Simple Shipping Rates

    Dogwood Ceramic Supply has generated what we call Simple Shipping Rates for a number of stand alone products.  The qualifying products are often purchased as a single product, have a known shipping weight and there are few if any options that would significantly alter the weight or change the size of the shipping box.

    The key issue is simplification.  Simple for Dogwood and simple for our customers.  Oh, and the rates must be fair, fair to both Dogwood and our customers.  In the simplest terms the Simple Shipping Rates are comprised of a base rate for commercial shipments and a surcharge for residential shipments.  For very light weight shipments the rate may apply to the entire Continental USA.  More complex items may be subdivided into several regional prices.

    There are several key advantages with the Simple Shipping Rates.  Obviously, for the light weight shipments the customer can usually add another of the same product (or three, four or even 10 of the same product) and the shipping rate will not likely change.  This reduces the fumbling with what-if I add something to the order issues.  Just as importantly, the rate is predetermined so the shipping to mom's house in California instead of my house in Texas is easily handled.  And from Dogwood's perspective, since the Simple Shipping Rate is computed for each item group, the published rates can include insurance when required and any packing or handling costs not otherwise built into the cost of the product plus an allocation for the Fuel Surcharge charged by UPS.

    The major disadvantage in any predetermined shipping rate program are the large or complex orders of multiple product densities.... you know, the stuff that is most often shipped by Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  For those complex orders we simply use the standard UPS rate tables and add $2.00 handling charge.  Of course the really big stuff ships Motor Freight.

    Please note, the vast majority of the shipments are from Dogwood's showroom and warehouse, though some Paragon kiln and North Star equipment shipments to customers well west of the Mississippi River may be shipped from the factories (Dallas TX and Spokane WA respectively) in order to preserve Dogwood Ceramic Supply's low Simple Shipping Rates.

    For products that don't qualify for the Simple Shipping Rates please visit Dogwood Ceramic Supply's dedicated UPS Shipping or Motor Freight sections for specific information and schedules of handling and service fees.


    Why not just ship everything "Freight Free"?

    There are three answers:

    First and foremost, Dogwood Ceramic Supply's website is our product catalog.  Any price listed on the website is valid in the showroom.  In simplest terms this means customers visiting the showroom can purchase the product without incurring any freight charges.  Most other vendors use their website as their catalog as well.  But the vendors who ship "Freight Free" will build the cost of freight into the selling price of the goods listed in the catalog and their local customers will pay the grossly inflated price.  Shipping "Freight Free" is not very fair to their local customers who are often the vast majority of their customers and clearly don't want to subsidize the shipping cost of another customer.

    Secondly, freight is complicated.  In a good way.  In simplest terms there is a base charge.  A minimum charge so to speak.  The minimum applies to every shipment until the shipment exceeds specific combination of weight and density.  A customer located in Memphis (or Atlanta or Houston) may order a slab roller from Dogwood Ceramic Supply.  Freight rate to a commercial or school location is $100 for the typical large slab roller.  Dogwood's Landed Cost of the slab roller and freight may be the same as another vendor who ships "Freight Free".  No advantage either way.  BUT, and this is a very big BUT, if the customer desires TWO slab rollers the customer has a very interesting choice.  The customer can pay the Freight Free vendor's product price x2 OR the customer can pay Dogwood's price x2 plus $100.

    Huh?  Yes, the freight charge for TWO slab rollers remains just $100.  The second slab roller cost nothing to ride along... or you can compute the freight as $50 per slab roller.  Suddenly vendors that were tied on the price for ONE slab roller are now $100 apart when you buy TWO.  Don't won't two slab rollers?  No problem.  How about adding a pottery wheel with the slab roller?  Or maybe 500 lbs of Moist Clay.  Because we separate the product costs from the shipping costs the customer can take advantage of combining products together for shipping purposes and saving way more than a few pennies.

    And lastly, Dogwood Ceramic Supply sells LOTS of inexpensive products which are quite heavy.  Casting Slip weighs 15 lbs per gallon but sells for about $4 per gallon (in bulk).  The shipping cost of a single gallon of slip from Dogwood to Chicago is about $16.  $16 in shipping costs for a product that can be purchased for only $4?   Sure we could build the shipping cost of the product, but does anybody think the local customers really want to pay $20 for a gallon of slip?


    Why are some of the Simple Shipping Rates subdivided by State or Region?

    The simplest answer is fairness.  We know that we can ship a small kiln, such as the Paragon TnF 1613-3 to commercial and school locations in most of the Continental USA for about $125.  Most parts.  Then there is New York City.  To be blunt the freight rates into Metro New York City are just bonkers.  The national average shipping cost is a few pennies over $125, yet the shipping costs for this same kiln into NYC is $300... and that is before residential and other service fees are added.

    From Dogwood's perspective, and we hope the perspective of the vast majority of our customers, it is better to subdivide freight charges into States or regions such that each customer pays an appropriate freight charge rather than having a single freight charge for the entire USA and over charge the majority of the customers because of the cost/needs of a few.

    The Paragon Freight Rates reflect this fairness in shipping philosophy quite well.  Freight charges follow the location and needs of the customer.  Those located in difficult to access locations or needing special services will pay for those services or for the privilege of living on top of a mountain.  Those customers in easy to access locations and not needing special services will pay less.

    Is there a way to avoid paying freight?

    Sure, just purchase the product from the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Showroom.  In some instances the factory location, such as the Paragon factory near Dallas Texas will do double duty and serve as the Dogwood Ceramic Supply Showroom as well.

    What happens if I combine products together, do my shipping costs also increase?

    Not necessarily, and even if the shipping charges do increase the rate may be quite low.  It all depends upon the weight.  Adding two 1 pound items together might increase the total shipping costs by... $0.25.  Adding a 10 lb item to a 50 lb shipment might increase the shipping costs by $2.00 or so.  UPS is fair with the rate increases between shipping weights, so we can be fair as well.  Adding products to a motor freight shipment is the best thing anybody can do.  A heavy 100 lb ceramic mold might cost $1 in additional freight costs to be add to a pallet of ceramic slip.  

12590 Dedeaux Road
Gulfport Mississippi, 39503
Telephone (228) 831-4848        Fax (228) 831-3111

Showroom Business Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday 10AM to 5PM
Thursday 1PM to 6PM

Closed Wednesday and Sunday

Simple Shipping Rates are for stand alone products that are often purchased as a single product, have a known shipping weight and there are few if any options that would change the size or weight of the shipping box