Freight Delivery 101: What Curbside Delivery Really Means

A home sauna doesn't show up in a van with a knock at the door — it arrives by freight, on a pallet, on a truck built for cargo that weighs hundreds of pounds. If that's news to you, you're not alone, and it's exactly why delivery day catches some buyers off guard. Here's what actually happens, so nothing surprises you.

Every sauna we ship goes out with free shipping included, and it travels via LTL (less-than-truckload) freight rather than a small parcel carrier. That's normal for anything this large and heavy, and it changes what "delivery" looks like in a few important ways.

What "curbside delivery" actually means

Curbside delivery means the freight driver brings your crate or pallet to the end of your driveway, or the closest point a full-size truck can safely and legally reach, and lowers it to the ground with a liftgate and pallet jack. It does not mean the driver carries it into your garage, up a flight of stairs, or out to a backyard sauna spot. That last stretch — from curb to final location — is on you.

Because sauna packaging commonly weighs several hundred pounds, plan on at least two people and a furniture dolly or hand truck to move it. If you have a long driveway, stairs, or tight gates between the curb and where the sauna is going, think through that path before delivery day, not during it.

The inspection you must do before signing

This is the step that matters most, and the one most people skip because they're excited to get their sauna inside. Before you sign the delivery receipt (sometimes called a bill of lading), walk around the crate or pallet and look for visible damage: torn or crushed packaging, punctures, or a pallet that looks like it took a hit in transit.

If everything looks intact, you can sign normally. If you see damage, don't just sign and hope for the best — write a specific note directly on the delivery receipt describing what you see (for example, "corner of crate crushed, packaging torn, contents not inspected"), and take photos of the damage before you open anything. A vague "damaged" note is better than nothing, but a specific one protects you far more.

Freight claims are generally decided based on what was documented at the time of delivery. Signing a receipt marked clear, with no notes, when there was visible damage, makes it much harder to file a successful claim later — even if you discover a problem once you open the crate.

If you find damage after you've opened the crate

Sometimes damage isn't visible from the outside and only shows up once you unpack. If that happens, contact us as soon as you notice it. Freight carriers generally require damage to be reported within a short window after delivery — often within 24 to 48 hours — so it's worth inspecting soon after the crate is inside rather than letting it sit unopened for days. Keep all packaging materials until the issue is resolved.

What happens after delivery: assembly

Once your sauna is inside, assembly for our panel-style models is a clasp-together process — no permanent fasteners or specialty tools — that most owners complete in about 60 to 90 minutes with two people. It's straightforward, but it's still real physical work with large panels, so plan for a helper and a bit of a workout rather than a five-minute setup.