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How to ship a piano

The right mode, how to prepare it, what drives the price and the mistakes that cost money. Best modes: White glove / final mile.

Short answer: Ship a piano with a white glove service: a trained two-person or larger crew, a piano board or skid, blanket wrap, and inside placement. Uprights and grands need different handling, so say which it is and describe stairs and turns at both ends when you quote.

Updated November 3, 2026 · By the GetShippingRates team at Armstrong Transport Group

Step by step

Preparing a piano for shipping

  1. Identify the type: spinet, upright, baby grand or grand.
  2. Measure doorways, stairs and turns at both homes.
  3. Book white glove with inside placement.
  4. Lock the lid and protect pedals and legs (the crew removes grand legs).
  5. Plan a tuning after delivery.
Cost

What drives the price

  • Piano type and weight
  • Stairs and long carries
  • White glove crew size
  • Distance

For real prices see pallet shipping cost, the freight rate index and reefer shipping cost.

Avoid these

Mistakes that cost money

  • Booking ordinary LTL for a piano.
  • Not mentioning stairs.
  • Skipping insurance on a valuable instrument.

More home and furniture guides

Frequently asked questions

Can a piano ship by freight?

Yes, with white glove service; ordinary LTL handling isn't suitable.

Does the crew handle stairs?

Yes when you tell us in advance so the right crew and equipment come.

Should I insure it?

Yes. Carrier liability rarely covers a piano's value.

More shipping cost guides

  • Shipping cost calculator — Billable weight for parcel, LTL, truckload, air and ocean, the mode that fits, and a dated LTL price range.
  • Pallet shipping cost — What 1 to 12 pallets cost to ship by LTL, by distance, from 97,000+ real shipments.
  • Freight shipping rates — How each mode is priced, and LTL price per 100 lb by weight and distance from real shipments.
  • LTL vs truckload — Where LTL stops making sense: pallet counts, weight, linear feet and transit, with real LTL prices.
  • Air freight rates — How air cargo is priced: chargeable weight, weight breaks, surcharges and door-to-door charges.
  • Ocean freight rates — FCL vs LCL, container sizes, revenue tons and every charge on an ocean freight quote.
  • Freight rate index — Median all-in truckload price per mile by equipment, distance and city, from hundreds of priced lanes.
  • Reefer shipping cost — What refrigerated LTL and reefer truckloads cost, from real quotes on 16 lanes.
  • White glove delivery cost — Curbside to white glove with assembly: what the two-person delivery leg costs in 16 US cities.
  • Broker vs. carrier direct — When a direct carrier contract beats a broker, and when it doesn't.
  • Volume LTL vs. partial truckload — The 6-to-18-pallet gray zone: how each is priced and handled.
  • Where to get a freight quote — Carrier sites, marketplaces, brokers and instant-rate platforms compared.
  • How to ship anything — Mode, packaging, freight class and cost drivers for furniture, machinery, produce, hazmat and more.
  • Shipping to Mexico — Cross-border freight: border crossings, the documents each side needs, and the US leg's real cost.
Live quote

Get a quote to ship a piano

Pick the mode, enter the lane and freight, and see live rates in seconds where the mode supports it. Armstrong Transport Group's team handles the rest.

Prefer to talk? Call 877-240-1181 or email info@getshippingrates.com. Shipping several modes? Request a free multimodal shipping review.

Final Mile quote

  2. 2 Shipment
  3. 3 Contact
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