Tips For Packaging & Shipping Your Roof Panel

What Shipper?

  • Your choice of shipper does not matter to us as long as it gets here.  UPS, FEDEX, Spee-Dee, or USPS all work.  Spee-Dee delivery only operates in the Midwest which allows it to offer competitive rates.  They service Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  Their website allows you to quickly get a quote without signing up.
  • We highly recommend you take advantage of our  Box & Label Option <click.  We will send you a collapsed box with poly foam inside to wrap your roof in and a prepaid return label for your packaged up roof.  The box will arrive with your paperwork, invoice and RGA# (Return Goods Authorization numbers) that you can retain for your own records, this option streamlines the entire process making it easy for us to match up your roof with your order upon its arrival, and provides you a good paper trail. 
  • If you are having your roof re-lensed, be sure to purchase the box and label option at the same time, so you get free shipping.
  • Drop it off yourself- If you are within a few hours from us we recommend you drop it off in person, typically this will be cheaper than the shipping costs.  We are approximately 60 miles west of Chicago and 30 miles south of Rockford IL

Tips for packaging yourself-

  • The most important thing is keeping everything snug.  Pick up the box and shake it, nothing should move around inside the box. You don't want your items to become projectiles, or rams that ultimately break through the side of the box.
  • Keep your item away from the top, bottom or sides of the box.  You could try wrapping item in an old blanket and stuffing the tops and sides with paper.
  • If you have separated/ unglued items in one box, keep them away from each other to avoid more damage incurred in shipping.
  • Bubble wrap is OK, just keep it mind the bubbles will pop if near sharp edges or corners creating empty space in the box.
  • UPS states that your components should survive a three-foot drop (Sometimes higher). After you're done packing, are you comfortable holding the box in front of you three feet off the ground and dropping it? If so, good job!

What not to do!

  • DO NOT use STYROFOAM PEANUTS. The worst damage we've seen is when items were just dropped into a box with styrofoam peanuts. Peanuts don't work with heavy items, the item will just move past the peanuts to the side of the box, plus they are a mess to deal with.
  • DO NOT use a PLYWOOD BOX.  We have seen more damage with homemade plywood boxes once items get loose and slam into the plywood. We also believe that UPS is harder on plywood boxes because they are heavy and less comfortable for the driver to handle.
  • DO NOT let the UPS STORE PACKAGE IT FOR YOU - if you can help it!  They are not out for your best interest. The larger the box typically means larger the cost.  We’ve been generally disappointed in their packaging jobs, often just dropping the items in a random box that is too large then filling it with styrofoam peanuts. 

Return shipping back to you.  We cannot save or re-use your packaging.  Here's why-

  • We get lots of incoming boxes every day. It would be impossible for us to keep every customer’s box for return shipping.
  • The return packaging must meet our standards. We want to make sure your cherished component makes it back to you damage free.
  • We have a lot of experience shipping components and many of the boxes we receive from our customers are too small for adequate protection. 
  • Many carriers will deny a damage claim if they deem that a box was being re-used.