Your church is considering purchasing new church chairs. Well, we have written many articles over the years on the challenges that you will face and can face during this endeavor. But to this point, we have never written an article about the “shipping” of church chairs. The reality is that your chairs are going to need to travel from a warehouse somewhere to your church facility. There are three main options available to your church that can make this happen. Each has their pros and cons. Our desire with this article is to lay out these three options and overview the primary pros and cons of each. Let’s get started!
Options #1: “Dedicated Truck”
For most chair deliveries we prefer utilizing “dedicated trucks”. This means that around 1000 chairs are loaded onto a 53 foot trailer at one of our warehouses in stacks that maximize the space on that trailer. The truck then leaves the warehouse going straight to a number of churches that are receiving the chairs. Obviously we route these trucks in the most efficient manner to minimize miles and expenses and to maximize efficiency. We prefer this form of shipping as it minimizes potential damage (chairs go on at the warehouse and off at the church versus on and off at multiple terminals) and it is most cost-efficient for the church. The downside is that our trips to various part of the country will vary based on the number of churches we are working with in that region. Sometimes this can mean a delay for a church while we wait for enough orders to make a truck viable. But in most cases this method tends to work out well for all parties.
Option #2: “Customer Pick-Up”
Because we have warehouses in a number of geographical locations in our country, there are times when our recommendation on a particular chair will vary if we believe we can save your church money because of your closeness to one of our facilities. We are finding more and more churches willing to handle the delivery of their chairs themselves. Normally we need about 48 hours notice to have your order ready for pick-up. We like to know exactly what sort of vehicle or trailer you will be picking your chairs up with. Providing us the actual inside dimensions of your trailer or box truck can be very helpful as well. But while the savings can be substantial, you should also remember that once you receive the chairs at the warehouse, they are now your responsibility. You may want to make sure you are fully insured as you take on this responsibility.
Option #3: “Common Carrier”
At times we find that we will need to ship chairs via “common carrier”. Under this scenario, we “palletize” the chairs and then ship them with one of many companies that specialize in moving pallets or skids of products. When chairs are shipped in this manner, they may go on and off three or four different trailers before arriving to your church. Obviously this raises the potential of damage as the more those chairs are moved, the more times that damage is possible. Shipping in this manner also adds significant cost in almost every case. However, an advantage can be that with this form of shipping, we can almost always guarantee your church will receive their chairs within a specific time period.
At Church Furniture Partner, our desire is to provide you the best product at the best prices. Working to ensure the best shipping solution for your church is a part of our service as well! Feel free to contact us to discuss how we can save your money on church chairs as well as any and all furnishings for your church.