Shipping
United States Transit Times
Bulk Container Express has partnered with industry-leading freight providers to ensure fast and accurate delivery of our customers' orders. With a truly national delivery footprint and over 350 state-of-the-art terminals across the country, FedEx Freight Priority provides accurate online end-to-end tracking and shipment visibility. BCE proudly provides unsurpassed efficiency and impeccable delivery time frames to ensure customer satisfaction.
By partnering with industry-leading freight providers, Bulk Container Express is able to pass on significant discounts to our customers and ensure the highest level of customer service.
Our main distribution warehouse, centrally located in Cincinnati, OH, has standard transit times that range between 2-5 business days, and 80% of the US population falls within the 3-day transit area. Including: New York, NY – Orlando, FL – Dallas, TX – Fargo, ND – Denver, CO.
Canadian Transit Times
For our Canadian customers, Bulk Container Express has partnered with a network of freight delivery companies to ensure the most efficient and economical delivery of your merchandise. These agreements give Bulk Container Express greater reach and faster delivery to more parts of Canada.
As a non-resident importer certified by the Canadian government with our own Canadian business ID, Bulk Container Express takes the guesswork out of international shipping and customs clearance. Our special designation allows us to give our customers door-to-door rates and handle all of the paperwork and fees associated with cross-border shipping. You may also designate your customs broker of choice during checkout for convenience.
Common Shipping Policies
Shipping costs are calculated in real time at checkout using carrier APIs based on:
Delivery destination (zip code / country)
Order weight and dimensions (dimensional weight may apply)
Freight class (based on NMFC classification for industrial containers)
Selected service level (standard freight, expedited, etc.)
For large or multi-pallet orders, rates shown at checkout are estimates. We reserve the right to contact you with revised freight costs for orders that exceed standard carrier thresholds. You will be notified before any additional charges are applied.
All orders are processed and prepared for shipment within 1–25 business days of order confirmation. This lead time accounts for order verification, packaging, and freight coordination. Assembly or processing of new or refurbished containers. Orders are not shipped on weekends or federal holidays. If your order processing will be more than 1-3 business days, you will be contacted by an account manager.
You will receive an order confirmation email immediately upon purchase and a separate shipping notification with tracking details once your order has been picked up by the carrier.
Note: For time-sensitive orders, please contact us prior to placing your order to confirm availability and lead times.
The freight company will expect the recipient to unload the products from the truck when it arrives at the delivery address. A loading dock, forklift, or pallet jack may be required. If the recipient does not have a loading dock or the equipment necessary to unload the order from the delivery vehicle, it may be necessary to select a special delivery service in addition to standard shipping charges.
There are several special services offered by our freight partners that may be necessary depending on the specifics of your delivery location. It is the customer's responsibility to choose the proper delivery method and special services during checkout. If the proper service level is not selected, the order may become undeliverable or incur significant additional charges. Special delivery services offered by Bulk Container Express include: Residential Delivery, Lift-gate Service, and Limited Access Delivery. Special services are not mutually exclusive, and a combination of services may be necessary to ensure proper delivery of your order.
Residential delivery locations may include, but are not limited to: private residences, apartment complexes, dormitories, businesses located at a private residence, farm, or ranch that are not open to the walk-in public during normal business hours. Pickup and delivery service to residences will be made to the front door, back door, or inside the garage. If your destination qualifies as ”Residential,” you must select the appropriate service level at checkout to ensure the order is received.
A lift-gate is a motorized platform attached to the back of the truck that will physically lower your order to the ground. The truck driver will place your order on the ground, and you are responsible for bringing it inside. If you do not have a loading dock or a forklift, you will need a lift-gate and must select this option during checkout.
Certain locations including but not limited to: storage units, churches, synagogues, temples, schools, commercial establishments not open to the walk-in public during normal business hours, construction sites, fairs or carnivals, prisons, military base/installations, mine sites, rural route or out-of-town highway access locations, private residences, apartment complexes and dormitories, and businesses located at a private residence, farm or ranch that are not open to the walk-in public during normal business hours, may be considered “Limited Access”. If your delivery destination is considered limited access, it requires additional coordination between the recipient and the freight company. There is a small additional fee for this service, and it is required to be properly selected from the shipping choices provided during checkout.
Some deliveries require a scheduled appointment. If this is needed, the driver will contact the recipient to set up an agreed-upon delivery time.
If the product is undeliverable, Bulk Container Express will contact the buyer and attempt to resolve the issue prior to having the goods returned to our distribution center. If, however, the incorrect service level was selected during checkout, Bulk Container Express cannot guarantee final delivery.
All shipments are made F.O.B. (Free On Board) our Cincinnati, OH warehouse. Title and risk of loss transfer to the buyer at the point of shipment. Bulk Container Express is not liable for loss or damage occurring after the shipment leaves our facility.