How Tile Shipping Works
When considering buying tiles online, the possibility of breakage during transport is usually a big concerns in customers’ minds.
Let’s explain how shipping works and how we ship our tilesa
Let’s explain how shipping works and how we ship our tilesa
Do Tiles Break During Shipping?
When we think about tiles traveling across states, even the thought of it can feel scary.
Will they break? Will they chip?
The reality is this: most tiles — including the ones sold at your local tile store — have already traveled much longer distances before reaching you. The majority are imported from overseas, and they arrive safely every day.
The key factors are proper palletizing and using the correct shipping method.
Will they break? Will they chip?
The reality is this: most tiles — including the ones sold at your local tile store — have already traveled much longer distances before reaching you. The majority are imported from overseas, and they arrive safely every day.
The key factors are proper palletizing and using the correct shipping method.
How Tile Shipping Typically Works (LTL Freight)
In the tile industry, most shipments move via LTL (Less Than Truckload) freight.
Here’s how that process works:
Tiles are picked up from the warehouse by a freight carrier.
They are taken to a local freight terminal.
From there, they are transferred between multiple trucks and distribution warehouses until reaching the final destination.
This transfer process is where most damage occurs.
Freight warehouses operate under tight time pressure. A pallet of tiles can weigh over 2,600 lbs, and loads that heavy must be set down carefully. If a pallet is dropped from even 2–3 feet, the bottom tiles can crack or break.
Another common issue is forklift handling. The forks must be perfectly aligned with the pallet base. If alignment is off — or if the operator moves too quickly — the forks can strike the tiles, which is how edge chipping happens.
In addition, the more times a shipment is transferred from truck to truck, the greater the risk of damage, delays, and extended transit times.
Despite these challenges, LTL remains the most common delivery method in the tile industry.
Here’s how that process works:
Tiles are picked up from the warehouse by a freight carrier.
They are taken to a local freight terminal.
From there, they are transferred between multiple trucks and distribution warehouses until reaching the final destination.
This transfer process is where most damage occurs.
Freight warehouses operate under tight time pressure. A pallet of tiles can weigh over 2,600 lbs, and loads that heavy must be set down carefully. If a pallet is dropped from even 2–3 feet, the bottom tiles can crack or break.
Another common issue is forklift handling. The forks must be perfectly aligned with the pallet base. If alignment is off — or if the operator moves too quickly — the forks can strike the tiles, which is how edge chipping happens.
In addition, the more times a shipment is transferred from truck to truck, the greater the risk of damage, delays, and extended transit times.
Despite these challenges, LTL remains the most common delivery method in the tile industry.
How We Reduce Shipping Risk
The most effective way to minimize damage is simple:
Deliver your tiles on the same truck that picks them up from the warehouse.
This eliminates multiple transfers, reduces handling, and significantly lowers the risk of breakage.
This is where our 12 years of long-distance shipping experience makes a difference. In addition to being safer, these shipments also arrive faster because they move as direct transit deliveries, not stop-and-transfer freight.
Deliver your tiles on the same truck that picks them up from the warehouse.
This eliminates multiple transfers, reduces handling, and significantly lowers the risk of breakage.
This is where our 12 years of long-distance shipping experience makes a difference. In addition to being safer, these shipments also arrive faster because they move as direct transit deliveries, not stop-and-transfer freight.
What If Something Happens?
At this point, you may be thinking:
Tiles must be stronger than I thought.
But then another thought follows —
I have this strange ability to attract calamities. What if something bad happens during my shipment?
Are they going to take care of the problem?
Or will I be stuck on the phone, spending hours trying to fix it myself?
If this is any relief, you won’t find a single negative review across review platforms related to our shipments — except one. In that case, the customer experienced a slight delivery delay. We handled it by covering the back-and-forth freight cost and issuing a full refund for the purchase.
Tiles must be stronger than I thought.
But then another thought follows —
I have this strange ability to attract calamities. What if something bad happens during my shipment?
Are they going to take care of the problem?
Or will I be stuck on the phone, spending hours trying to fix it myself?
If this is any relief, you won’t find a single negative review across review platforms related to our shipments — except one. In that case, the customer experienced a slight delivery delay. We handled it by covering the back-and-forth freight cost and issuing a full refund for the purchase.
Your Tiles Are Fully Insured
Your tiles are fully insured against catastrophic accidents, damage, and theft. They are also insured for concealed damage.
If an insurance claim is ever required, we do not wait for the claim to be resolved before taking action. We ship your replacement tiles right away.
And here’s the most important part:
You are not the insured party. We are.
That means the claim is not your problem.
You don’t deal with carriers.
You don’t chase paperwork.
You don’t spend hours on the phone.
We handle it — start to finish.
If an insurance claim is ever required, we do not wait for the claim to be resolved before taking action. We ship your replacement tiles right away.
And here’s the most important part:
You are not the insured party. We are.
That means the claim is not your problem.
You don’t deal with carriers.
You don’t chase paperwork.
You don’t spend hours on the phone.
We handle it — start to finish.