Shipping in the winter

[Benj2112]

I live in North Central Minnesota and it certainly gets cold around here. Yesterday was -9 during the day. We have warmed up to 10 so far today. I am really nervous about shipping anything. I really don't want to kill anything because it arrives in ice cold water or literally a block of ice. I have asked a few companies about shipping guidelines regarding temperature, but mostly get answers that are trying to avoid a direct answer.

Any other cold weather people have any advice?

 

[Kzang]

Most people pack depending on weather. If your in Minnesota, I bet they will pack in Styrofoam box, with multiple heating packs. Everyone ships 1 day overnight by 10:30 the next morning so you should be okay.

 

[Abhishek]

Am from Minneapolis , so I know how you feel .

Don’t ship anything until it’s over 20F . Trust me when I say - every chance they won’t make it alive with our temperatures running lately

 

[Benj2112]

Am from Minneapolis , so I know how you feel .

Don’t ship anything until it’s over 20F . Trust me when I say - every chance they won’t make it alive with our temperatures running lately

Is that 20 for the low?

 

[Kzang]

Why not call/ask where ever you want to buy from if it is okay to ship. For instance, liveaquaria has a guaranteed live arrival, and I don't think they limit to the state/weather/time of the year.

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

Have ordered a bunch of stuff to Vermont, even in the cold if transit is roughly 24 hours or less it usually does fine, packed in Styrofoam boax and heating pads. Just got a beatiful battlebox from Adam at battlecorals and it was well packed with 0 casualties form transport.

I recently had an order be delayed (by UPS, from LiveAquaria) and be delivered in 48hrs, everything perished (luckily it was "just" snails/crabs for clean up crew).


As long as there are no major snowstorms on the horizon and you are 100% sure someone will be home to accept the package (so it is not left by the front door in sub-zero temperatures) I would not hesitate to order/ship stuff.

 

[Abhishek]

Is that 20 for the low?

Yeah . I would wait until temperature is manageable (like 15-20 for the low and high of 30s or even higher 20s). Definitely not when its below freezing like now .
But its just my honest opinion living in MN for a long time and shipping quite a few over the years .

 

[InkedReefLady]

I think in my one situation, I was the exception than the rule. I didn't believe we were going to get to the negative temps the weather forecaster said we would this past Feb and I ordered from LA (fish and a coral). I had also ordered from DD. DD called me the night before and said they would not ship out (coral) but LA did ship the fish and coral.

We did end up getting down to -34 F with the windchill. My UPS guy is stellar and took very good care of the animals. Everyone got here just fine. The packs were not warm by the time they got to me, though.

Again, had I known the weather was REALLY going to be -34 I wouldn't have ordered, but 3/4 of the time the weather person is wrong. This time they were right. But everyone made it fine.

Would I do this again? No. Not worth the risk.