It’s June! The weather is gorgeous and it’s time for summer.
The students are done with college and they’re ready to come home, go on vacation, and not think about academics for at least a couple months. Everyone’s excited!
Except for one sneaky detail.
You know over the course of the year they’ve accumulated a lot of stuff. They’ve gone out with their friends, they’ve purchased things to spruce up their dorm, and they’ve done 9 months of shopping.
So what are you going to do with all that stuff?
Now that it’s summer, it’s up to you to figure out what to do with it.
There’s a couple of different options.
Some people prefer to put it in storage knowing that the kids are going to come back in a couple of months and they don’t want to deal with the hassle of shipping it.
But there are concerns with keeping it in storage.
There’s the safety angle if there’s anything valuable. There’s the worry about it getting damaged siting unsupervised for months. There’s also the fact that students might want to use them!
Because of that a lot of people choose to ship everything home.
So today we’re going to talk about a couple of ways to ship your college items home, and which one might be the best for you.
What college shipping services are available to me?
DHL is primarily used for international shipping. So if your college is overseas, you’re going away for a summer abroad, or if you’re moving to a new country, you may want to think about DHL as an option for shipping all your items with you.
This can save you money because you don’t have to take a bunch of extra luggage on the plane.
Additionally, you can schedule a pickup with DHL.
You’ll still have to pack and prep all your items for shipment. DHL will need to know the weight, size, and delivery location before they can give you a price.
FedEx for college shipping or UPS for college shipping
Many people wonder if they should do FedEx or UPS when dealing with their shipping scenarios. We work with both FedEx and UPS every day and their service options are very comparable.
It really depends on your personal preference. Both companies will ship your packages no matter the size or weight, and both give you a variety of shipping routes to provide options for delivery time (and cost).
Both FedEx and UPS have shop locations, so you’ll still need to pack and take your shipments to their stores to complete the transaction.
Definitely choose a local company that you trust, that provides excellent service, and provides you with good communication so that you can always touch base and check the shipment status and get answers to any questions you might have.
USPS for college shipping
The united states post office can definitely help you ship your college items home. If you’re in need of an affordable option they will give you some good price choices. Just know that they won’t pack anything, so you’ll have to get it ready yourself. You’ll also have to take it to the nearest post office.
And also remember they don’t guarantee delivery times, so if you are in need of something specific, you might try another carrier first.
Pak Mail Austin for College Shipping
Now that we’ve covered all the carrier options we can think of – it’s time to share our recommendation. Which of course is us!
Why pick Pak Mail Austin for shipping your college stuff home? Because we do it all!
We have the ability to schedule, ship, and deliver through all the carriers mentioned. This gives you the opportunity to shop around easier. Our staff can help you pick the best items based on your personal needs, the amount and type of stuff you’re shipping, and when/where it needs to go.
Additionally, at Pak Mail Austin, we save you time and labor of the packing part of the shipment. We can pick up everything, which works great for college students who don’t have access to a vehicle to take it to a store.
Once we get everything in the shop, we safely and efficiently package everything up to get it ready for the transportation part.
No matter which carrier you choose, you want a partner that helps you throughout the whole process.
Now that we’ve covered the college shipping carrier options, let’s chat a bit about the type of items we see shipped a lot from college.
Shipping small amounts of furniture
Did your college student purchase some extra furniture pieces to spruce up their dorm?
Lots of students choose to add chairs, bean bags, small desks, or nightstands.
These small furniture pieces that are easy for them to buy and set up to give their space some personal flair.
But when it comes time to take those items home for the summer, it can be daunting.
Some students think it’s not an option to save them! So they’ll throw them away or give them to other students.
But you don’t have to do that!
Don’t worry about disassembling them, finding a package the right size, or making sure that they are shipped safely.
A full-service shipping center like Pak Mail Austin can simply create custom packages designed to safely store and ship any item. Our staff is fully trained in packaging options and have all the tools available – from cardboard boxes to special furniture wrap, and everything in between.
What if my student has really valuable items?
We see a lot of students and parents that are very concerned about shipping valuables. We see very expensive handbags and shoes, jewelry and watches, video game consoles, and expensive electronics.
These items can be handled with special care and specific shipping instructions. You can control every step of the way – ensuring that they’re handled by a certain level of care. You can request that they are shipped separately overnight to ensure that they are in your hands as quick as possible. You can add extra protection add on’s like a delivery signature from everybody whose hands it passes through. This ensures a nice paper trail so no unauthorized people access it.
These additional tools help you feel more confident that any valuable item you ship in the mail will be delivered safe and secure on time.
We always recommend that you simply talk with your local shipper about the item, to discuss the delicate nature or value of it and your options.
They’ll be able to walk you through the whole process and recommend different services and add-ons that will help you make the best decision possible.
Ending Thoughts
It’s time to pack up and go home from college!
Everybody’s excited. They’re rushing to start their fun summer plans, but don’t forget you can’t leave your stuff in the dorm!
Let us help you make the summer transition hassle-free. We will pack, schedule, and ship all your items so you don’t have to. From dishes to photos, to Xboxes, to furniture: we’ve got you covered.
Contact us today to see how we can help you with your college shipping.