How Orders Ship: Ground vs. LTL Freight
Every order leaves the same place — our facility at 426 Venture St in Escondido, California — and ships nationwide. What changes from order to order is the carrier method, and that is driven by three things: the size of the items, their weight, and how many you are ordering.
Smaller boxed items, such as individual boxwood mats or single panels, generally travel by standard ground carrier in cartons, the same way most parcels reach your door. Large hedge sections, oversized panels, and multi-case commercial orders are too big or too heavy for parcel handling, so they move by LTL — "less-than-truckload" — freight on pallets. LTL is the standard way partial truckloads of bulky goods ship, and it comes with its own handling and receiving expectations covered below.
| Method | Typical Contents | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Standard ground | Individual mats and single panels in boxes | Boxed parcel delivery, no appointment needed |
| LTL freight | Large hedge sections, oversized panels, multi-case orders | Palletized, curbside unless a liftgate is arranged |
If you are not sure which method your order will use, the quote is the place to find out: the freight figure and method are confirmed for your specific items and destination before you commit.
What Your Freight Quote Includes
Freight is not a separate errand you have to chase down — it is part of your product quote. When you request a product quote, the form asks for your delivery zip code so the team can price shipping alongside the products themselves. You get one figure that reflects both, rather than a surprise at checkout.
The timeline is straightforward. Our team responds within 24 hours of your request, and a detailed proposal that includes freight typically follows within 48 to 72 hours. The more accurate your inputs — product quantities, dimensions, and the exact delivery address — the more accurate the freight number we can return, and the fewer revisions later.
- Delivery zip code: asked on the quote form so freight is priced with your products, not after.
- Method confirmed for your order: ground or LTL, based on the size, weight, and quantity of what you are buying.
- A 24-hour first response, with the full proposal including freight typically inside 48 to 72 hours.
Receiving an LTL Delivery the Right Way
If your order ships by LTL freight, a few minutes of attention at the curb protects you. These steps are standard freight-receiving practice, not something unique to us, but they matter most on the day the truck arrives — once you sign a clean delivery receipt, later damage claims become much harder to make.
- Know how it comes off the truck. LTL delivery is curbside by default. If you need the freight lowered to the ground, arrange a liftgate in advance rather than assuming the truck has one.
- Count the pieces against the BOL. Check the number of cartons or pallets delivered against the bill of lading before the driver leaves.
- Note any visible damage before signing. Write down crushed corners, torn shrink wrap, or shifted freight on the delivery receipt at the moment of delivery.
- Photograph the pallets before unwrapping. A few pictures of the freight as it arrived give you a clear record if anything needs to be raised afterward.
Storing Panels Before Install
Panels arrive packed in cases, and how you hold them between delivery and installation affects how flat and clean they look once mounted. The goal is simple: keep them in the same condition they left the facility in.
Do
- Store the cases flat, not on edge or leaning
- Keep them indoors, in a dry space
- Keep them out of direct sun until you install
- Leave panels in their cases until you are ready to mount
Avoid
- Stacking heavy items on top of the cases
- Leaving panels outdoors or in a hot, sunlit area
- Standing cases upright for long periods
- Unwrapping everything before install day
When install day comes, our installation guide walks through mounting and handling. For planning how much material an area needs before you order, the coverage guide is the companion resource.
Commercial & Dock Deliveries
Commercial orders bring their own logistics, and larger scopes are where the LTL details matter most. If your building receives freight at a loading dock, schedule a delivery window that fits the dock's hours and staffing so the truck is not turned away or left waiting.
For commercial projects, our team coordinates the logistics — we handle freight logistics as part of the project, so the delivery is planned around the site rather than dropped without notice. If you are speccing a larger installation, the commercial resources hub gathers the documentation and planning tools that go alongside shipping, and the quote is where the delivery window and receiving details get worked out for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shipping is quoted per order, because the cost depends on the size and weight of what you are ordering and where it is going. Rather than post a flat rate that would be wrong for most orders, we include the freight figure as part of your product quote once we know the items and the delivery zip code. Small boxed items generally ship by standard ground carrier, while large hedge sections and multi-case commercial orders move by LTL freight, and each has a different rate structure.
When you request a product quote, the form asks for your delivery zip code. Our team responds within 24 hours, and a detailed proposal that includes freight typically follows within 48 to 72 hours. Sharing accurate dimensions, quantities, and the delivery address up front helps us return an accurate freight figure faster.
Count the pieces against the bill of lading before you sign, and note any visible damage on the delivery receipt at that moment, because a signed clean receipt makes later claims harder. Photograph the pallets before unwrapping them. Standard LTL delivery is curbside unless a liftgate has been arranged in advance, so confirm how the freight will come off the truck when you schedule.