems crazy to me- is there even any bubble wrap on the bottles?

 

I would say no, not often. I also wouldn't ship unless the person I proxy request it. As a proxy, it's not the shippers responsibility when you ship with their request. I do my best with packing up and no sweat of my back if they want to gamble.