Ready-to-assemble furniture is designed to ship efficiently, but flat-pack cartons are heavy, long and prone to corner damage. We help RTA brands get the parcel economics they designed for while keeping damage and missing-hardware complaints low.
Parcel shipping for flat-pack cartons
Flat-pack furniture is usually built to ship by ground parcel, but the cartons can still trigger additional handling or large-package charges when they are long, heavy or exceed carrier girth thresholds. Small changes in carton length or weight can move a SKU into a different surcharge tier.
We measure every carton at receiving, rate shop parcel services on each order and flag SKUs that are close to a surcharge threshold. For larger kits or multi-item orders, we compare parcel against LTL or home delivery, and we route the order to whichever option is cheaper and less likely to cause damage.
Hardware packs and kit completeness
The most common complaint with RTA furniture is not damage, it is a missing part. A bag of screws left out of a carton, or one box of a two-box wardrobe arriving days late, turns a simple delivery into a support ticket.
We link every carton in a kit to the sellable SKU and release orders only when all cartons are available. Hardware packs, instructions and any loose components you supply are checked at pack-out. Spare hardware can be stored as its own SKU and shipped by parcel the same day a customer reports a missing part.
Protecting long, heavy cartons
Flat-pack cartons contain dense panels with sharp corners and fragile edges, and they are often dropped on a corner in parcel networks. Inside a warehouse, storing them flat with appropriate stack limits avoids crushed edges.
When a SKU shows repeated corner or edge damage, the fix is often in the packaging: corner protectors, edge boards or a stronger carton grade. We share damage data by SKU and can help you evaluate packaging changes, including testing against ISTA protocols through accredited labs. For customers who want help, assembly can be added through white glove delivery partners.
Frequently asked questions
Is flat-pack furniture cheaper to ship?
Flat-pack furniture is usually cheaper to ship than assembled furniture because it fits parcel networks, but long or heavy cartons can still trigger surcharges that should be planned for.
How do you prevent missing hardware?
Hardware packs are checked at pack-out, and spare hardware can be stored as its own SKU to ship quickly if a customer reports a missing part.
Can customers add assembly for RTA furniture?
Yes. Assembly can be offered at checkout and completed by white glove delivery partners for the SKUs you designate.