September is one of the busiest moving months of the year around here. Kids heading out of state for school. Grandparents downsizing out of the house in the Broadlands. New jobs pulling families from Broomfield to Austin, Phoenix, or Nashville. And a steady stream of people who bought a couch on Facebook Marketplace and now need to get it to a buyer in Fort Collins.

At AIM Mail Center in Broomfield, Colorado we do both regular package shipping and LTL freight. Here’s how to know which one you need.

What “freight” actually means

Regular shipping is boxes under about 150 lbs that move through the UPS, FedEx, or USPS package network. Freight is everything bigger. LTL stands for “less than truckload,” which means your stuff shares a truck with other shipments and you only pay for the space you use. Most freight goes on a pallet, wrapped in plastic, and moves by truck.

Ship boxes yourself when…

  • Everything fits in boxes under 70 lbs each.
  • You have fewer than about 8–10 boxes.
  • It’s books, clothes, kitchen stuff, bedding, small electronics.
  • You can pack it up over a weekend.

This is most college move-ins and a lot of first-apartment moves. Bring the boxes to us, we compare USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL rates, and you pick. Boxes, tape, and bubble wrap are on the shelf in our packing supplies area. Heavy boxes going far usually go cheapest by UPS or FedEx Ground.

Use freight when…

  • One item is big or heavy. A dresser, a couch, a piano, a treadmill, a motorcycle, a workbench.
  • You have 10+ boxes going to one address. At that point a pallet is often cheaper than ten separate labels.
  • It’s oddly shaped. Anything over about 108 inches long or 165 inches length-plus-girth is freight, no matter the weight.
  • It’s fragile and expensive. Furniture, artwork, a grandfather clock. Crating and freight is safer than a box in the parcel network.
  • A moving company quote made you laugh. For a partial move, a couple of pallets often costs a fraction of a full-service mover.

What freight costs

Price depends on weight, size, distance, and whether pickup or delivery needs a liftgate (a residential address with no loading dock). Bring us the measurements, weight, and a photo, and we’ll quote it while you wait.

How freight works with us

  1. Tell us what you’ve got. Measurements, weight, and photos are enough for a quote.
  2. We pack and palletize it. Furniture gets blanket-wrapped and strapped. Fragile items can be crated. Boxes get stacked, corner-boarded, and shrink-wrapped.
  3. We book the carrier and handle the paperwork. Bill of lading, labels, the works.
  4. It ships. You get tracking. Delivery to a home usually includes a liftgate and curbside drop-off.

You can drop items at our Broomfield store, or for bigger pieces, we’ll talk through pickup options from your house in Broomfield, Thornton, Westminster, or Erie.

A few things people don’t expect

  • Freight is slower. Plan on 3–7 business days in the region, 7–12 coast to coast.
  • Residential delivery costs more than commercial. If your recipient can pick up at a terminal, it’s cheaper.
  • Freight insurance is separate. Declare the value and ask us about coverage.
  • Pallets have to be stable. Nothing overhanging the edges. That’s our job.

Not sure which one you need?

Bring in a list or a few photos and we’ll tell you. Sometimes the answer is “ship those five boxes as packages and put the dresser on freight.” Splitting it up is usually the cheapest way.

Questions we hear a lot

Can you ship furniture? Yes. Couches, dressers, tables, bed frames. We blanket-wrap and palletize or crate them.

Can you ship a motorcycle or a large machine? Usually, yes, as freight. Bring us the dimensions and weight.

Do I have to bring it to the store? Small freight, yes. Large pieces, we’ll discuss pickup.

Do you ship freight internationally? Yes, through DHL, FedEx, and UPS freight services with customs handled here.

Visit Us in Broomfield, Colorado

AIM Mail Center, 2205 W 136th Ave Ste 106, Broomfield, CO 80023, at the corner of 136th Ave and Zuni in Broomfield, right by Legacy High School. Serving Broomfield, Westminster, Thornton, Northglenn, Erie, Anthem, the Broadlands, and McKay Landing.

Open Monday–Friday 8am–6pm, Saturday 9am–5pm. (303) 280-6245.