Fragile Freight NZ Businesses Trust
Fragile freight is our core speciality. While most freight companies treat every consignment the same, we understand that some items require a completely different approach - specialist vehicles, careful loading, secure restraints and experienced hands that know exactly what they're dealing with.
A Fragile Goods Courier Built for Items Couriers Won't Take
Most people start by looking for a fragile goods courier, then discover that standard courier networks are the worst possible place to send something breakable. Parcels get sorted by conveyor, stacked by weight and handled by whoever is on shift - fine for a boxed pair of shoes, not for a glass splashback or a powder-coated gate. As a specialist fragile goods courier we do the opposite: your item is hand-loaded, secured for its own shape, and stays on one truck with one driver from pickup to delivery.
That covers the things a parcel network will either refuse or quietly damage - mirrors and glazed units, unboxed furniture, garage doors, aluminium joinery, ceramics, signage and artwork. There is no conveyor, no depot stacking and no weight-based sorting anywhere in the journey. If you have been quoted by a courier and told your item is "at owner's risk" because it is fragile, that is exactly the freight we are set up to carry properly.
How We Protect Your Freight
Dedicated Vehicles & Equipment
We have specialist vehicles configured specifically for fragile freight - proper restraints, padding and load management for items that need it. Every item is wrapped in moving blankets and tied down securely before the truck leaves the yard.
Door to Door - Minimal Handling
Every extra handling point is an opportunity for damage. Our door to door service eliminates unnecessary transhipping so your freight is touched as few times as possible.
Experienced, Careful Drivers
Our drivers average 8+ years with us. They know how to handle fragile freight properly and take personal responsibility for every delivery.
Insurance Options Available
We offer owner's risk, carrier's liability and declared value cover so you have the right protection for your most valuable goods.
Fragile Freight Questions, Answered
How do you pack fragile items for transport?
In most cases we are not repacking your item - we are securing what you have already packed so it survives the road. Items travel in the orientation they are designed to sit in: glass and glazed units upright in stillages or A-frames, never flat on a deck where road joins flex them. We separate faces with foam or cork so nothing rubs, protect every exposed corner and edge, and strap against the frame or pallet rather than across the face of the item. If you tell us what is coming when you book, we bring the right restraints and blankets on the truck rather than improvising on your loading dock.
Is my fragile freight insured during transport?
You choose at quote stage. The default under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 is limited carrier's risk, capped at $2,000 including GST per unit. If your item is worth more than that - and most fragile freight is - we can arrange Declared Value Cover on your behalf for the full value you nominate, with the premium included in your quote. Second-hand items, glass and inadequately packed goods are carried at Owner's Risk, so it pays to talk to us before booking if any of those apply. Claims need written notice within 7 days of delivery.
What items count as fragile freight?
Anything where the cost of damage outweighs the cost of the freight. In practice that means garage doors and roller doors, aluminium gates and fencing panels, glass panels, splashbacks and balustrades, aluminium and uPVC joinery, high-end furniture and beds, artwork, antiques, mirrors, signage and ceramics. If it is unboxed, awkwardly balanced, easily scratched, or simply cannot be replaced by next week, treat it as fragile and tell us at booking.
How much does fragile freight transport cost?
Price depends on the dimensions and weight of the item, the pickup and delivery points, how much space it takes on the truck, and whether you want Declared Value Cover. Because fragile items are usually bulky rather than heavy, cubic space tends to drive the price more than weight does. We quote each job individually with a fixed figure - no hidden fees and no surprises on the invoice - and we aim to get a quote back to you within 2 hours. Send us the dimensions and both addresses and you will have a number the same day.
Do you offer fragile freight outside Auckland?
Yes. We run scheduled weekly services from our Albany depot to Wellington, Tauranga, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier and Hastings, Whangarei and New Plymouth, plus daily runs across metro Auckland. Your item stays on one Secure Transport truck with one driver for the whole journey - we do not hand fragile freight to a local subcontractor at the far end, which is where most damage happens on long-distance jobs.
"We have used Matt and team to deliver our beds around the North Island for many many years. It is imperative they are delivered safely and that our happy customers receive excellent friendly timely service. THIS is why we will continue to use this fantastic freight company!"
- Kim, Luxury Orthopaedic Beds Ltd