Contracts, Financing & Purchasing Programs
Shipping Arrangements
School furniture purchases often necessitate more costly shipping arrangements because the items are usually too large to ship with a small carrier like UPS or FedEx Ground. School furniture orders typically ship with freight trucking companies on less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments. In most cases, school furniture orders will require, at minimum, a lift-gate service to have the driver lower the shipment to ground level upon delivery.
When submitting your quote request, please include any delivery restrictions or requirements pertinent to your ship-to address. If you do not specify delivery requirements and your items cannot ship UPS/Fed Ex, our school furniture experts will include their recommended shipping arrangements on your custom quote.
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Tailgate Delivery This is the least expensive freight delivery option, but it is only recommended when there is adequate site staff available to offload the pieces from the truck by hand, and relatively quickly. Use of a forklift or raised loading dock is recommended. |
Lift-Gate Delivery Most schools need, at minimum, a lift-gate service to have the driver lower the palletized/cartoned shipment to ground level outside. Site staff can then move the product indoors and perform the assembly. |
Inside Delivery With this delivery service option, the driver will lower the shipment to ground level and move the palletized/cartoned product through the front door. This assumes a ground-level delivery, no stairs. The site staff will still be responsible for moving the product to the desired room(s) and performing the assembly. |
Installation The most robust shipping and delivery arrangements include full installation of the products on order. This means the installer(s) will deliver the product to the desired room(s), assemble and place all units, and properly dispose of all packing materials. |
Additional Service Options
To nurture long-term partnerships with our school customers, we also offer turn-key and value-added services for school furniture procurement and planning. Many of those services come at
no additional cost!
Depending on the complexity of your furniture request, you might consider
Project Management Services with our projects team. From a single classroom to an entire new school, our school furniture experts are ready to assist you in making your school’s vision a reality.
The Ordering Process
Once you have verified the accuracy of your quote (item descriptions, colors, quantities, shipping arrangements), simply sign and return the document either to the representative with whom you have been working or to
[email protected]. We also accept formal Purchase Orders from Public Schools and Governmental entities.
Your representative will provide you payment details at the time of ordering. Payment terms for returning customers may be established through a credit application.
Since our focus is providing schools our best guidance, service, and support, we currently do not participate in residential sales nor do we sell to other furniture dealers. We appreciate your understanding.
What to Expect When Placing an Order
- Request a Quote
Submit your quote request to our team. Quotes generally require 1-2 business days to complete with shipping costs.
- Place Your Order
Work with your school furniture expert to revise your quote, if needed, until all items, quantities, and colors are correct. Place your order either by sending back your signed quote or issue a formal PO to [email protected]
- Manufacturing
Most of our school furniture brands are build-to-order, which means the production of your furniture won’t begin until your order is placed. Manufacturing times vary between 5-10 days and 12 weeks. The lead time, which is the manufacturing time required before an order ships, will be listed on your quote.
- Shipment
Once your order is produced and packaged for shipment, we’ll coordinate a truck to pick up your order and bring it to you. Transit times are estimated between 3-5 business days, but they vary depending on how far the carrier must travel to reach you. Once your order has shipped, we’ll share the shipment tracking information with you so that you can prepare for delivery.
- Delivery
Your furniture is ready to arrive! How your order delivers depends on the shipping arrangements selected during the quoting and ordering process. Most LTL shipments, whether tailgate or lift-gate delivered, will communicate an estimated arrival day through the tracking number. If you order inside delivery or installation services, you will be contacted ahead of time to schedule a more precise delivery window.