Three Shipping Tiers, Three Use Cases
Every HIGHER order ships through one of three channels. Each has different cost structures, lead times, and best-use scenarios. Understanding when to use which channel is the difference between smooth operations and emergency air freight that eats your margin.
Sea Freight: Your Primary Channel
Sea freight is the default for all custom orders — custom cones, custom-printed tubes, custom logo CR lids, and any non-stock item. It's the most cost-effective shipping method because the per-unit freight cost is a fraction of air.
Timeline breakdown:
- Production: 2–3 weeks after deposit received
- Port loading + transit: 2–4 weeks depending on origin port and destination
- Customs + last-mile delivery: 3–7 business days
- Total: 4–8 weeks from deposit to your facility
When to Use Sea Freight
Always — unless you're in a time crunch. Sea freight should be your planned, routine ordering channel. Place custom orders when you have 10–14 weeks of inventory remaining. That gives you a 2–6 week buffer after the shipment arrives before your existing stock runs out.
Sea Freight Cost Impact
Sea freight is included in every HIGHER quote — you're never surprised by a shipping line item. The per-unit freight cost on sea shipments is typically $0.002–$0.005/unit, which is negligible at volume. This is why sea freight is the default: the delivered per-unit cost is essentially the production cost.
Place your next custom order when you have 12 weeks of inventory left. This accounts for 8-week sea transit plus a 4-week buffer. If your production rate increases, adjust the trigger point earlier.
Air Freight: The Expedite Option
Air freight cuts transit time to 7–12 days from factory to your facility. It's 3–5x more expensive per unit than sea freight, but sometimes speed is worth the premium.
Timeline breakdown:
- Production: 2–3 weeks (same as sea — production doesn't change)
- Air transit: 3–5 days
- Customs + last-mile delivery: 2–5 business days
- Total: 7–12 days from production completion to your facility
When to Use Air Freight
Use air freight when you miscalculated demand, when a new product launch accelerated your timeline, or when you need a specific custom item faster than sea can deliver. Air freight is the fix for planning gaps — not the default channel.
Common air freight scenarios we see:
- A dispensary launches a new strain and pre-roll demand exceeds forecast — they need custom cones in 2 weeks, not 8
- A processor lands a new dispensary account and needs branded packaging for the first shipment
- Seasonal demand spikes (Traverse City summer tourism, 4/20 nationwide) catch operators with lower-than-expected inventory
Air Freight Cost Impact
Air freight adds approximately $0.01–$0.02/unit to the per-unit cost. On a 250K order, that's $2,500–$5,000 in additional freight. Significant — but less than the revenue lost from being out of stock for 4–6 weeks while waiting for sea freight.
Michigan Local Stock: The Safety Net
HIGHER maintains warehouse stock of 116mm pop-top tubes in Michigan. This is your fastest-available packaging option — 2–7 business days to any Michigan address, and 3–10 days to Ohio, Illinois, and surrounding states.
What's in local stock:
- 116mm pop-top tubes — clear, black, white
- 100K minimum order quantity
- $0.048–$0.050/unit
- CR certified, shipping included
When to Use Local Stock
Local stock serves three purposes:
1. Emergency restock. You ran out of tubes. Production is halted. You need packaging today, not in 8 weeks. Local stock gets you running again in under a week.
2. New operator starter order. You're launching a pre-roll line and need to validate demand before committing to a large custom order. Start with 100K local stock tubes, test your production and sell-through rate, then order custom at 250K once you've dialed in your volumes.
3. Buffer inventory. Keep 2–4 weeks of local stock on hand as a buffer while your custom sea freight order is in transit. This eliminates the risk of a production gap if sea freight is delayed by customs or port congestion.
The Combined Strategy
Here's how operators who never run out of packaging structure their ordering:
Routine Orders (Sea Freight)
Place custom orders (cones, printed tubes, jars) at 12 weeks before stockout. Sea freight delivers in 4–8 weeks. You maintain a 4–8 week buffer.
Buffer Stock (Michigan Local)
Maintain 50K–100K pop-top tubes from Michigan local stock at all times. This is your production insurance. Cost: $2,400–$5,000 in standing inventory — less than a single day of production downtime.
Expedite (Air Freight)
Use air only when the buffer is consumed and the next sea shipment is more than 2 weeks away. Air freight is the emergency valve, not the plan.
Custom (sea): Reorder at 12 weeks of inventory remaining
Custom (air): Emergency reorder at 3 weeks of inventory remaining
Local stock: Reorder at 4 weeks of inventory remaining
Get Your Lead Time Quote
Every HIGHER quote includes specific lead times for your order — sea and air options with exact transit estimates to your facility. No guessing, no vague "fast shipping" promises.
