How Do I Mail 6-Foot Trees?

You can ship a tree anywhere in the world with freight service.

Mailing large and heavy objects, like a 6-foot tree, will require a special mailing service. Freight companies are the only ones that will ship large and heavy objects, although they will be more expensive than regular shipping services. The price you pay for using a freight company depends on the exact dimensions and weight of the tree. Luckily, using a freight company is simple, as they can provide door-to-door service, picking up the tree from your own home and mailing it to another location directly.

Things You'll Need

• Tree netting
• Tie wraps
• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Wrap the tree for shipping. With an assistant, wrap the tree with the tree netting to make it compact. Connect the ends of the tree netting with tie wraps. The less space the tree takes up in the shipping truck, the less it will cost to ship, but do not wrap the tree too tightly, or it will be damaged.

2. Measure the width, length and height of the tree with the tape measure. Place the tree on the ground for easier measuring.

3. Approximate the weight of the tree. While the tree is impractical to weigh using most scales, use your best judgment when estimating the weight of the tree. Pick it up from each end, and take a guess at the weight. Do not try to underestimate, as the shipping company will charge you a penalty if they pick it up and it is much heavier than your estimate. Alternatively, you can tell the shipping company that it is an irregularly shaped object and you do not have a way of weighing it. The shipping company, in most cases, will ask for your estimate and will weight it for you on pickup.

4. Contact your local freight shipper to ask for a quote. You will have to provide the shipper with the dimensions of the tree and the approximate weight. You can also use an online freight-shipping comparison tool (see Resources) that provides you with an estimate from more than one shipper.

5. Prepare the tree for pickup. On the scheduled pick-up date, have the tree ready. Place the tree near the location the freight company will pick it up from. If the tree is heavy and requires more than one person to carry, you will need to provide assistance for the shipping company when picking up the tree or you can be charged extra.

Tips & Warnings

• Inform the recipient of the tree to water the tree as soon as they get it to prevent the tree from dying.

References

• Green Valley/Henderson View: Use Tree Netting to Keep Birds From Eating Fruit
• USPS: Shipping Large Objects