No one at USPS told me anything. I read the guidelines on the USPS website. Here is a quote

"Oversized Package
Use for packages when the length of the longest side plus the distance around the thickest part is more than 108 inches and less than or equal to 130 inches. Items over 130 inches are not mailable".

My package measurements exceeded this. At any rate, FedEx has been routinely cheaper than USPS on a lot of items that I've shipped.

 

I bought my bed extender off of ebay. He took it apart and shipped it in a flat box. Cost him $17 shipping from CA to NC via UPS. Shipping it assembled is crazy.

If someone can't figure out how to take it apart or put it back together, they don't deserve to drive a truck! My 5 year old twins put mine together in about 15 minutes with no directions.

 

Good for you bro. By the way, I drive two trucks. I chose to ship it whole as the buyer recently became a widow with 3 very young kids and has limited resources, time, and tools. I did her a favor and sent in one piece. She had it on the truck in 5 minutes and was imminently grateful.

 

So, you are saying that I can just take the bed extender down and have the USPS take care of it? What would I need to do before taking it down to the post office?

 

That's how they do it here.

You need to affix an address label on it, somehow.

These odd size items are usually wrapped with cellophane, and the label attached to that.

Car seats and fenders have the label stuck to the flat areas......while tires are wrapped in cellophane. Long fishing poles are usually in a cardboard tube, or sometimes PVC pipe.

People find it fun to ship odd items like balloons and coconuts.....to see if they make it, I guess. The address is written on them with magic marker.

Don't ship it standard mail though. The machine handling of that service is brutal. Make sure you send it Priority Mail, and Registered Mail would be even better.

Good Luck.

 

FWIW FedEx Ground is by FAR the cheapest when it comes to shipping. I go there first as I can't stand paying what UPS charges. If I were you I would break the bed extender down. You can place numbered tape on each piece with a hand-drawn legend so it will be easy to put back together. Only a fool would pay that kind of money to ship that thing assembled.

 

I don't think the nice lady I sold and shipped my extender to is a fool.

 

For those curious... My auction is now over and I am going to ship the extender to TN. I think I am going to try and take it to USPS first. If that doesn't work, then I am going to FedEx because I have had good dealings with them in the past. Here is what I ended up doing as far as getting it packed up. I had a pretty big box leftover from an air compressor I bought at Sears. I cut it in half and just tried to put it together the best that I could. Hopefully USPS will take it and the price will be fair. If not, I will just have to pay the piper.

Anyway, here is the finished project. I am obviously not going for bonus points for appearance:

 

Inside-out would have been better.

 

I didn't think about it at the time, but it is too late now? I would rather spray paint it white than have to take that apart and do it again.