j-d -- Thank you for your useful expansion on shipping large/heavy cargo. My comment dealt with a specific situation with a unique geographical challenge -- shipping something from Alaska and getting it into the Lower 48 logistics network. Your post provided a more informative description, useful to more people.
(Contrary to appearances, I do try to keep my posts relatively short. As a result, I have a tendency to condense or omit relevant information.)
Most people aren't fully aware of shipping options and alternatives. Consequently, they frequently pay more than necessary to have something shipped. By the nature of this thread, people may encounter situations requiring large/heavy shipments. (e.g., shipping costs on a new RV refrigerator.) Awareness -- and a bit of effort -- can lead to significant savings, especially if you can make use of deadhead movement. ("Standby" and "space available" are common terms for making win-win use of deadhead capacity.)
I recommend reading this
Wikipedia "Less than truckload shipping" article. In addition to general description, the article describes 'wrinkles' in LTL logistics that can be exploited to reduce shipping costs.
The rare engine I mentioned previously actually went from Fairbanks to Seattle via a small air cargo plane dead-heading back to the Lower 48. The $50 was for extra fuel required due the engine's weight and a small charge for freight consolidation/forwarding pickup.
An extreme example, in terms of size and weight, is my '72 M375 motorhome. It was given to me by someone in Washington state. Fairbanks is a freight hub so I spent several weeks talking to various independent truckers. Eventually, I found a trucker who was under contract for a small LTL shipment that urgently needed to come up from the Lower 48. Satisfying the contract with just the LTL would have meant significant financial loss. There was enough room on his flatbed trailer for the motorhome so he agreed to haul it up here if I covered some of what he would otherwise be losing. The result was 1/10 what it probably would have cost me. (There's more to the story -- including a punctured blackwater tank -- but this is the relevant gist.)
