Cheapest Way To Ship A Rod?

[new2BC4bass]

Seems it costs $25-$30 to ship a rod.  I read a post awhile ago where a poster replied saying he shipped his rods for $15 but can't remember what service he used.  Should have saved a link to it. 

 

Thanks.

[iabass8]

there is no "cheapest". It depends on the length, weight, and where its going.  I always use FedEx and my shipping rates vary from 17$ to 27$. Sadly, there is no flat rate to ship a rod. you're going to have to shell out the extra 8$ or whatever you're trying to save. also, i would very much advise adding the extra 2-3$ for insurance.

[F14A-B]

^ yup, no shortcut on rod shipping, unless you send multiple rods to a person, you absolutely should insure for full replacement cost.... Many arrive broke, schedule 40 pipe is one way, it's heavy, compared to cardboard tube, but tough...

[tomustang]

The fenwick going somewhere?

[WRB]

Depends on the rod length, under 7' is less expensive than over 7'.

US mail parcel post is less expensive in most states.

Shipping tubes are not cheap, the best is using PVC pipe with end caps.

Tom

[thehooligan]

Cheapest I've done is USPS priority mail and print your label online. Its usually $20-22

[rippin-lips]

Length,weight, and distance all play a big part of the cost. You should just expect to pay around 25-35.

[iabass8]

I will add, if you have a home improvement store near you (Lowes, Home Depot, Menards), go to their Floor Coverings department and ask for a used carpet tube and they will most likely give you one free of charge. They just throw them out anyway. They are the exact same tubing that TW uses to send their rods. PVC is definitely safer but the cardboard tube is cheaper and is still nearly impossible to bend. Get some pipe insulation and tape it around the rod (will cost maybe 2$ for a package of the stuff) and then just wrap and stuff in the tube /w newspaper and tape the ends. I have zero idea about what factor weighs the most on pricing but for what it's worth, I've sold 3 rods in the past 2 months. I'm located in Iowa and sent 2 rods that were between 7'1 - 7'4 in a cardboard tube to California and Maine. Both cost me 19$ insured and 21$ insured. I just sent a rod to a member here in PVC (I wouldn't have but I stated in the post I would so I felt obligated to and I have leftovers) to Indiana (only 2 states away as opposed to half the country) and it cost me 27$ for the same length as a cardboard tube. Weight may be the deciding factor but length is also part of it. 

[Arv]

I'd recommend getting a pvc pipe and cutting it to your desired length. It will usually be a bit cheaper than the 8'cardboard tubes, at least from my experience. But biggest thing, too me at least, is there is a much smaller chance of the pvc breaking. Not that the cardboard breaks often, but that is the material I've had problems with, and I've heard others have problems with. I'd rather do it right the first time and not have to deal with a broken rod.

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I sent a 6'6" rod for $13 in a PVC tube the other day.. USPS. I don't know how. LOL

[new2BC4bass]

The fenwick going somewhere?

 

No sir!  They aren't. 

 

To everyone else:

 

I have one pvc tube from a rod I received and about 12 cardboard tubes that I've kept out of the others I've received over the past 6 years.  Bubble plastic to wrap around the rod is no problem.  I've received enough rods to know how to pack them properly even if this is the first one I've ever shipped.  The rod butt will have a piece of twine around it that will also be taped to the out side of the tube for easy removal of the rod and to keep the rod tip from getting close to the endcap on the other end.  I plan on taking an extra step with the endcaps.  They will have 2 bolts going through the tube wall and endcaps to prevent them from being pushed in.  I know what it feels like to receive a broken rod.

 

So it seems to me that finding the cheapest way to send the rod would require me taking the package to several different places for a price check.  Probably not the smartest way considering the price of gas.  There is a Post Office across the street from where I work.  Maybe I can also get a price from the UPS guy when he delivers at work.  Seems he should be able to given those electronic doodads they carry with them.

 

I appreciate all the help.  Thanks.

 

BTW Tom, the rod is a Tec Spec Elite I picked up on sale at DSG.  The one I asked about in a thread.  I got it to send to the young gentleman I sent my LH Trion to.  I am doing my part to further the sport.  With 2 babies and re-entering college, money is tight for him.  Tight for me too (had to take money out of my 401k last month to pay rent cuz car repairs took over $4000 in 3 weeks), but what can I say.  I felt the urge to help him with the reel, and once started the rod was a no brainer as he fishes 3/8 oz. and 1/2 oz. jigs 80% of the time with the rod given to him by a neighbor...a Medium power rod.  I felt my reel deserved a MH rod....and so does he. 

[Bdjr1]

UPS prices are crazy

[thehooligan]

I picked up a new gen cumara the other day and it showed up in a 7ft soft cardboard box, lol. I had a cumulus delivered like that before as well and was absolutely shocked it was still in 1 piece...

I prefer PVC tubes but it I've been shipping in cardboard tubes lately and just insuring it.

[timsford]

I shipped a 7'11" rod in a cardboard tube wrapped an inch thick with bubble wrap for 21. Pvc is much better because you dont have to worry about it being crushed though

[papajoe222]

Any container you use that is over 84in. (length + girth) gets to be a little pricey.  Sadly, any one piece rod over 7ft. is going to put you over that limit.  The most inexpensive carrier is USPS and you can save some $ by printing out your own postage.  I've shipped 6'6" rods for as little as $11.75 all the way up to $30 depending on how much I insured them for, but have never shipped a one piece over 7ft. for under $21.  BTW, Forget UPS. It's legal rape if you do and even with petroleum jelly, it hurts.

[thehooligan]

The reason i hate cardboard tubes. This is how my cumulus showed up today. Shocked it was still in one piece  

 

[F14A-B]

^ I hear that, had one come from Cali that was Broken, Beat & Battered... Same with my rod, it was unscathed.

[buzzed bait]

The reason i hate cardboard tubes. This is how my cumulus showed up today. Shocked it was still in one piece  

 

 

my heart would have sank in and i would have opened it slowly and scared like a dirty diaper!

[thehooligan]

Trust me, there was a brand new 6'10 mh cumulus in there, I was nervous...

[new2BC4bass]

I packed it up today in a cardboard tube.  The PVC tube was long enough, but only by 2-3 inches.  That close worried me.  Plus there were no endcaps with it.  I could make some, but don't have the time. I can't help it if the tube gets bent, but that sucker is protected otherwise.  Bubble wrapped the full length except for about a foot in front of the handle.  Tied a piece of plastic that is used to bundle a case of paper (about 1/4 inch wide) over the bubble wrap in the reel seat area.  Wrapped tape around that for added staying power,  extended the plastic strip outside the tube and wrapped it several times with that fiberglass reinforced tape.  Didn't put any tape over the endcaps, but did drill 2 holes through the tube and endcap flange on both ends, and bolted them together with a washer on the tube side to provide more support to keep the tube from ripping if someone tries to pry an endcap off.  They better bring some tools with them if they want to see what is inside cuz their work is cut out for them otherwise. 

 

I received a rod with no cap on one end.  Someone must have wanted to know what was inside.  They did put one (as in only one) piece of clear tape over the end.  Luckily the rod tip didn't punch a hole through it because the rod was loose inside the tube, and the tip end face the strip of tape.  Twice I've had rods arrive with no tape replacing the endcap someone took off.  One rod survived, one rod didn't make it.  Still haven't buried the poor thing.

 

 

 

[Cubbage]

What do you ship them in?  card board or something else?