Shipping big items to the Bush

There are three ways to move something big: air cargo, barge, and the mail. Which one fits depends on size, weight, how soon it’s needed, and the time of year. Get a quote for your actual item before you agree on a price, because freight can be a big part of the total.

• Fastest, and it runs all year. Cargo carriers and airlines with cargo service fly from Anchorage and Fairbanks to hub communities, and regional carriers go on from the hubs to villages.
• Priced by weight and size. Carriers charge by actual or dimensional weight, whichever is more, so big light things (a couch, a kayak) can cost more than you’d expect.
• Strict rules on anything that’s held fuel. Engines, generators, chainsaws, outboards and snowmachines usually have to be drained, and sometimes purged, before they’ll be accepted. Batteries, propane, fuel cans and aerosol cans are restricted or need special handling. Ask the carrier first, before you pack.
• Weather delays are common. Freight can sit for days when planes can’t fly. Don’t promise a delivery date you don’t control.

• Usually the cheapest way to move heavy, bulky things: vehicles, snowmachines, boats, building materials, appliances.
• Western, Arctic and river villages get barges only in the open-water season, with a limited number of sailings and cutoff dates for dropping freight at the terminal. Miss the last barge of the year and it waits until next summer. Southeast, Kodiak and the Aleutians have barge service all year.
• Slow. Plan in weeks, not days, and ask the barge line about its schedule and terminal before you buy.

The Postal Service reaches nearly every community in the state, and for boxes within its size and weight limits it’s often the cheapest option. Check the current limits and rates for the service you pick before you pack. Anything bigger than a box goes by air cargo or barge.

Settle these in messages before any money moves, so there’s a record:

• Who books the freight, and in whose name?
• Who pays for it, and when? Most often the buyer pays freight on top of the price.
• Where does the item get dropped off (the carrier’s terminal in Anchorage or Fairbanks, usually), and who does the drop-off?
• What happens if it arrives damaged?

If the seller can’t get to the terminal, buyers often have a friend or relative in town pick it up and drop it off, or hire someone who does it for a living. Look under freight to the Bush for people who haul, crate and deliver to the terminals.

• Crate or palletize heavy items, strap them down, and pad corners and anything that sticks out.
• Drain fluids the way the carrier requires, and secure or remove loose parts.
• Label it with the buyer’s name, phone number and community, on the outside and on a copy taped inside.
• Take photos of the item and the packing before it leaves your hands.

Sellers: the item doesn’t leave your hands until the money has cleared into your account. “Pending” isn’t cleared. Be wary of a buyer who wants to overpay and have you send the difference to “their shipper,” or who insists on a shipping company you can’t look up. Those are scams.

Buyers: you can’t inspect it in person, so ask for recent photos, a video of it running, and the serial number or VIN. If you know someone in town, ask them to take a look. Pay in a way that leaves a record, and never by gift card or wire to someone you don’t know.

• A carrier’s standard liability is often limited. For anything valuable, ask about declaring a value or buying cargo insurance.
• Keep your drop-off receipt and photos.
• Buyers: look the item over at pickup before you sign for it, and report damage to the carrier right away.

Sellers who will ship off the road system can say so on their listing, and buyers can filter for it. Try snowmachines and ATVs, furniture and appliances, or tools and generators from sellers who’ll send to the Bush.