SHIPPING PACKAGES
Carolina Packaging is the only independent shipping store in Chapel Hill. This means we place quality of service over allegiance to any particular carrier. If you prefer UPS over FedEx or DHL – that’s fine with us! If you’re not sure which carrier is best, we’ll be happy to make our recommendations based on your priorities (price, reliability, etc).

In very simple terms, these are our personal observations. Keep in mind that shipping is far more complicated than it ever has been*

UPS – The workhorse of the shipping industry. They service every address in the US; has a great track record for ground and air deliveries.

FEDERAL EXPRESS – Their greatest strength is overnight delivery. Their ground service is not quite as reliable for remote locations, but they will deliver on Saturday’s to residential addresses.

DHL – A new name for shipping in the US, but in Europe, Asia and Africa they are as well-known and established as UPS & Federal Express. I find them more reliable in handling larger packages and their international service.

US POSTAL SERVICE – If you have something weighing less than 2 lbs that does not need insurance, the Postal Service is the most economical. If you’re shipping books or videos, their Media Mail is by far the cheapest. We do not offer insurance with postal products because their claims process is by far the most complicated and time-consuming. We offer all postal services except Registered Mail. Take note – We do not guarantee on-time delivery for their Express Mail Services. If you need a guarantee, go with UPS or Federal Express.

DAILY SCHEDULED PICK-UPS:
 FedEx Ground - 2pm
 US Postal Service - 4pm
 UPS (Air & Ground) - 4:15pm
 FedEx Air - 5pm
 DHL (Air & Ground) - 5pm
 DHL & FedEx Air pick up at Noon on Saturdays

*Gone are the days when you could weigh a package and know how much postage to put on it. Nowadays, distance and size factor into the price. There are also fuel surcharges, residential fees, and additional handling fees. Be warned that on-line shipping quotes very rarely reflect real-world over-the-counter charges. We are fully trained to ACCURATELY determine the cost to ship your items…and that means we know how to SAVE YOU MONEY by sending your package with the most economical carrier!

Surely you have better things to do in life than learn these rules! Look complicated? That’s why you want to ship your stuff with a PROFESSIONAL! Click on image below to read dimensional calculations and postal regulations.

GUARANTEED DELIVERY / OVERNIGHT SHIPPING – We recommend UPS & Federal Express for overnight deliveries. They also offer 2nd Day and 3rd Day guaranteed deliveries. Probably the one thing our customers love most about Carolina Packaging is our HONESTY! If ground service will get your package where it needs to be within your time frame – we will tell you. You won’t find this at any franchise!

ARE YOU GOING ON A TRIP? With airline restrictions becoming ever more complicated and misrouted luggage at an all-time high, perhaps shipping your stuff for vacation or business trips is what you need. No more hauling your stuff through airports, on buses or taxis. Have your luggage waiting for you when you check-in at your hotel. We can even arrange for return shipping and include a roll of tape to tape your boxes! Plan ahead and ship by ground service to save money!

ESTATE SHIPPING

Carolina Packaging has handled many different size estates over the years. We can provide a detailed packaging list if necessary, and we also document items packaged through digital photos. We prefer packaging in our store, but for special circumstances we will package on site.

FREIGHT SHIPPING

Carolina Packaging can ship nearly anything, anywhere. For those items that are too large to bring to our store, we can arrange to have them picked up directly from your location.

There are many variables when calculating a freight shipment. We can give you a ballpark estimate within seconds…but a few hours may be needed for an exact price. Typical questions we will ask:

Calculating a Freight Shipment :

How large is the item?

Is it fragile?

How much insurance will you need?

Will this be a curbside delivery?

Or will the delivery driver need to bring the item into the house?

Will there be someone to assist the driver?

Or will his truck need a lift gate?

All of these questions have a direct bearing on the final cost of a freight shipment.

....................................

What is Bulk Mail?
Companies and Organizations use Bulk Mail when sending the exact same item to many different people, but at least two hundred pieces of mail are needed to qualify. Up to 3.3 ounces can be sent for the letter rate of 28 cents. Bulk Mail is cheaper because it is already organized and bundled according to U.S. Postal regulations, and because it travels slower (sometimes up to three weeks to cross the country).

BULK MAIL PERMITS: To send letters bulk rate, you must have a permit. Bulk Mail permits are available from the post office for a fee of $150 a year. Or you can use the A-Z Mail Permit #18...the charge is just $10 per mailing!

STUFFING ENVELOPES
 4.0 cents for first item
 3.0 cents for each additional insert

SEALING ENVELOPES
 3.0 cents for each standard envelope sealed
 5.0 cents for oversize envelopes

ADDRESS LABELING & SORTING FOR BULK MAIL
 5.0 cents per label

METERING*
 3.0 cents for each envelope metered

PRINTING ADDRESS LABELS
 (Mailing lists need to be presented in comma-delimited Standard ASCII format)
2.0 cents per label

MISCELLANEOUS FEES
 $2.50 for each mail tray strapped (only applies to mail outside Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area)
 $8 fee for taking mail to post office

*You can avoid metering altogether
by using our pre-canceled permit imprint.